Dates of Note in Country Music, August 1-15

Category: News


Country Music Hall of Famers in bold

August 1:

Leon Chappelear born in Tyler, Texas, 1909 (died 1962)
Howard "Howdy" Forrester of the Smoky Mountain Boys died in Nashville, Tennessee (unknown cause), 1987 (was 65)

The AFM called a strike against record companies, 1942. The strike, combined with the shortage of shellac because of World War II, severely limited the record companies' output for two years.

August 2:

Hank Cochran born in Isola, Mississippi, 1935 (died 2010)

Betty Jack Davis died in Cincinnati, Ohio (car wreck), 1953 (was 21)

Joe Allison died in Nashville, Tennessee (illness), 2002 (was 77)

Redd Stewart died in Louisville, Kentucky (complications from a head injury), 2003 (was 82)
The wreckage of Jim Reeves' plane discovered, 1964. The two-day search of wooded areas in and around Nashville for the plane included many country music performers. Eddy Arnold was among those in the party that found Reeves' body.

August 3:

Dorothy Dillard of the Anita Kerr Singers born in Springfield, Missouri, 1923 (now 89)

Gordon Stoker of the Jordanaires born in Gleason, Tennessee, 1924 (now 88)

Randy Scruggs born in Nashville, Tennessee, 1953 (now 59)

Dean Sams of Lonestar born in Garland, Texas, 1966 (now 46)

Little Roy Wiggins died in Sevierville, Tennessee (heart disease and diabetes complications), 1999 (was 73)

August 4:

Vicki Hackerman of Dave & Sugar born in Louisville, Kentucky, 1950 (now 62)

Louis Armstrong born in New Orleans, 1901 (died 1971). The legendary jazz trumpet player and singer recorded with Jimmie Rodgers.

Carson J. Robison born in Oswego, Kansas, 1890 (died 1957)

James Blackwood of the Blackwood Brothers born in Ackerman, Mississippi, 1919 (died 2002)
Scotty Stoneman born in Galax, Virginia, 1932 (died 1973)
Fiddlin' Doc Roberts died in Richmond, Kentucky (unknown cause), 1978 (was 81)

Kenny Price died in Nashville, Tennessee (heart attack), 1987 (was 56)

August 5:

Bobby Braddock born in Lakeland, Florida, 1940 (now 72)

Tim Wilson born in Columbus, Georgia, 1961 (now 51)

Terri Clark born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 1968 (now 44)
Hal Durham born in McMinnville, Tennessee, 1931 (died 2009)
Vern "The Voice" Gosdin born in Woodland, Alabama, 1934 (died 2009)

Sammi Smith born in Orange, California, 1943 (died 2005)

Luther Perkins died in Nashville, Tennessee (injuries from a house fire), 1968 (was 40)

August 6:

Patsy and Peggy Lynn born in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, 1964 (now 48)

Lisa Stewart born in Louisville, Mississippi, 1968 (now 44)

Old Joe Clark (Manuel Clark), longtime Renfro Valley performer, born in Erwin, Tennessee, 1922 (died 1998)

Colleen Carroll Brooks died in Yukon, Oklahoma (throat cancer), 1999 (was 70). The former Ozark Mountain Jubilee singer was the mother of Garth Brooks.
Marshall Grant died in Jonesboro, Arkansas (brain aneurysm), 2011 (was 83)

August 7:

B.J. Thomas born in Hugo, Oklahoma, 1942 (now 70)

Rodney Crowell born in Houston, Texas, 1950 (now 62)

Raul Malo of the Mavericks born in Miami, Florida, 1965 (now 47)

Felice Bryant born in Milwaukee, Wisconcin, 1925 (died 2003)

Henry "Homer" Haynes died in Hammond, Indiana (heart attack), 1971 (was 51)
Billy Byrd died in Nashville, Tennessee (natural causes), 2001 (was 81)

August 8:

Mel Tillis born in Tampa, Florida, 1932 (now 80)

Phil Balsley of the Statler Brothers born in Staunton, Virginia, 1939 (now 73)

Jamie O'Hara born in Toledo, Ohio, 1950 (now 62)

Webb Pierce born in West Monroe, Louisiana, 1926 (died 1991)

Hank Williams Jr. critically inured in a fall while mountain climbing on Ajax Mountain in Montana, 1975. Williams' head was split open, his face was shattered, and he lost an eye in the 500-foot fall.

August 9:

Merle Kilgore born in Chickasha, Oklahoma, 1934 (died 2005)

August 10:

Jerry Kennedy born in Shreveport, Louisiana, 1940 (now 72)

Jonie Mosby born in Van Nuys, California, 1940 (now 72)

Gene Johnson of Diamond Rio born in Jamestown, New York, 1949 (now 63)

Delia Upchurch born in Gainesboro, Tennessee, 1891 (died 1976). Upchurch was known as "the Den Mother of Nashville Stars" because she ran a boarding house where struggling musicians and songwriters could stay and pay what they could afford.

Jimmy Martin born in Sneedville, Tennessee, 1927 (died 2005)

Jimmy Dean born in Plainview, Texas, 1928 (died 2010)

Alvin "Junior" Samples born in Buena Park, California, 1926 (died 1983)
Billy Grammer died in Benton, Illinois (long-term illness), 2011 (was 85)

August 11:

John Conlee born in Versailles, Kentucky, 1946 (now 66)
Don Helms died in Nashville, Tennessee (heart attack), 2008 (was 81)

Hank Williams fired from the Grand Ole Opry, 1952

August 12:

Mark Knopfler born in Glasgow, Scotland, 1949 (now 63). Knopfler, best known as guitarist and lead singer of Dire Straits, won a "Best Country Vocal Collaboration" Grammy with Chet Atkins in 1990 for the song "Poor Boy Blues."  He also recorded an album of country songs under the pseudonym the Notting Hillbillies.

Rex Griffin born in Gadsden, Alabama, 1912 (died 1958)

Porter Wagoner born in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, 1927 (died 2007)

Buck Owens born in Sherman, Texas, 1929 (died 2006)

Linda Parker of the WLS National Barn Dance died in Mishawaka, Indiana (peritonitis), 1935 (was 23)

August 13:

Dan Fogelberg born in Peoria, Illinois, 1951 (died 2007)
Les Paul died (pneumonia), 2009 (was 94). The legendary guitarist won a Grammy for his work with Chet Atkins on the album Chester and Lester.

Vernon Dalhart recorded "The Prisoner's Song," 1924. The song would sell an estimated seven million copies as country's first million-selling song.

August 14:

Connie Smith born in Elkhart, Indiana, 1941 (now 71).  Connie is one of the members of the Country Music Hall of Fame's induction class of 2012.
Charles K. Wolfe born in Sedalia, Missouri, 1943 (died 2006)

Johnny Duncan died in Fort Worth, Texas (heart attack), 2006 (was 67)

August 15:

Rose Maddox born in Boaz, Alabama, 1925 (died 1998)
Bobby Helms born in Bloomington, Indiana, 1933 (died 1997)
Don Rich born in Olympia, Washington, 1941 (died 1974)
Lew DeWitt died in Waynesboro, Virginia (complications from Chron's disease), 1990 (was 52)

Will Rogers died near Port Barrow, Alaska (plane crash with Wiley Post), 1935 (was 55)