Dates of Note in Country Music, March 1-15

Category: News

(Country Music Hall of Famers in bold)

March 1:

Janis Oliver of Sweethearts of the Rodeo born in Manhattan Beach, California, 1954 (now 58)
Sara Hickman born in Jacksonville, North Carolina, 1963 (now 49)
Clinton Gregory born in Martinsville, Virginia, 1966 (now 46)
Cliffie Stone born in Stockton, California, 1917 (died 1998)
Pearl Butler died in Nashville, Tennessee (unknown cause), 1988 (was 61)
RCA Victor debuts a new format -- the 45 RPM record, 1949
Johnny Cash wed June Carter Smith Nix in Franklin, Kentucky, 1968
California governor Ronald Reagan issued a full pardon to Merle Haggard, 1972


March 2:

Doc Watson born in Deep Gap, North Carolina, 1923 (now 89)
Larry Stewart born in Paducah, Kentucky, 1959 (now 53)
Lonnie Glosson died in Searcy, Arkansas (natural causes), 2001 (was 93)

March 3:

John Carter Cash born in Madison, Tennessee, 1970 (now 42)

Jimmy Heap born in Taylor, Texas, 1922 (died 1977)
Kyle Bailes died (unknown cause), 1996 (was 80)
Harlan Howard died in Nashville, Tennessee (heart attack), 2002 (was 74)
Ernie Ashworth died in Hartsville, Tennessee (heart attack), 2009 (was 80)
Benefit concert for the family of DJ "Cactus" Jack Call held in Kansas City, Missouri, 1963. Among those performing: Patsy Cline, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Cowboy Copas, Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper, George Jones, and Billy Walker.

March 4:

Betty Jack Davis born in Corbin, Kentucky, 1932 (died 1953)
John Duffey of the Country Gentlemen and Seldom Scene born in Washington, DC, 1934 (died 1996)
Scotty Stoneman died in Nashville, Tennessee (overdose of prescription medication), 1973 (was 40)
Minnie Pearl died in Nashville, Tennessee (complications from stroke), 1996 (was 83)
Eddie Dean died in Los Angeles, California (emphysema), 1999 (was 91)

March 5:

Raymond Fairchild born in Cherokee, North Carolina, 1939 (now 73)
Jimmy Bryant born in Moultrie, Georgia, 1925 (died 1980)
Patsy Cline died near Camden, Tennessee (plane crash), 1963 (was 30)
Cowboy Copas died near Camden, Tennessee (plane crash), 1963 (was 59)

Hawkshaw Hawkins died near Camden, Tennessee (plane crash), 1963 (was 41)

Randy Hughes died near Camden, Tennessee (plane crash), 1963 (was 34). Hughes was Patsy Cline's manager and Cowboy Copas' son-in-law as well as the pilot of the ill-fated plane.

Syd Nathan died in Miami, Florida (heart disease/pneumonia), 1968 (was 63). The Cincinnati record store owner founded King Records in 1943, making it the first all-country music record label in history.
Anna Carter Davis, original member of the Chuck Wagon Gang and widow of Jimmie Davis, died in Fort Worth, Texas (complications following a fall), 2004 (was 87)
Elvis Presley honorably discharged from the Army, 1960

March 6:

Red Simpson born in Higley, Arizona, 1934 (now 78)
Ray Walker of the Jordanaires born in Centerville, Mississippi, 1934 (now 78)
Doug Dillard of the Dillards born in East St. Louis, Missouri, 1937 (now 75)
Skip Ewing born in Red Lands, California, 1964 (now 48)

Cliff Carlisle born in Mount Eden, Kentucky, 1904 (died 1983)
Bob Wills born in Turkey, Texas, 1905 (died 1975)
Jean Chapel of the Coon Creek Girls born in Neon, Kentucky, 1925 (died 1995)

George Jones critically injured in single-vehicle accident, 1999
The siege of the Alamo ended, 1836. Davy Crockett, subject of legendary song, was among those who died during the battle. Johnny Cash would memorialize the fight in his song "Remember the Alamo."

March 7:

Townes Van Zandt born in Fort Worth Texas, 1944 (died 1997)
Jack Anglin died in Nashville, Tennessee (car wreck), 1963 (was 46). Anglin was on his way to Patsy Cline's memorial service at the time of his accident.
Pee Wee King died in Louisville, Kentucky (heart attack), 2000 (was 86)

March 8:

Randy Meisner of Poco and the Eagles born in Scotts Bluff, Nebraska, 1946 (now 66)
Jimmy Dormire of Confederate Railroad born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1960 (now 52)
Johnny Dollar born in Kilgore, Texas, 1933 (died 1986)
Jimmy Stoneman of the Stoneman Family born in Washington, DC, 1937 (died 2002)
Lew DeWitt of the Statler Brothers born in Roanoke, Virginia, 1939 (died 1990)
Stuart Hamblen died in Santa Monica, California (brain tumor), 1989 (was 80)
Hank Locklin died in Brewton, Alabama (natural causes), 2009 (was 90)

March 9:

Mickey Gilley born in Natchez, Mississippi, 1936 (now 76)
Jimmy Fadden of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band born in Long Beach, California, 1948 (now 64)
Ralph Sloan of the Ralph Sloan Dancers born in Wilson County, Tennessee, 1925 (died 1980)
George Burns died in Beverly Hills, California (cardiac arrest), 1996 (was 100). The legendary actor had a country hit with "I Wish I Was Eighteen Again."
Chris LeDoux died in Casper, Wyoming (bile duct cancer), 2005 (was 56)
Final Saturday night Opry at the Ryman before the opening of the new Opry House, 1974

March 10:

Ralph Emery born in McEwen, Tennessee, 1933 (now 79)
Norman Blake born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, 1938 (now 74)

Johnnie Allan born in Rayne, Louisiana, 1938 (now 74)

Daryl Singletary born in Wigham, Georgia, 1971 (now 41)
Kenneth "Jethro" Burns born in Conasauga, Tennessee, 1920 (died 1989)
Soul singer James Brown guests on the Grand Ole Opry at the request of Porter Wagoner, 1979

March 11:

Jimmy Fortune of the Statler Brothers born in Williamsburg, Virginia, 1955 (now 57)
W. Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel of the Light Crust Doughboys born in Malta, Ohio, 1890 (died 1969)
Jim Boyd of the Cowboy Ramblers died (unknown cause), 1993 (was 78)

March 12:

Marshall Wilborn of the Johnson Mountain Boys and the Lynn Morris Band born in Austin, Texas, 1952 (now 60)
James Taylor born in Belmont, Massachusetts, 1948 (now 64). The legendary pop/folk superstar wrote "Bartender's Blues" and sang with George Jones on Jones' recording of the tune.
Ralph Sloan died in Nashville, Tennessee (unknown illness), 1980 (was 55)

March 13:

Jan Howard born in West Plains, Missouri, 1930 (now 82)
Liz Anderson born in Roseau, Minnesota, 1930 (died 2011) 
Benny Martin died in Nashville, Tennessee (nerve disorder/illness), 2001 (was 72)
Ezra Carter marries Maybelle Addington, 1926

March 14:

Michael Martin Murphy born in Oak Cliff, Texas, 1945 (now 67)
Doc Pomus died in New York, New York (lung cancer), 1991 (was 65)
Dale Potter died in Puxaco, Missouri (cancer), 1996 (was 66)
Tommy Collins died in Ashland City, Tennessee (emphysema), 2000 (was 69)
Jimmy Martin died in Nashville, Tennessee (cancer), 2005 (was 77)
Bill Bolick of the Blue Sky Boys died in Hickory, North Carolina (natural causes), 2008 (was 90)

March 15:

D.J. Fontana born in Shreveport, Louisiana, 1931 (now 81)
Gunilla Hutton of Hee Haw born in Goteborg, Sweden, 1946 (now 66)
Ry Cooder born in Los Angeles, California, 1947 (now 65)

Carl Smith born in Maynardville, Tennessee, 1927 (died 2010)

The final Friday night Opry at the Ryman, 1974. The final song was the Opry cast singing "Will the Circle Be Unbroken."

Country Mecca Branson Hit By Tornado

Category:  News


Punxsutawney Phil was wrong.  Spring came early.  With it came a round of severe weather that hit several states from Kansas to Tennessee.  One of the places hit by a tornado was popular country music fan destination Branson, Missouri.


An EF2 tornado hit Branson overnight on Leap Day.  The famous center of the town's tourism, the "theater strip" where dozens of venues hosting music shows, suffered minimal damage according to the town's mayor, Raeanne Presley, in a statement on the Branson tourism web site.  Most of the theaters will resume shows on Thursday (March 1) after being closed tonight (2/29) for clean-up.  According to news reports, only the Branson Variety Theater suffered significant damage.


Hotels, however, were also hit by the twister.  The assistant manager of the downtown Hilton Hotel told the Associated Press that lives were spared by it being the "off season" in Branson.  "If it was a week later, it'd be a different story," Bill Tirone said.


Branson residents escaped with no fatalities.  Nearly 40 people were injured, but nearly all were reported to be very minor in nature.  The storms killed ten in Missouri, Illinois and Tennessee.

Dates of Note in Country Music, February 16-29

Category: News

(Country Music Hall of Famers in bold)

February 16:

Jo-Walker Meador born in Orlinda, Tennessee, 1924 (now 88)

Ronnie Milsap born in Robbinsville, North Carolina, 1944 (now 68)

Jimmy Wakely born in Mineola, Arkansas, 1914 (died 1982)

Smiley Burnette died in Encino, California (leukemia), 1967 (was 55)

February 17:

Johnny Bush born in Houston, Texas, 1935 (now 77)

Buck Trent born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, 1938 (now 74)

Jon Randall born in Dallas, Texas, 1969 (now 43)

Bryan White born in Shellman, Georgia, 1974 (now 38)

Billy Byrd born in Nashville, Tennessee, 1920 (died 2001)

Gene Pitney born in Hartford, Connecticut, 1940 (died 2006). The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer recorded two albums of duets with George Jones.

Uncle Jimmy Thompson died in Laguardo, Tennessee (natural causes), 1931 (was 82)

Eck Robertson died in Borger, Texas (natural causes), 1975 (was 87)

Gus Hardin died near Claremore, Oklahoma (car wreck), 1996 (was 50)

February 18:

Juice Newton born in Lakehurst Naval Station, New Jersey, 1952 (now 60)

Dudley Connell of the Johnson Mountain Boys born in Scheer, West Virginia, 1956 (now 56)

Julius Frank "Pee Wee" King (ne Kuczynski) born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1914 (died 2000)

Tootsie Bess, owner of Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, died in Nashville, Tennessee (cancer), 1978 (was 61)

Johnny Paycheck died in Nashville, Tennessee (emphysema), 2003 (was 64)

February 19:

Lorianne Crook born in Wichita, Kansas, 1957 (now 55)

Cedric Rainwater (real name: Howard Watts) born in Monticello, Florida, 1913 (died 1970)
Lowell Blanchard died in Knoxville, Tennessee (heart attack), 1968 (was 57)

Grandpa Jones died in Nashville, Tennessee (stroke), 1998 (was 84)

Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton officially break up their act, 1974

February 20:

Kathie Baillie of Baillie & the Boys born in Morristown, New Jersey, 1951 (now 61)

Claire Lynch born in Albany, New York, 1954 (now 58)

February 21:

Mary-Chapin Carpenter born in Princeton, New Jersey, 1958 (now 54)

Don Reno born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, 1926 (died 1984)
Carl T. Sprague died in Bryan, Texas (unknown cause), 1979 (was 83)

February 22:

Del Wood born in Nashville, Tennessee, 1920 (died 1989)

During a concert in London, Ontario, Johnny Cash asked June Carter to marry him, 1968

February 23:

Rusty Young of Poco born in Long Beach, California, 1946 (now 66)
Buck Griffin born in Corsicana, Texas, 1923 (died 2009)

Minnie Pearl married Henry Cannon, 1947

February 24:

Little Roy Lewis of the Lewis Family born in Lincoln County, Georgia, 1942 (now 70)

Don Law born in London, England, 1902 (died 1982)

Webb Pierce died in Nashville, Tennessee (cancer), 1991 (was 69)

Goldie Hill Smith died in Nashville, Tennessee (cancer), 2005 (was 72)

Dinah Shore died in Beverly Hills, California (ovarian cancer), 1994 (was 77). The legendary pop singer and TV hostess was part of the family of live performers on WSM radio.

February 25:

Dr. Ralph Stanley born in Stratton, Virginia, 1927 (now 85)

Faron Young born in Shreveport, Louisiana, 1932 (died 1996)

February 26:

Jan Crutchfield born in Paducah, Kentucky, 1936 (now 76)

Billy Jack Wills born in Hall County, Texas, 1926 (died 1991)

Johnny Cash born in Kingsland, Arkansas, 1932 (died 2003)

February 27:

Chuck Glaser of the Glaser Brothers born in Spalding, Nebraska, 1936 (now 76)
Joe Carson died in Wichita Falls, Texas (car wreck), 1964 (was 27)

Walter Bailes died in Sevierville, Tennessee (various health problems), 2000 (was 80)

February 28:

Joe South born in Atlanta, Georgia, 1940 (now 72)

Don Helms born in New Brockton, Alabama, 1927 (died 2008)

Jim Denny born in Silver Point, Tennessee, 1911 (died 1963)

Audrey Williams born in Banks, Alabama, 1923 (died 1975)

Fiddlin' Arthur Smith died (unknown causes), 1971 (was 72)

February 29:

Dinah Shore born in Winchester, Tennessee, 1916 (died 1994)