Sunday, September 29, 2019

Dates of Note in Country Music, October 1-15

Category: News

(Hall of Fame members in bold on birth/death date, followed by hall[s] of fame in which they are enshrined and the year enshrined.  CM=Country Music; BG=Bluegrass; DJ=Country Disc Jockey; NS=Nashville Songwriter; SG=Southern Gospel; StG=Steel Guitar; WS=Western Swing; GLA=Grammy Lifetime Achievement award; RR=country performer also in Rock & Roll Hall of Fame)


October 1:


Kelly Willis born in Lawton, Oklahoma, 1968 (now 51)

Skeets McDonald born in Greenway, Arkansas, 1915 (died 1968)
Bonnie Owens (WS 87) born in Blanchard, Oklahoma, 1932 (died 2006)
Shooter kills 58 and wounds over 500 other concertgoers at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas, 2017

October 2:


Jo-El Sonnier born in Rayne, Louisiana, 1946 (now 73)
Gillian Welch born in Manhattan, New York, 1967 (now 52)
Chubby Wise (BG 98) born in Lake City, Florida, 1915 (died 1996)
Leon Rausch (WS 87) born in Billings, Missouri, 1927 (died 2019)
Chris LeDoux born in Biloxi, Mississippi, 1948 (died 2005)
Tammy Sullivan born in Wagarville, Alabama, 1964 (died 2017)
Gene Autry (CM 69, WS 89, GLA 89) died in Studio City, California (lymphoma), 1998 (was 91). The "Singing Cowboy" also owned the California/Anaheim Angels, who dedicated their 2002 World Series victory to his memory.
Elvis Presley played the Grand Ole Opry, 1954. Opry manager Jim Denny critiqued his performance by telling him that he was going nowhere and to "go back to driving trucks."

October 3:


Joe Allison (NS 78; DJ 76) born in McKinney, Texas, 1924 (died 2002)

Woody Guthrie (NS 77) died in Queens, New York (Huntington's disease), 1967 (was 55)
Del Wood died in Nashville, Tennessee (stroke), 1989 (was 69)

October 4:


Leroy Van Dyke born in Spring Fork, Missouri, 1929 (now 90)

Lloyd Green (StG 88) born in Leaf, Mississippi, 1937 (now 82)
Larry Collins of the Collins Kids born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1944 (now 75)
Greg Hubbard of Sawyer Brown born in Orlando, Florida, 1960 (now 59)
Jerry Rivers died in Nashville, Tennessee (cancer), 1996 (was 69)
A.L. "Doodle" Owens (NS 99) died in Nashville, Tennessee (heart attack), 1999 (was 69)
Tammy Wynette's kidnapped ordeal began, 1978

October 5:


Radio station WSM born in Nashville at 650 on the AM dial, 1925 (now 94)

Margie Singleton born in Coushatta, Louisiana, 1935 (now 84)
Johnny Duncan born in Dublin, Texas, 1938 (died 2006)
Johnny Vincent, founder of the Sally Mountain Bluegrass Festival and father of Darrin and Rhonda Vincent, died in Queen City, Missouri (long illness), 2014 (was 73)

October 6:


Tim Rushlow of Little Texas born in Arlington, Texas, 1966 (now 53)

Kendall Hayes born in Perryville, Kentucky, 1935 (died 1995)
Ted Daffan (NS 70, WS 94) died in Houston, Texas (cancer), 1996 (was 84)
Billy Joe Royal died in Morehead City, North Carolina (unknown cause), 2015 (was 73)

October 7:


Jim Halsey born in Independence, Kansas, 1930 (now 89)

Kieran Kane born in Queens, New York, 1949 (now 70)
Dale Watson born in Birmingham, Alabama, 1962 (now 57)
Uncle Dave Macon (CM 66) born in Warren County, Tennessee, 1870 (died 1952)
Gordon Terry born in Decatur, Alabama, 1931 (died 2006)
Hugh Cherry born in Louisville, Kentucky, 1922 (died 1998)
Buddy Lee born in Brooklyn, New York, 1932 (died 1998)
Johnny Darrell died in Kennesaw, Georgia (diabetes complications), 1997 (was 57)
Jimmie Logsdon died in Louisville, Kentucky (unknown cause), 2001 (was 79)
Shelby Singleton died in Nashville, Tennessee (brain cancer), 2009 (was 77)
Jimmie Rodgers' first recording, "The Soldier's Sweetheart" / "Sleep Baby Sleep," released, 1927

October 8:


Susan Raye Wiggins born in Eugene, Oregon, 1944 (now 75)

Lynn Morris born in Lamesa, Texas, 1948 (now 71)
Jackie Frantz of Dave & Sugar born in Sidney, Ohio, 1950 (now 69)
Truitt Cunningham (WS 82) born in San Angelo, Texas, 1930 (died 2014)
Pete Drake (StG 87) born in Atlanta, Georgia, 1932 (died 1988)

October 9:


Curtis McPeake born in Scotts Hill, Tennessee, 1927 (now 92)

Goebel Reeves born in Sherman, Texas, 1899 (died 1969)
The Renfro Valley Barn Dance debuted on WLW, 1937

October 10:


John Prine (NS 03) born in Maywood, Illinois, 1946 (now 73)

Tony Arata (NS 12) born in Savannah, Georgia, 1957 (now 62)
Tanya Tucker born in Seminole, Texas, 1958 (now 61)
Don Pierce, founder of Starday Records, born in Ballard, Washington, 1915 (died 2005)
Vernon Baughman (WS 82) born in Granite, Oklahoma, 1926 (died 2010)
Cal Smith died in Branson, Missouri (unknown cause), 2013 (was 81)

October 11:


Gene Watson born in Palestine, Texas, 1943 (now 76)

Paulette Carlson of Highway 101 born in Northfield, Minnesota, 1952 (now 67)
Leigh Gibson of the Gibson Brothers born in Clinton, New York, 1971 (now 48)
Dottie West born in McMinnville, Tennessee, 1932 (died 1991)
Rex Griffin (NS 70) died in New Orleans, Louisiana (tuberculosis), 1958 (was 46)
Jack Rhodes (NS 72) died in Mineola, Texas (heart attack), 1968 (was 61)
Tex Williams (WS 85) died in Newhall, California (pancreatic cancer), 1985 (was 68)
T. Tommy Cutrer (DJ 80) died in Nashville, Tennessee (heart attack), 1998 (was 74)

October 12:


Red Gillean (WS 82) born in Memphis, Texas, 1925 (now 94)

Shane McAnally born in Mineral Wells, Texas, 1974 (now 45)
John Denver died in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Pacific Grove, California (plane crash), 1997 (was 53)

October 13:


Anita Kerr born in Memphis, Tennessee, 1927 (now 92)

Lacy J. Dalton born in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, 1946 (now 73)
John Wiggins born in Nashville, Tennessee, 1962 (now 57)
Rhett Akins born in Valdosta, Georgia, 1969 (now 50)
Skeeter Elkin (WS 82) born in Denison, Texas, 1922 (died 2015)
Hoarce Lee Logan died in Victoria, Texas (respiratory disease), 2002. The founder of the Louisiana Hayride also coined one of the most oft-repeated phrases in American popular culture: trying to calm down an audience after one Louisiana Hayride performer wowed the crowd, Logan announced, "Elvis has left the building."
Acuff-Rose Publishing Company founded, 1942
While presenting the CMA "Entertainer of the Year" award Charlie Rich set fire to the envelope after announcing that John Denver had won the award, 1975

October 14:


Melba Montgomery born in Iron City, Tennessee, 1938 (now 81)

Kenny Roberts born in Lenoir City, Tennessee, 1926 (died 2012)
Bing Crosby died in Madrid, Spain (heart attack), 1977. The legendary pop crooner has the distinction of being the first artist to have a #1 single on Billboard magazine's Country and Western charts, with his rendition of Al Dexter's "Pistol Packin' Mama," January 8, 1944.
Little Jimmy Sizemore died in Appleton, Wisconsin (natural causes), 2014 (was 87)

October 15:


Dean Miller born in Los Angeles, California, 1965 (now 54)

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