Dates of Note in Country Music, April 15-30

Category: News

Country Music Hall of Famers in bold

April 16:

Dusty Springfield born in London, England, 1939 (died 1999). The legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame singer hit the country charts in 1962 as part of the Springfields with "Silver Threads and Golden Needles."

April 17:

Craig Anderson of Heartland born in Huntsville, Alabama, 1973 (now 38)

Eddie Cochran died in Bath, England (injuries from an April 16 car wreck), 1960 (was 21). The rockabilly pioneer co-wrote "Summertime Blues," which Alan Jackson covered in country.

Dorsey Dixon died in Plant City, Florida (heart attack), 1968 (was 70)

Hank Penny died in Camarillo, California (heart failure), 1992 (was 73)

Linda McCartney died in Tuscon, Arizona (breast cancer), 1998 (was 56). Linda and husband Sir Paul McCartney's band, Wings, hit the country charts in 1974 with "Sally G."

Glenn Sutton died in Nashville, Tennessee (heart attack), 2007 (was 69)

April 18:

Walt Richmond of the Tractors born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1947 (now 64)

Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown born in Vinton, Louisiana, 1924 (died 2005)

Your blogger born in Louisville, Kentucky, 19(??) (now taking Hadacol 'cause I'm not so young after all)

Milton Brown died in Fort Worth, Texas (pneumonia resulting from injuries in an April 13 car wreck), 1936 (was 32)

April 19:

Bill Rice born in Datto, Arkansas, 1939 (now 72)

Gary Brewer born in Louisville, Kentucky, 1965 (now 46)

Bobby Russell born in Nashville, Tennessee, 1941 (died 1992)

Earl Bolick of the Blue Sky Boys died in Tucker, Georgia (unknown cause), 1998 (was 78)

The "National Barn Dance" debuted on WLS, Chicago, 1924

April 20:

Johnny Tillotson born in Jacksonville, Florida, 1939 (now 72)

Doyle Lawson of the Country Gentlemen and Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver born in Ford Town, Tennessee, 1944 (now 67)

Wade Hayes born in Bethel Acres, Oklahoma, 1969 (now 42)

Frank "Hylo" Brown born in River, Kentucky, 1922 (died 2003)

Benny Hill found dead in his London flat (coronary thrombosis), 1992 (was 68). The British comedian's Benny Hill Show featured Boots Randolph's "Yakety Sax" as its theme song.

April 21:

Wade Mainer born in Buncombe, North Carolina, 1907 (now 104!)

Paul Davis born in Meridian, Mississippi, 1948 (died 2008)

Ira Louvin born in Section, Alabama, 1924 (died 1965)

Carl Belew born in Salina, Oklahoma, 1931 (died 1990)

April 22:

Glen Campbell born in Delight, Arkansas, 1936 (now 75)

Ray Griff born in Vancouver, British Columbia, 1940 (now 71)

Pat Enright of the Nashville Bluegrass Band born in Huntington, Indiana, 1945 (now 66)

Cleve Francis born in Jennings, Louisiana, 1945 (now 66)

Larry Groce born in Dallas, Texas, 1948 (now 63). The Mountain Stage host had one charted record, 1977's "Junk Food Junkie," which was a minor country hit.

Reuben Gosfield of Asleep at the Wheel born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1951 (now 60)

Heath Wright of Ricochet born in Vian, Oklahoma, 1967 (now 44)

Steve Sholes died in Nashville, Tennessee (heart attack), 1968 (was 57)

Felice Bryant died in Nashville, Tennessee (cancer), 2003 (was 77)

Paul Davis died in Meridian, Mississippi (heart attack), 2008 (was 60)

Richard Nixon died in New York, New York (stroke), 1994 (was 81). The former president's political troubles were chronicled in Tom T. Hall's song "Watergate Blues." Nixon also appeared on the Grand Ole Opry during its first night at the Opry House in 1974.

April 23:

Roland White of the Nashville Bluegrass Band born in Madawaska, Maine, 1938 (now 73)

Roy Orbison born in Vernon, Texas, 1936 (died 1988)

April 24:

Shirley Boone born in Chicago, Illinois, 1934 (now 77). Pat Boone's wife is also the daughter of Red Foley.

Rebecca Lynn Howard born in Salyersville, Kentucky, 1979 (now 32)

Harry McClintock died in San Francisco, California (unknown cause), 1957 (was 74). His greatest success would come decades after his death when his recording of "Big Rock Candy Mountain" began the film O Brother, Where Art Thou.

Bonnie Owens died in Bakersfield, California (Alzheimer's disease), 2006 (was 73)

April 25:

Larry Robbins of the Johnson Mountain Boys born in Dickerson, Maryland, 1945 (now 66)

Karl Farr of the Sons of the Pioneers born in Rochelle, Texas, 1909 (died 1961)

Cliff Bruner born in Texas City, Texas, 1915 (died 2000)

Vassar Clements born in Kinard, South Carolina, 1928 (died 2005)

O.B. McClinton born in Senatobia, Mississippi, 1940 (died 1987)

The musical Big River opened on Broadway, 1985. It won a "Best Musical" Tony for songwriter Roger Miller, making him, to date, the only country performer to ever win a Tony Award.

April 26:

Johnny Mosby born in Fort Smith, Arkansas, 1933 (now 78)

Duane Eddy born in Corning, New York, 1938 (now 73)

Fiddlin' Doc Roberts born in Richmond, Kentucky, 1897 (died 1978)

Cecil Null born in East War, West Virginia, 1927 (died 2001)

Tim Spencer of the Sons of the Pioneers died in Apple Valley, California (long illness), 1974 (was 65)

Wesley Rose died in Nashville, Tennessee (unknown cause), 1990 (was 72)

April 27:

Maxine Brown of the Browns born in Campti, Louisiana, 1931 (now 80)

Herb Pedersen of the Dillards and Desert Rose Band born in Berkley, California, 1944 (now 66)

Sydney Nathan, founder of King Records, born in Cincinnati, Ohio, 1904 (died 1968)

Jimmie Skinner born in Blue Lick, Kentucky, 1909 (died 1979)

April 28:

Dale Potter born in Puxico, Missouri, 1929 (died 1996)

Tommy Caldwell of the Marshall Tucker Band died in Spartanburg, South Carolina (injuries from an April 21 car wreck), 1980 (was 30)

Ken Curtis died in Clovis, California (heart attack), 1991 (was 74). The Gunsmoke star was also a one-time member of the Sons of the Pioneers.

April 29:

Billy Mize born in Arkansas City, Kansas, 1929 (now 82)

Duane Allen of the Oak Ridge Boys born in Taylortown, Texas, 1943 (now 68)

Wayne Secrest of Confederate Railroad born in Alton, Illinois, 1950 (now 61)

Karen Brooks born in Dallas, Texas, 1954 (now 57)

Danny Davis (ne George Joseph Nowlan) of the Nashville Brass born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, 1925 (died 2008)

Eddie Noack born in Houston, Texas, 1930 (died 1978)
Vern Gosdin died in Nashville, Tennessee (stroke), 2009 (was 74)

April 30:

Fuzzy Owen born in Conway, Arkansas, 1929 (now 82)

Willie Nelson born in Abbott, Texas, 1933 (now 78)

Darrell McCall born in New Jasper, Ohio, 1940 (now 71)

Robert Earl Reynolds of the Mavericks born in Kansas City, Missouri, 1962 (now 49)

Johnny Horton born in Los Angeles, California, 1930 (died 1960)

Curly Chalker died in Hendersonville, Tennessee (brain cancer), 1998 (was 66)

WLS airs the final broadcast of the National Barn Dance, 1960, after 36 years on the air.