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; NS=Nashville Songwriter; SG=Southern Gospel; StG=Steel Guitar; GLA= Grammy Lifetime Achievement recipient; RR=country act inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)
June 1:
Pat Boone born in Jacksonville, Florida, 1934 (now 82). The legendary pop crooner married Red Foley's daughter Shirley.
Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn born in Coleman, Texas, 1953 (now 63)
Elsie McWilliams (NS 79) born in Harperville, Mississippi, 1896 (died 1985)
Lee Allen of the Allen Brothers born in Sewanee, Tennessee, 1906 (died 1981)
Johnny Bond (CM 99, NS 70) born in Enville, Oklahoma, 1915 (died 1978)
Dale Warren of the Sons of the Pioneers born in Rockford, Illinois, 1925 (died 2008)
Andy Griffith born in Mount Airy, North Carolina, 1926 (died 2012)
Hazel Dickens born in Mercer County, West Virginia, 1935 (died 2011)
Wayne Kemp (NS 99) born in Greenwood, Arkansas, 1941 (died 2015)
Jimmy Murphy died (unknown cause), 1981 (was 55)
June 2:
Carl Butler born in Knoxville, Tennessee, 1927 (died 1992)
Helen Carter died in Nashville, Tennessee (gastrointestinal issues), 1998 (was 70)
Adolph Hofner died in San Antonio, Texas (illness), 2000 (was 83)
Weldon Myrick (StG 97) died in Nashville, Tennessee (stroke), 2014 (was 76)
June 3:
Fred "Too Slim" LeBour of Riders in the Sky born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1948 (now 68)
Deke Dickerson born in St. Louis, Missouri, 1968 (now 48)
Jamie O'Neal born in Sydney, Australia, 1968 (now 48)
Curly Williams born in Cairo, Georgia, 1914 (died 1970)
Homer Louis "Boots" Randolph born in Paducah, Kentucky, 1927 (died 2007)
Wally Fowler died at Dale Hollow Lake, Tennessee (heart attack/drowned), 1994 (was 77)
Van Stoneman of the Stoneman Family died in Mufreesboro, Tennessee (Parkinson's disease), 1995 (was 54)
James Alan Shelton died in Kingsport, Tennessee (cancer), 2014 (was 51)
Graceland opens to the public, 1982
The Cincinnati radio show Midwest Hayride begins television broadcasts (on WLW-TV), 1955
June 4:
Bill Mack born in Shamrock, Texas, 1929 (now 87)
Linda Martell born in Leesville, South Carolina, 1941 (now 75). She was the first black female artist to perform on the Grand Ole Opry.
Texas Ruby Owens born in Wise County, Texas, 1910 (died 1963)
Freddy Fender born in San Benito, Texas, 1937 (died 2006)
Herby Wallace (StG 01) born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, 1947 (died 2012)
Zeke Clements (NS 71) died in Nashville, Tennessee (post-operative complications), 1994 (was 82)
John Hartford (BG 10) died in Madison, Tennessee (non-Hodgkin's lymphoma), 2001 (was 63)
Alabama's annual "June Jam" concert began in Fort Payne, Alabama, 1982
June 5:
Don Reid (CM 08) born in Staunton, Virginia, 1945 (now 71)
Gail Davies born in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, 1948 (now 68)
William "Hopalong Cassidy" Boyd born in Cambridge, Ohio, 1895 (died 1972)
Vaughn Horton (NS 71) born in Broad Top, Pennsylvania, 1911 (died 1988)
Hal "Lone" Pine born in Pea Cove, Maine, 1916 (died 1977)
John "Lonzo" Sullivan died in Nashville, Tennessee (heart attack), 1967 (was 48)
Conway Twitty (CM 99, NS 93) died in Springfield, Missouri (abdominal aneurysm), 1993 (was 59)
Ronald Reagan died in Los Angeles, California (complications of Alzheimer's disease), 2004 (was 93). While governor of California, the former president signed a full pardon for former convict Merle Haggard.
Don Bowman died in Branson, Missouri (complications of a stroke), 2013 (was 75)
Grand Ole Opry's first performance at the Ryman auditorium, 1943
The United States Postal Service issues the Johnny Cash postage stamp, 2013
June 6:
Joe Stampley born in Springhill, Louisiana, 1943 (now 73)
Gid Tanner of the Skillet Lickers born in Thomas Bridge, Georgia, 1885 (died 1960)
Asher Sizemore born in Manchester, Kentucky, 1906 (died 1973)
Charlie Cline of the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers born in Gilbert, West Virginia, 1931 (died 2004)
Claudette Orbison, wife of Roy Orbison, died in Gallatin, Tennessee (motorcycle accident), 1966 (was 24)
Grant Turner began his tenure as Grand Ole Opry announcer, 1944
June 7:
Sir Tom Jones born in Treforest, South Wales, 1940 (now 76). The legendary pop/rock singer had a hit with a cover of "Green, Green Grass of Home" in 1967 and hit the country charts with "Say You'll Stay Until Tomorrow" in 1977.
Larry Boone born in Cooper City, Florida, 1956 (now 60)
Dean Martin born in Steubenville, Ohio, 1917 (died 1995). The pop crooner recorded two albums of country music on Reprise in the early 60s and sang with Ricky Nelson in the John Wayne classic Rio Bravo in 1969.
Wynn Stewart born in Morrisville, Missouri, 1934 (died 1985)
Courtney Johnson of New Grass Revival died in Glasgow, Kentucky (lung cancer), 1996 (was 56)
June 8:
Vernon Oxford born in Rogers, Arkansas, 1941 (now 75)
Tony Rice (BG 13) born in Danville, Virginia, 1951 (now 65)
Adolph Hofner born in Moulton, Texas, 1916 (died 2000)
Alton Delmore (CM 01, NS 71) died in Huntsville, Alabama (alcohol-related illness), 1964 (was 55)
Roba Stanley died in Gainesville, Florida (unknown cause), 1986 (was 76). She is credited as being the first female solo artist recorded in country music history (1924).
Tommy Perkins of the Texas Playboys died in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (car accident), 2003 (was 69)
June 9:
Herb Remington (StG 79) born in Mishawaka, Indiana, 1926 (now 90)
Willard Cox of the Cox Family born in Cotton Valley, Louisiana, 1937 (now 79)
Jamie Dailey of Dailey & Vincent born in Corbin, Kentucky, 1975 (now 41)
Les Paul born in Waukesha, Wisconsin, 1915 (died 2009). In addition to his recordings with wife Mary Ford, Paul invented the solid-body electric guitar and multi-track recording. He also won a Grammy for his album with Chet Atkins, Chester and Lester, in 1976.
June 10:
Thom Schuyler (NS 11) born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 1952 (now 64)
Herman Crook of the Crook Brothers died in Nashville, Tennesee (heart attack), 1988 (was 89). Crook was the last surviving member of the original Grand Ole Opry/WSM Barn Dance cast from 1925.
Steve Sanders, who replaced William Lee Golden in the Oak Ridge Boys for 15 years, died in Cape Coral, Florida (suicide), 1998 (was 45)
Ray Charles died in Beverly Hills, California (complications of liver disease), 2004 (was 73). Charles made the country charts in the 80s with duets with George Jones and Willie Nelson, and his ground-breaking 1962 album Modern Sounds in Country Music presented country songs to a wide audience.
June 11:
Jay McDowell of BR-549 born in Bedford, Indiana, 1969 (now 47)
Edwin Duhon of the Hackberry Ramblers born in Lafayette, Louisiana, 1910 (died 2006)
Brother Dave Gardner born in Jackson, Tennessee, 1926 (died 1983)
Jud Strunk born in Jamestown, New York, 1936 (died 1981)
Wilma Burgess born in Orlando, Florida, 1939 (died 2003)
Henry Maddox of the Maddox Brothers & Rose died aboard a mercy flight between Ashland, Oregon and Portland, Oregon (kidney disease), 1974 (was 46)
Jim Ed Brown (CM 15) died in Nashville, Tennessee (lung cancer), 2015 (was 81). Brown died less than three months after it was announced that he would be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
John Wayne died in Los Angeles, California (stomach cancer), 1979 (was 72). The actor has been referenced in a number of country songs.
June 12:
Junior Brown born in Kirksville, Indiana, 1952 (now 64)
Rebecca Holden born in Austin, Texas, 1958 (now 58)
Penny Jay born in Monteagle Mountain, Tennessee, 1927 (died 2006)
Dr. Humphrey Bate of the Possum Hunters died in Castalain Springs, Tennessee (heart attack), 1936 (was 61)
J.E. Mainer died (heart attack), 1971 (was 72)
Johnny Bond (CM 99, NS 70) died in Burbank, California (complications from stroke/heart attack), 1978 (was 63)
Winnie Winston (StG 10) died in New Zealand (prostate cancer), 2005 (was 64)
Danny Davis (ne George Joseph Nowlan) died in Nashville, Tennessee (heart failure), 2008 (was 83)
June 13:
Howard Vokes born in Clearfield, Pennsylvania, 1931 (now 85)
Slim Dusty born in Kempsey, Australia, 1927 (died 2003)
Jimmy Dean (CM 10) died in Varina, Virginia (natural causes), 2010 (was 81)
Frances Preston (CM 92) died in Nashville, Tennessee (congestive heart failure), 2012 (was 83)
The Country Music Foundation Library and Media Center opened in the basement of the Country Music Hall of Fame, 1972. The CMF is now on the top floor of the new Hall of Fame building.
June 14:
Burl Ives born in Newton, Illinois, 1909 (died 1995)
Lash LaRue born in Gretna, Louisiana, 1917 (died 1996). The Western actor was the first sidekick to western singer/actor/songwriter Eddie Dean and was mentioned in the Statler Brothers' "Whatever Happened to Randolph Scott."
Ernest V. "Pop" Stoneman (CM 08) died in Nashville, Tennessee (illness), 1968 (was 75)
Tom Tall died in Los Angeles, California (unknown cause), 2013 (was 75)
Patsy Cline seriously injured in a car accident in Madison, Tennessee, 1961
June 15:
Terri Gibbs born in Miami, Florida, 1954 (now 62)
Blind Alfred Reed born in Floyd, Virginia, 1880 (died 1956)
Tex Owens (NS 71) born in Killeen, Texas, 1892 (died 1962)
Marvin Hughes born in Nashville, Tennessee, 1911 (died 1986)
Leon Payne (NS 70) born in Alba, Texas, 1917 (died 1969)
RCA engineer Bill Porter born in St. Louis, Missouri, 1931 (died 2010)
Bob White (StG 90) born in Jenny Lind, Arkansas, 1932 (died 2003)
Waylon Jennings (CM 01, NS 95) born in Littlefield, Texas, 1937 (died 2002)
Ruby Falls died in Nashville, Tennessee (cerebral hemorrhage), 1986 (was 40)
Hee Haw debuted on CBS as the summer replacement show for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, 1969.
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Thirty Three Years of Fun
Category: Personal/News
The 33rd annual International Country Music Conference begins today (5/26) at Belmont University in Nashville. It will run through Saturday afternoon.
It started 33 years ago today, the anniversary of the death of Jimmie Rodgers. From there it's become a gathering place for scholars, historians, authors, and geeks like me who cannot get enough of the history and knowledge of country music.
Presentations this year cover the usual wide variety of topics, from a pre-World War II Japanese-American country singer to Felice & Boudleaux Bryant to Josh Graves to Hoagy Carmichael! My presentation (they keep letting me do them!) this year is on the Whitstein Brothers, a grossly under-appreciated country/bluegrass close harmony duo from the 80s and 90s.
Books are also available, including the great new work from Caroline Gnagy, Texas Jailhouse Music, about female country music bands formed in prisons around Texas.
This is where the people who truly love country music -- so much so that they sacrifice good money by writing about Bill Clifton instead of something "trendy" (as I frequently tell people, "You don't get rich writing books about hillbillies, you get rich writing Harry Potter books") -- gather to share knowledge, fellowship, and a deep and passionate love for all things country music.
I'm so thankful to be part of this incredible fraternity!
The 33rd annual International Country Music Conference begins today (5/26) at Belmont University in Nashville. It will run through Saturday afternoon.
It started 33 years ago today, the anniversary of the death of Jimmie Rodgers. From there it's become a gathering place for scholars, historians, authors, and geeks like me who cannot get enough of the history and knowledge of country music.
Presentations this year cover the usual wide variety of topics, from a pre-World War II Japanese-American country singer to Felice & Boudleaux Bryant to Josh Graves to Hoagy Carmichael! My presentation (they keep letting me do them!) this year is on the Whitstein Brothers, a grossly under-appreciated country/bluegrass close harmony duo from the 80s and 90s.
Books are also available, including the great new work from Caroline Gnagy, Texas Jailhouse Music, about female country music bands formed in prisons around Texas.
This is where the people who truly love country music -- so much so that they sacrifice good money by writing about Bill Clifton instead of something "trendy" (as I frequently tell people, "You don't get rich writing books about hillbillies, you get rich writing Harry Potter books") -- gather to share knowledge, fellowship, and a deep and passionate love for all things country music.
I'm so thankful to be part of this incredible fraternity!
Thursday, May 19, 2016
The Bed By the Window is Empty
Category: Obituary
In a year where music lovers are already reeling with the loss of two Country Music Hall of Fame members, two Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame members, and five Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, we yet again mourn the loss of another great.
Bluegrass singer James King died today (5/19) of complications from his long battle with liver disease.
Born in Virginia and raised on the classics such as the Stanley Brothers, King began working on a music career after his enlistment in the Marines. He played with Ralph Stanley and, in the early 90s, began the James King Band. He was also a member of the bluegrass supergroup Longview (that also featured heavy hitters such as Dudley Connell and JD Crowe).
King's voice was pure bluegrass, with those terrific story songs that would grab your heart and choke it. The title track of his classic album Bed By the Window was a perfect example. The song is about two friends who were roomed together in a nursing home. Both confined to their beds, the friend in the envious eponymous bed describes the world in all its beautiful splendor to his buddy. Then the man dies and his friend, eager to see the world that his friend had described, is moved to the bed by the window, only to see it faces a stone wall.
King once said the best advice he ever received about performing was "spill your guts onstage and then walk in 'em." The "bed by the window" is empty now. King's death, compounded with the loss of Guy Clark earlier in the week, means that someone else has to paint lovely portraits on dingy walls. No one will do it with the heart and emotion that James King was able to pour into a song.
Farewell to James King, who was just 57.
In a year where music lovers are already reeling with the loss of two Country Music Hall of Fame members, two Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame members, and five Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, we yet again mourn the loss of another great.
Bluegrass singer James King died today (5/19) of complications from his long battle with liver disease.
Born in Virginia and raised on the classics such as the Stanley Brothers, King began working on a music career after his enlistment in the Marines. He played with Ralph Stanley and, in the early 90s, began the James King Band. He was also a member of the bluegrass supergroup Longview (that also featured heavy hitters such as Dudley Connell and JD Crowe).
King's voice was pure bluegrass, with those terrific story songs that would grab your heart and choke it. The title track of his classic album Bed By the Window was a perfect example. The song is about two friends who were roomed together in a nursing home. Both confined to their beds, the friend in the envious eponymous bed describes the world in all its beautiful splendor to his buddy. Then the man dies and his friend, eager to see the world that his friend had described, is moved to the bed by the window, only to see it faces a stone wall.
King once said the best advice he ever received about performing was "spill your guts onstage and then walk in 'em." The "bed by the window" is empty now. King's death, compounded with the loss of Guy Clark earlier in the week, means that someone else has to paint lovely portraits on dingy walls. No one will do it with the heart and emotion that James King was able to pour into a song.
Farewell to James King, who was just 57.
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Only Two Things That Money Can't Buy
Category: Obituary
Oh, does this hurt. Guy Clark has died.
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer passed away early this morning (5/17) after a long illness. He was transferred to a hospice facility earlier this year.
There are songwriters, and then there's Guy Clark. Inspired, he said, by Townes Van Zandt to start writing, he in many ways surpassed his influence.
From that #1 song (thanks to Ricky Skaggs) "Heartbroke" (Skaggs sanitized the line "pride is a bitch and a bore if you're lonely," as did George Strait with his version [Rodney Crowell's cover did not]) to the all-time classics "L.A. Freeway," "Desperadoes Waiting for a Train," and "Homegrown Tomatoes" (with its singalong and smile-along chorus of, "What would life be without homegrown tomatoes, there's only two things that money can't buy, and that's true love and homegrown tomatoes"), Guy Clark was revered by everyone except the masses. As with most great songwriters (including Van Zandt and countless others), Clark developed a dedicated cult following, which included most of the "big names" in country music, who gleefully covered his songs.
His Dublin Blues album was a masterpiece. Heck, all of his albums were masterpieces. But when Doc Watson died that great line from "Dublin Blues" was the first thing that came to mind: "I have seen the David, I've seen the Mona Lisa too, and I have heard Doc Watson play 'Columbus Stockade Blues.'"
Much like that comparison of Watson to the greatest artwork in history, we can all be thankful that we have heard Guy Clark sing "Desperadoes Waiting for a Train." Or "The Randall Knife." Or "Black Diamond Strings." Or anything that he gave us. He was a gem.
Clark's wife, Susanna, who was also a songwriter ("I'll Be Your San Antone Rose," "Easy From Now On") and painter (she did the cover of Willie Nelson's Stardust album), died in 2012. Now the two desperadoes wait for a train no longer.
Actually, there's three things that money can't buy: true love, homegrown tomatoes, and the joy of a Guy Clark song.
Guy Clark was 74.
Oh, does this hurt. Guy Clark has died.
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer passed away early this morning (5/17) after a long illness. He was transferred to a hospice facility earlier this year.
There are songwriters, and then there's Guy Clark. Inspired, he said, by Townes Van Zandt to start writing, he in many ways surpassed his influence.
From that #1 song (thanks to Ricky Skaggs) "Heartbroke" (Skaggs sanitized the line "pride is a bitch and a bore if you're lonely," as did George Strait with his version [Rodney Crowell's cover did not]) to the all-time classics "L.A. Freeway," "Desperadoes Waiting for a Train," and "Homegrown Tomatoes" (with its singalong and smile-along chorus of, "What would life be without homegrown tomatoes, there's only two things that money can't buy, and that's true love and homegrown tomatoes"), Guy Clark was revered by everyone except the masses. As with most great songwriters (including Van Zandt and countless others), Clark developed a dedicated cult following, which included most of the "big names" in country music, who gleefully covered his songs.
His Dublin Blues album was a masterpiece. Heck, all of his albums were masterpieces. But when Doc Watson died that great line from "Dublin Blues" was the first thing that came to mind: "I have seen the David, I've seen the Mona Lisa too, and I have heard Doc Watson play 'Columbus Stockade Blues.'"
Much like that comparison of Watson to the greatest artwork in history, we can all be thankful that we have heard Guy Clark sing "Desperadoes Waiting for a Train." Or "The Randall Knife." Or "Black Diamond Strings." Or anything that he gave us. He was a gem.
Clark's wife, Susanna, who was also a songwriter ("I'll Be Your San Antone Rose," "Easy From Now On") and painter (she did the cover of Willie Nelson's Stardust album), died in 2012. Now the two desperadoes wait for a train no longer.
Actually, there's three things that money can't buy: true love, homegrown tomatoes, and the joy of a Guy Clark song.
Guy Clark was 74.
Monday, May 16, 2016
Dates of Note in Country Music, May 16-31
Category: News
May 29:
Carl Story (BG 07) born in Lenoir, North Carolina, 1916 (died 1995)
Danny Davis (ne George Joseph Nowlan) of the Nashville Brass born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, 1925 (died 2008)
Doc Watson (BG 00) died in Winston-Salem, North Carolina (complications from abdominal surgery), 2012 (was 89)
Mother Maybelle and the Carter Family became members of the Grand Ole Opry, 1950
Hank and Audrey Williams divorced, 1952
May 30:
Mike Snider born in Gleason, Tennessee, 1960 (now 56)
Lewis Crook of the Crook Brothers born in Trousdale County, Tennessee, 1909 (died 1996)
Johnny Gimble born in Tyler, Texas, 1926 (died 2015)
Don Wayne (NS 78) born in Nashville, Tennessee, 1933 (died 2011)
Karl Davis of Karl & Harty died in Chicago, Illinois (cancer), 1979 (was 73)
Bobby Harden of the Harden Trio died in Nashville, Tennessee (unknown cause), 2006 (was 70)
May 31:
Vic Willis of the Willis Brothers born in Schulter, Oklahoma, 1922 (died 1995)
Johnny Paycheck (ne Donald Eugene Lytle) born in Greenfield, Ohio, 1938 (died 2003)
Bud Carter (StG 09) born in Sullivan, Missouri, 1931 (died 2015)
William "Red" Rector died in Knoxville, Tennessee (heart attack), 1990 (was 60)
Lloyd Perryman of the Sons of the Pioneers (CM 80) died in Burbank, California (complications of heart surgery), 1977 (was 60)
Jerry Sullivan of the Sullivan Family died in Alabama (illness), 2014 (was 80)
(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; NS=Nashville Songwriter; SG=Southern Gospel; StG=Steel Guitar; RR=country performer also inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)
May 16:
Rick Trevino born in Austin, Texas, 1971 (now 45)
Laura Lee Owens, the "Queen of Western Swing," born in Kansas City, Missouri, 1920 (died 1989)
Wallace Lewis of the Lewis Family (BG 06) died in Washington, Georgia (complications of Parkinson's disease), 2007 (was 78)
Doug Dillard of the Dillards (BG 09) died in Nashville, Tennessee (lung infection), 2012 (was 75)
May 17:
Pat Flynn of the New Grass Revival born in Los Angeles, California, 1952 (now 64)
Grant Turner (CM 81) born in Abeline, Texas, 1912 (died 1991)
Paul Warren (BG 13) born in Lyles, Tennessee, 1918 (died 1978)
Arthur Lee "Red" Smiley (BG 92) born in Marshall, North Carolina, 1925 (died 1984)
Penny DeHaven born in Winchester, Virginia, 1948 (died 2014)
Wiley Walker of Wiley & Gene (NS 71) died in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (cancer), 1966 (was 54)
Guy Clark (NS 04) died in Nashville, Tennessee (long illness), 2016 (was 74)
New Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum building opened, 2001. Nearly every living Hall of Famer was present at the opening ceremonies, and the audience was treated to a tour of the new facilities for free.
May 18:
Rodney Dillard of the Dillards (BG 09) born in East St. Louis, Illinois, 1942 (now 74)
Joe Bonsall of the Oak Ridge Boys born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1948 (now 68)
Gary Scruggs born in Knoxville, Tennessee, 1949 (now 67)
Tom Shapiro (NS 08) born in Kansas City, Missouri, 1950 (now 66)
George Strait (CM 06) born in Poteet, Texas, 1952 (now 64)
Leon Ashley born in Newton County, Georgia, 1936 (died 2013)
May 19:
Martha Carson born in Neon, Kentucky, 1921 (died 2004)
Rex Gosdin born in Woodland, Alabama, 1938 (died 1983)
Mickey Newberry (NS 80) born in Houston, Texas, 1940 (died 2002)
May 20:
"Lonesome George" Gobel born in Chicago, Illinois, 1919 (died 1991). Although many may remember him as a comedian and regular on Hollywood Squares, one of Gobel's earliest jobs in entertainment was on the WLS National Barn Dance when he was a teenager in the 1930s.
Jack Cash, brother of Johnny Cash, died in Dyess, Arkansas (injuries from accident with table saw), 1944 (was 15)
May 21:
Henry Glover born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, 1921 (died 1991). The R&B songwriter and pioneering black record company executive co-wrote "Blues, Stay Away From Me" with the Delmore Brothers and Wayne Raney in 1949.
Charlie Poole died in Spray, North Carolina (alcohol-related heart failure), 1931 (was 39)
Billy Walker died in Fort Deposit, Alabama (car wreck), 2006 (was 77)
Vaughn Monroe died in Stuart, Florida (post-operative complications), 1973 (was 61). Among the pop singer's many hits was "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky."
May 22:
Miggie Lewis of the Lewis Family (BG 06) born in Richmond County, Georgia, 1926 (now 90)
May 16:
Rick Trevino born in Austin, Texas, 1971 (now 45)
Laura Lee Owens, the "Queen of Western Swing," born in Kansas City, Missouri, 1920 (died 1989)
Wallace Lewis of the Lewis Family (BG 06) died in Washington, Georgia (complications of Parkinson's disease), 2007 (was 78)
Doug Dillard of the Dillards (BG 09) died in Nashville, Tennessee (lung infection), 2012 (was 75)
May 17:
Pat Flynn of the New Grass Revival born in Los Angeles, California, 1952 (now 64)
Grant Turner (CM 81) born in Abeline, Texas, 1912 (died 1991)
Paul Warren (BG 13) born in Lyles, Tennessee, 1918 (died 1978)
Arthur Lee "Red" Smiley (BG 92) born in Marshall, North Carolina, 1925 (died 1984)
Penny DeHaven born in Winchester, Virginia, 1948 (died 2014)
Wiley Walker of Wiley & Gene (NS 71) died in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (cancer), 1966 (was 54)
Guy Clark (NS 04) died in Nashville, Tennessee (long illness), 2016 (was 74)
New Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum building opened, 2001. Nearly every living Hall of Famer was present at the opening ceremonies, and the audience was treated to a tour of the new facilities for free.
May 18:
Rodney Dillard of the Dillards (BG 09) born in East St. Louis, Illinois, 1942 (now 74)
Joe Bonsall of the Oak Ridge Boys born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1948 (now 68)
Gary Scruggs born in Knoxville, Tennessee, 1949 (now 67)
Tom Shapiro (NS 08) born in Kansas City, Missouri, 1950 (now 66)
George Strait (CM 06) born in Poteet, Texas, 1952 (now 64)
Leon Ashley born in Newton County, Georgia, 1936 (died 2013)
May 19:
Martha Carson born in Neon, Kentucky, 1921 (died 2004)
Rex Gosdin born in Woodland, Alabama, 1938 (died 1983)
Mickey Newberry (NS 80) born in Houston, Texas, 1940 (died 2002)
May 20:
"Lonesome George" Gobel born in Chicago, Illinois, 1919 (died 1991). Although many may remember him as a comedian and regular on Hollywood Squares, one of Gobel's earliest jobs in entertainment was on the WLS National Barn Dance when he was a teenager in the 1930s.
Jack Cash, brother of Johnny Cash, died in Dyess, Arkansas (injuries from accident with table saw), 1944 (was 15)
May 21:
Henry Glover born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, 1921 (died 1991). The R&B songwriter and pioneering black record company executive co-wrote "Blues, Stay Away From Me" with the Delmore Brothers and Wayne Raney in 1949.
Charlie Poole died in Spray, North Carolina (alcohol-related heart failure), 1931 (was 39)
Billy Walker died in Fort Deposit, Alabama (car wreck), 2006 (was 77)
Vaughn Monroe died in Stuart, Florida (post-operative complications), 1973 (was 61). Among the pop singer's many hits was "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky."
May 22:
Miggie Lewis of the Lewis Family (BG 06) born in Richmond County, Georgia, 1926 (now 90)
Buddy Alan born in Mega, Arizona, 1948 (now 68)
Rich Alves of Pirates of the Mississippi born in Pleasanton, California, 1953 (now 63)
Dana Williams of Diamond Rio born in Dayton, Ohio, 1961 (now 55)
Ralph S. Peer (CM 84) born in Independence, Missouri, 1892 (died 1960)
Royce Kendall died in LaCrosse, Wisconsin (stroke), 1988 (was 63)
May 23:
Mac Wiseman (CM 14, BG 93) born in Crimora, Virginia, 1925 (now 91)
Ken Irwin, co-founder of Rounder Records, born in New York, New York, 1944 (now 72)
Misty Morgan born in Buffalo, New York, 1945 (now 71)
Shelley West born in Cleveland, Ohio, 1958 (now 58)
Leroy Troy born in Goodlettesville, Tennessee, 1966 (now 50)
Rosemary Clooney born in Maysville, Kentucky, 1928 (died 2002). The legendary pop singer recorded a number of country songs, including covering Carl Smith's hit "If Teardrops Were Pennies."
Rex Gosdin died (heart attack), 1983 (was 45)
May 24:
Mike Reid (NS 05) born in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, 1947 (now 69)
Rosanne Cash (NS 15) born in Memphis, Tennessee, 1955 (now 61)
Billy Gilman born in Westerly, Rhode Island, 1988 (now 28). Gilman's "One Voice" hit #1 when he was 12, making him the youngest person in Billboard country chart history to have a #1 song.
Gene Clark of the Byrds and Dillard & Clark died in Sherman Oaks, California (bleeding ulcer), 1991 (was 46)
Vivian Liberto died in Ventura, California (cancer), 2005 (was 71). Vivian was Johnny Cash's first wife and Rosanne Cash's mother.
Jimmie Rodgers recorded "Old Love Letters (Bring Memories of You)," "Mississippi Delta Blues," "Somewhere Down Below the Dixon Line," and "Years Ago" in New York City, 1933. Ravaged with tuberculosis, they would be the final recordings of the Father of Country Music.
The United States Postal Service issues the Jimmie Rodgers postage stamp, 1978
May 25:
Tom T. Hall (CM 08, NS 78) born in Olive Hill, Kentucky, 1936 (now 80)
Jessi Colter born in Phoenix, Arizona, 1947 (now 69)
Dr. Humphrey Bate of the Possum Hunters born in Castallian Springs, Tennessee, 1875 (died 1936)
Ernest V. "Pop" Stoneman (CM 08) born in Monarat, Virginia, 1893 (died 1968)
Hal David (NS 84) born in New York, New York, 1921 (died 2012)
Dick Curless died in Bangor, Maine (stomach cancer), 1995 (was 63)
May 26:
Randall Hank Williams Jr. (NS 07) born in Shreveport, Louisiana, 1949 (now 68)
Richard Leigh (NS 94) born in Washington, DC, 1951 (now 65)
Lance LeRoy (BG 00) born in Tingall, Georgia, 1930 (died 2015)
Levon Helm born in Marvell, Arkansas, 1940 (died 2012). The actor and drummer/singer for the Band made his acting debut in Coal Miner's Daughter.
Jimmie Rodgers (CM 61, NS 70, RR 86) died in New York, New York (tuberculosis), 1933 (was 35)
Onie Wheeler died in Nashville, Tennessee (heart attack), 1984 (was 62). He died on the Grand Ole Opry stage during a performance of the post-Friday Night Opry show, Grand Ole Gospel.
Dana Williams of Diamond Rio born in Dayton, Ohio, 1961 (now 55)
Ralph S. Peer (CM 84) born in Independence, Missouri, 1892 (died 1960)
Royce Kendall died in LaCrosse, Wisconsin (stroke), 1988 (was 63)
May 23:
Mac Wiseman (CM 14, BG 93) born in Crimora, Virginia, 1925 (now 91)
Ken Irwin, co-founder of Rounder Records, born in New York, New York, 1944 (now 72)
Misty Morgan born in Buffalo, New York, 1945 (now 71)
Shelley West born in Cleveland, Ohio, 1958 (now 58)
Leroy Troy born in Goodlettesville, Tennessee, 1966 (now 50)
Rosemary Clooney born in Maysville, Kentucky, 1928 (died 2002). The legendary pop singer recorded a number of country songs, including covering Carl Smith's hit "If Teardrops Were Pennies."
Rex Gosdin died (heart attack), 1983 (was 45)
May 24:
Mike Reid (NS 05) born in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, 1947 (now 69)
Rosanne Cash (NS 15) born in Memphis, Tennessee, 1955 (now 61)
Billy Gilman born in Westerly, Rhode Island, 1988 (now 28). Gilman's "One Voice" hit #1 when he was 12, making him the youngest person in Billboard country chart history to have a #1 song.
Gene Clark of the Byrds and Dillard & Clark died in Sherman Oaks, California (bleeding ulcer), 1991 (was 46)
Vivian Liberto died in Ventura, California (cancer), 2005 (was 71). Vivian was Johnny Cash's first wife and Rosanne Cash's mother.
Jimmie Rodgers recorded "Old Love Letters (Bring Memories of You)," "Mississippi Delta Blues," "Somewhere Down Below the Dixon Line," and "Years Ago" in New York City, 1933. Ravaged with tuberculosis, they would be the final recordings of the Father of Country Music.
The United States Postal Service issues the Jimmie Rodgers postage stamp, 1978
May 25:
Tom T. Hall (CM 08, NS 78) born in Olive Hill, Kentucky, 1936 (now 80)
Jessi Colter born in Phoenix, Arizona, 1947 (now 69)
Dr. Humphrey Bate of the Possum Hunters born in Castallian Springs, Tennessee, 1875 (died 1936)
Ernest V. "Pop" Stoneman (CM 08) born in Monarat, Virginia, 1893 (died 1968)
Hal David (NS 84) born in New York, New York, 1921 (died 2012)
Dick Curless died in Bangor, Maine (stomach cancer), 1995 (was 63)
May 26:
Randall Hank Williams Jr. (NS 07) born in Shreveport, Louisiana, 1949 (now 68)
Richard Leigh (NS 94) born in Washington, DC, 1951 (now 65)
Lance LeRoy (BG 00) born in Tingall, Georgia, 1930 (died 2015)
Levon Helm born in Marvell, Arkansas, 1940 (died 2012). The actor and drummer/singer for the Band made his acting debut in Coal Miner's Daughter.
Jimmie Rodgers (CM 61, NS 70, RR 86) died in New York, New York (tuberculosis), 1933 (was 35)
Onie Wheeler died in Nashville, Tennessee (heart attack), 1984 (was 62). He died on the Grand Ole Opry stage during a performance of the post-Friday Night Opry show, Grand Ole Gospel.
Judy Lynn died in New Albany, Indiana (congestive heart failure), 2010 (was 74)
The first International Country Music Conference held in Meridian, Mississippi, 1983. The three-day event began as a memorial to Jimmie Rodgers and coincides with the anniversary of his death.
May 27:
Don Williams (CM 10) born in Floydada, Texas, 1939 (now 77)
Redd Stewart (NS 70) born in Ashland City, Tennessee, 1921 (died 2003)
Kenny Price born in Florence, Kentucky, 1931 (died 1987)
The first International Country Music Conference held in Meridian, Mississippi, 1983. The three-day event began as a memorial to Jimmie Rodgers and coincides with the anniversary of his death.
May 27:
Don Williams (CM 10) born in Floydada, Texas, 1939 (now 77)
Redd Stewart (NS 70) born in Ashland City, Tennessee, 1921 (died 2003)
Kenny Price born in Florence, Kentucky, 1931 (died 1987)
Slim Bryant died in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania (long-term illness), 2010 (was 101)
Opryland opened, 1972 (closed 1997)
May 28:
John Fogerty born in Berkeley, California, 1945 (now 71). The leader of Creedence Clearwater Revival recorded an album of country songs under the pseudonym Blue Ridge Rangers in 1973, hitting the country chart with his rendition of "Jambalaya," and several songs Fogerty has written have been recorded by country singers.
Jerry Douglas born in Warren, Ohio, 1956 (now 60)
Phil Vassar born in Lynchburg, Virginia, 1965 (now 51)
Gary Stewart born in Jenkins, Kentucky, 1945 (died 2003)
Opryland opened, 1972 (closed 1997)
May 28:
John Fogerty born in Berkeley, California, 1945 (now 71). The leader of Creedence Clearwater Revival recorded an album of country songs under the pseudonym Blue Ridge Rangers in 1973, hitting the country chart with his rendition of "Jambalaya," and several songs Fogerty has written have been recorded by country singers.
Jerry Douglas born in Warren, Ohio, 1956 (now 60)
Phil Vassar born in Lynchburg, Virginia, 1965 (now 51)
Gary Stewart born in Jenkins, Kentucky, 1945 (died 2003)
May 29:
Carl Story (BG 07) born in Lenoir, North Carolina, 1916 (died 1995)
Danny Davis (ne George Joseph Nowlan) of the Nashville Brass born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, 1925 (died 2008)
Doc Watson (BG 00) died in Winston-Salem, North Carolina (complications from abdominal surgery), 2012 (was 89)
Mother Maybelle and the Carter Family became members of the Grand Ole Opry, 1950
Hank and Audrey Williams divorced, 1952
May 30:
Mike Snider born in Gleason, Tennessee, 1960 (now 56)
Lewis Crook of the Crook Brothers born in Trousdale County, Tennessee, 1909 (died 1996)
Johnny Gimble born in Tyler, Texas, 1926 (died 2015)
Don Wayne (NS 78) born in Nashville, Tennessee, 1933 (died 2011)
Karl Davis of Karl & Harty died in Chicago, Illinois (cancer), 1979 (was 73)
Bobby Harden of the Harden Trio died in Nashville, Tennessee (unknown cause), 2006 (was 70)
May 31:
Vic Willis of the Willis Brothers born in Schulter, Oklahoma, 1922 (died 1995)
Johnny Paycheck (ne Donald Eugene Lytle) born in Greenfield, Ohio, 1938 (died 2003)
Bud Carter (StG 09) born in Sullivan, Missouri, 1931 (died 2015)
William "Red" Rector died in Knoxville, Tennessee (heart attack), 1990 (was 60)
Lloyd Perryman of the Sons of the Pioneers (CM 80) died in Burbank, California (complications of heart surgery), 1977 (was 60)
Jerry Sullivan of the Sullivan Family died in Alabama (illness), 2014 (was 80)
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