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It Happened On This Day in Country Music: Week of 3/9

Courtesy of  Raymond Gilford

Courtesy of Raymond Gilford

Monday

2011 – A fire erupts on Randy Houser’s bus in Charleston, South Carolina. The band escapes uninjured but loses all its gear, clothing and personal belongings

2009 – Mac McAnally gives Kenny Chesney a personal gift: the Martin guitar he used to write “Back Where I Come From” and “Down The Road”

2007 – Bucky Covington performs “A Different World” as he makes his Grand Ole Opry debut

2006 – Worlds collide! The Rolling Stones tab Merle Haggard as their opening act when the band plays the Alltel Arena in Little Rock, Arkansas

2002 – Jo Dee Messina and Tim McGraw tag-team the #1 position on the Billboard country singles chart with “Bring On The Rain”
1998 – LeAnn Rimes’ single “How Do I Live” is certified triple-platinum

1991 – Alan Jackson tops the Billboard country singles chart for the first time in his career with “I’d Love You All Over Again

Tuesday

2007 – Trace Adkins tops the Billboard country chart with “Ladies Love Country Boys”

2005 – Jo Dee Messina’s “My Give A Damn’s Busted” video debuts on CMT

2003 – Dixie Chick Natalie Maines tells a London concert audience, “We’re ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas.” The audience cheers, but many U.S. radio stations stop playing Chicks music as the nation prepares for war in Iraq

2001 – Diamond Rio takes “One More Day” to #1 in Billboard

2000 – Vince Gill marries Christian singer Amy Grant in Nashville, with about 75 people attending. Grant takes her vows barefoot

1989 – Guitarist Rachel Reinert is born in Sarasota, Florida. She makes her Grand Ole Opry debut days before her 20th birthday as a member of Gloriana, a harmony act that earns hits with 2009’s “Wild At Heart” and 2011’s “(Kissed You) Good Night”

1983 – Carrie Underwood is born in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Her 2005 participation in “American Idol” is a prologue to a career marked by soaring performances, platinum albums and a ream of Female Vocalist honors

1981 – Eddie Rabbitt’s “I Love A Rainy Night” is certified gold

1979 – Invited by Porter Wagoner, R&B legend James Brown plays the Grand Ole Opry, lacing his 17-minute set with the country songs “Your Cheatin’ Heart” and “Tennessee Waltz.” Jean Shepard complains; Barbara Mandrell says the appearance is overdue

1973 – Tammy Wynette tops the Billboard country singles chart with “‘Til I Get It Right”

Wednesday

2013 – Big Machine releases “Highway Don’t Care,” by Tim McGraw with Taylor Swift, to radio. Keith Urban plays guitar on the single

2006 – Don Williams performs what’s expected to be his final Nashville concert, appearing at David Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena. Keith Urban is a surprise opening act, and Williams is joined by Josh Turner on “Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good”

2006 – Josh Turner’s “Your Man” hits #1 in Billboard

2005 – The movie “Black Cloud,” written and directed by Rick Schroder, opens in seven cities. The picture features Tim McGraw in the role of a sheriff

2003 – Faith Hill, Toby Keith and Shania Twain take the post position with five nominations apiece for the second annual CMT Flameworthy Video Music Awards. The Dixie Chicks, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw and Keith Urban claim four nominations each

2002 – Pat Green is hospitalized in Brownsville, Texas, with facial fractures after he’s attacked on the beach in South Padre Island by two men

2000 – Joe Diffie marries Theresa Crump at Nashville’s Opryland Hotel. Her pet chihuahua, Lobo, serves as the ring bearer

1970 – Songwriter Ben Hayslip is born in Evans, Georgia. Among the songs he authors: Blake Shelton’s “Honey Bee,” Luke Bryan’s “I Don’t Want This Night To End,” Joe Nichols’ “Gimmie That Girl” and Jason Aldean’s “When She Says Baby”

1969 – After 25 years as a bluegrass duo, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs split up

Thursday

2013 – The Band Perry begins appearing on boxes of Wheaties as part of the Outnumber Hunger charity program

2010 – Miranda Lambert’s “White Liar” earns a gold single

Win Tickets to the Sold Out Taylor Swift Concert2008 – Taylor Swift collects a platinum single for “Our Song”

2001 – Amy Grant gives birth to a daughter, Corrina Grant Gill–the first child in her marriage to Vince Gill–at a Nashville hospital

1997 – Trace Adkins picks up his first gold album with his debut, “Dreamin’ Out Loud”

1990 – Mark Chesnutt begins recording his first album, “Too Cold At Home”

1988 – Randy Travis’ “Too Gone Too Long” goes to #1 on the Billboard country singles chart

1981 – MCA releases The Oak Ridge Boys’ “Elvira”=

1975 – The divorce of George Jones and Tammy Wynette is finalized. Wynette takes custody of their only child, Tamala, and keeps their home on Franklin Road in Nashville

Friday

2013 – Rascal Flatts makes its Australian concert debut at the Brisbane Convention Centre

2009 – Justin Moore sings “Small Town USA” in his Grand Ole Opry debut

2003 – The state of Texas observes Lee Ann Womack Day

2001 – Charley Pride receives a Hall of Fame medallion during the first official function at the new Country Music Hall of Fame in downtown Nashville.

1999 – The Dixie Chicks take “You Were Mine” to the top of the Billboard country chart

1999 – Trisha Yearwood joins the Grand Ole Opry. The same night, singer/songwriter John Prine makes his Opry debut

1991 – “My Cousin Vinny,” starring Joe Pesci and Ralph Macchio, makes its theater debut, with Travis Tritt performing “Bible Belt”

1967 – Decca releases Patsy Cline’s “Greatest Hits”

1965 – The Statler Brothers record “Flowers On The Wall” at a session originally slated for Johnny Cash, who failed to appear, at the Columbia Recording Studios in Nashville

Saturday

2011 – Capitol releases Luke Bryan’s “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” to radio

2004 – Rascal Flatts and Brad Paisley perform for president George W. Bush when ABC tapes “An American Celebration At Ford’s Theatre.” The Kelsey Grammer-hosted show also features Patti LaBelle, Jessica Simpson and David Spade, among others

1998 – Jo Dee Messina sings “Lesson In Leavin'” during her Grand Ole Opry debut, the same evening that Opry manager Bob Whittaker asks Diamond Rio to join the cast

1992 – Willie Nelson’s Farm Aid V draws about 40,000 fans in Irving, Texas, with Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Joe Walsh, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Ricky Van Shelton, The Kentucky HeadHunters, Lorrie Morgan, Hal Ketchum and Paul Simon

1984 – Susie Brown is born in Utah. She becomes one-half of the JaneDear girls, who nab a hit in 2011 with their debut single, “Wildflower”

1972 – “Help Me Make It Through The Night” is a double-winner during the 14th annual Grammy awards in New York, claiming Best Country Song for Kris Kristofferson and Best Country Vocal Performance, Female, for Sammi Smith

1972 – California Governor Ronald Reagan pardons Merle Haggard for a 1957 attempted robbery that landed the singer in prison

1970 – Kristian Bush is born in Knoxville, Tennessee. He becomes a member of Sugarland, which earns multiple Vocal Duo of the Year honors. He co-writes most of the act’s material, including “Settlin’,” “It Happens” and “Everyday America”

1970 – Merle Haggard’s “The Fightin’ Side Of Me” goes to #1 on the Billboard country charts

Sunday

2006 – Faith Hill tops all artists with four nominations for the CMT Music Awards. Eight acts collect three nominations apiece: Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood, Trace Adkins, Miranda Lambert, Brooks & Dunn, Keith Urban, Toby Keith and Kenny Chesney

2005 – Dierks Bentley’s self-titled debut becomes his first platinum album

USA - 2014 Billboard Awards - Las Vegas2003 – Brad Paisley marries “According To Jim” star Kimberly Williams in Malibu, California

1999 – Diamond Rio records “One More Day”

1997 – Deana Carter waltzes to the top of the Billboard country singles chart with “We Danced Anyway”

1996 – Bluegrass legend Bill Monroe makes what becomes his final appearance on the Grand Ole Opry

1975 – Freddy Fender makes his first appearance at #1 on the Billboard chart with “Before The Next Teardrop Falls”

1968 – The Byrds, including Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman, play the Grand Ole Opry with steel guitarist Lloyd Green. Some fans hoot and call for them to get haircuts. Their set list includes Merle Haggard’s “Sing Me Back Home” and their own “Hickory Wind”

1966 – Roger Miller wins six times at the eighth annual Grammy Awards. “King Of The Road” takes Best Contemporary Male, Contemporary Single, Country & Western Male, C&W Single and C&W Song, and “The Return Of Roger Miller” snags C&W Album

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