Dates of Note in Country Music, April 1-15

Category: News

(Country Music Hall of Famers in bold)

April 1:

Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith born in Clinton, South Carolina, 1921 (now 91)

Jim Ed Brown born in Sparkman, Arkansas, 1934 (now 78)

Jules Verne Allen born in Waxahachie, Texas, 1883 (died 1945)

Jimmy Logsdon born in Panther, Kentucky, 1922 (died 2001)

CMA President Paul Cohen died in Nashville, Tennessee (cancer), 1970 (was 71)

Rachel Veach joined Roy Acuff's Smoky Mountain Boys, 1939. Her presence gave rise to Pete Kirby's nickname "Bashful Brother Oswald:" a woman traveling with a group of men was scandalous, so Kirby was billed as Veach's "bashful brother" to quell any rumors.

The original Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum opened, 1967

April 2:

Warner Mack born in Nashville, Tennessee, 1935 (now 77)

Sonny Throckmorton born in Carlsbad, New Mexico, 1941 (now 71)

Emmylou Harris born in Birmingham, Alabama, 1947 (now 65)

Dean Townson of Pirates of the Mississippi born in Battle Creek, Michigan, 1959 (now 53)

Billy Dean born in Quincy, Florida, 1962 (now 50)
Mose Rager born in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, 1911 (died 1986). The guitarist was a significant influence on the thumbpicking style of another guitarist from the region, Merle Travis.
Cliff Carlisle died in Lexington, Kentucky(unknown cause), 1983 (was 78)
Former Country Gentleman Doyle Lawson formed Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, 1979

April 3:

Billy Joe Royal born in Valdosta, Georgia, 1942 (now 70)
Richard Thompson born in Notting Hill, London, 1949 (now 63).  The legendary folk-rock singer/songwriter and guitarist wrote and originally recorded "1952 Vincent Black Lightning," later a bluegrass hit for Del McCoury, as well as Jo-El Sonnier's biggest hit, "Tear-Stained Letter" (which was also covered by Faith Hill).

Curtis Stone of Highway 101 (and son of Cliffie Stone) born in North Hollywood, California, 1950 (now 62)

Hank Newman of the Georgia Crackers born in Cochran, Georgia, 1905 (died 1978)

Don Gibson born in Shelby, North Carolina, 1928 (died 2003)

Ella Mae Cooley murdered, 1961. Her husband, self-proclaimed "King of Western Swing" Spade Cooley, was convicted of her murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Red Allen died in Dayton, Ohio (cancer), 1993 (was 63)
Starday Records owner Don Pierce died in Nashville, Tennessee (heart attack), 2005 (was 89)
The Louisiana Hayride debuted on KWKH, Shreveport, Louisiana, 1948. Among the artists who performed on the radio show were Elvis Presley, Hank Williams, Johnny Horton, and one-time emcee Jim Reeves.

April 4:

Norro Wilson born in Scottsville, Kentucky, 1938 (now 74)

Steve Gatlin of the Gatlin Brothers born in Olney, Texas, 1951 (now 61)

Troy Gentry of Montgomery-Gentry born in Lexington, Kentucky, 1967 (now 45)

Cy Coben (ne Cohen)  born in Jersey City, New Jersey, 1919 (died 2006)

Red Sovine died in Nashville, Tennessee (heart attack while driving), 1980 (was 61)

April 5:

Jack Clement born in Whitehaven, Tennessee, 1931 (now 81)

Bill Clifton (ne William August Marburg) born in Riverwood, Maryland, 1931 (now 81). In addition to being a bluegrass performer, the 2008 Bluegrass Hall of Fame inductee is also credited with starting the bluegrass festival, when he organized a July 4, 1961 show in Luray, Virginia.

June Stearns born in Albany, New York, 1939 (now 73)

Tommy Cash born in Dyess, Arkansas, 1940 (now 72)

Bob McDill born in Beaumont, Texas, 1944 (now 68)
Pat Green born in San Antonio, Texas, 1972 (now 40)
Charlie Collins of Roy Acuff's Smoky Mountain Boys born i Caryville, Tennessee, 1933 (died 2012)
Frenchy "Stoney" Edwards died in Oklahoma (stomach cancer), 1997 (was 67)

Gene Pitney died in Cardiff, Wales (heart disease), 2006 (was 65). In addition to his rock hits, Pitney recorded two albums of duets with George Jones.

April 6:

Merle Haggard born in Bakersfield, California, 1937 (now 75)

Vernon Dalhart (ne Marion Try Slaughter) born in Marion County, Texas, 1883 (died 1948)

Wade Ray born in Griffin, Indiana, 1913 (died 1998)

Tammy Wynette died in Nashville, Tennessee (heart failure attributed to blood clot), 1998 (was 55)

Grand Ole Opry shows were canceled due to rioting in the wake of Martin Luther King's assassination earlier in the week, 1968

April 7:

Cal Smith born in Gans, Oklahoma, 1932 (now 80)

Bobby Bare born in Ironton, Ohio, 1935 (now 77)

John Dittrich of Restless Heart born in New York, New York, 1951 (now 61)

Leon "Pappy" Selph born in Houston, Texas, 1914 (died 1999)

Clyde Moody died in Nashville, Tennessee (unknown cause), 1989 (was 73)
Steel guitarist Jeff Newman died in Watertown, Tennessee (plane crash), 2004 (was 62)

April 8:

John Schneider born in Mount Kisco, New York, 1960 (now 52)

Jimmy Osborne born in Winchester, Kentucky, 1923 (died 1957)

April 9:

Margo Smith born in Dayton, Ohio, 1942 (now 70)

Con Hunley born in Fountain City, Tennessee, 1945 (now 67)

Hal Ketchum born in Greenwich, New York, 1953 (now 59)

Mark Roberts of the Red Clay Ramblers born in Wareham, Massachusetts, 1957 (now 55)

Dave Innis of Restless Heart born in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, 1959 (now 53)

Carl Perkins born in Tiptonville, Tennessee, 1932 (died 1998)

Darrell Glenn died in Fort Worth, Texas (cancer), 1990 (was 54)

Mae Boren Axton died in Nashville, Tennessee (natural causes), 1997 (was 82)

April 10:

Weldon Myrick born in Jayton, Texas, 1938 (now 74). The steel guitar great co-wrote the Wilburn Brothers' "Hangin' Around" and suggested the town of Big Spring, Texas to Bill Anderson for the line "If you've never been to Paris, France / Big Spring, Texas will suit you fine" in "At the Time" (a hit for Jean Shepard).

Fiddlin' Arthur Smith born in Bold Spring, Tennessee, 1898 (died 1971)

Sheb Wooley born in Enick, Oklahoma, 1921 (died 2003)

Former home of Johnny and June Cash destroyed by fire, 2007. Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees owned the house at the time of the fire.

April 11:

Jim Lauderdale born in Troutman, North Carolina, 1957 (now 55)

Harty Taylor of Karl & Harty born in Mount Vernon, Kentucky, 1905 (died 1963)

Millie Good of the Girls of the Golden West born in Mount Carmel, Illinois, 1913 (died 1993)

Eddie Miller died in Nashville, Tennessee (unknown cause), 1977 (was 83). In addition to writing a number of songs, including "I've Loved and Lost Again" which was recorded by Patsy Cline during her stint on Four Star, Miller co-founded the Nashville Songwriters' Association International.

Lighnin' Chance died in Nashville, Tennessee (cancer/Alzheimer's), 2005 (was 79)

Jerry Byrd died in Honolulu, Hawaii (complications of Parkinson's disease), 2005 (was 85)

April 12:

Ned Miller born in Raines, Utah, 1925 (now 87)

Vince Gill born in Norman, Oklahoma, 1957 (now 55)

Ernie Lee born in Berea, Kentucky, 1916 (died 1991)

Judy Lynn born in Boise, Idaho, 1936 (died 2010)

Lewis Crook of the Crook Brothers died in Nashville, Tennessee (natural causes), 1997 (was 87)

Boxcar Willie died in Branson, Missouri (leukemia), 1999 (was 67)

April 13:

Sam Bush born in Bowling Green, Kentucky, 1952 (now 60)

Bob Nolan of the Sons of the Pioneers born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, 1908 (died 1980)

Guy Willis of the Willis Brothers died in Nashville, Tennessee (unknown cause), 1981 (was 65)

Johnny Dollar died in Nashville, Tennessee (suicide), 1986 (was 53)

April 14:

Loretta Lynn born in Butcher Holler, Kentucky, 1935 (now 77)

Stuart Duncan of the Nashville Bluegrass Band born in Quantico, Virginia, 1964 (now 48)

Vito Pelletteri died in Nashville, Tennessee (complications from a stroke), 1977 (was 87)

Burl Ives died in Anacortes, Washington (throat cancer), 1995 (was 85)

April 15:

Roy Clark born in Meherrin, Virginia, 1933 (now 79)

J.L. Frank born in Limestone County, Alabama, 1900 (died 1952)

Bob Luman born in Nacogdoches, Texas, 1937 (died 1978)

Junior Barnard of Bob Wills' Texas Playboys died (car wreck), 1951 (was 30)

Rose Maddox died in Ashland, Oregon (kidney failure), 1998 (was 72)

Otto Kitsinger died in Nashville, Tennessee (heart attack), 1998 (was 54). Otto was the historian and writer for CMT's Opry Backstage.