Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.
On April 1, 2012, Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton hosted the 47th ACM Awards. In 2019, Loretta Lynn's 87th birthday was celebrated early with a star-filled tribute at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Kenny Buttrey and Jim Ed Brown share this birthday.
Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton hosted the 47th ACM Awards. Taylor Swift won Entertainer of the Year, Miranda Lambert took Album of the Year for Four the Record, and the Eli Young Band's "Crazy Girl" won Song of the Year.
Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith was born in Clinton, South Carolina. His banjo tune "Feudin' Banjos" later turned up in the 1972 movie Deliverance as "Dueling Banjos," and he won a lawsuit that got him credit and back royalties. He died in 2014 at 93.
Jim Ed Brown was born in Sparkman, Arkansas. He first sang with his sisters Maxine and Bonnie as The Browns, then went solo. His 1976 duet with Helen Cornelius, "I Don't Want to Have to Marry You," went to No. 1. He died in 2015 at 81.
Kenny Buttrey was born in Nashville. The drummer became one of the busiest session players in town, backing Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan and Neil Young. CMT counted him among the most important Nashville session men ever. He died in 2004 at 59.
Kip Moore was born in Tifton, Georgia. His song "Somethin' 'Bout a Truck" climbed to No. 1 in 2012, the same year his first album, Up All Night, came out.
Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum was born in Nashville. The group earned its first No. 1 in 2009 with "I Run to You" and followed it with the smash "Need You Now."
Alan Jackson held the top spot on the country singles chart with "Small Town Southern Man." It was the first single from his album Good Time and his 23rd No. 1 hit.
Johnny Cash joined George Jones for the grand opening of Jones Country Music Park in Colmesneil, Texas. The two friends sang "I Got Stripes" together that day. Their studio version of the song stayed in the vault until 2002.
Source: rollingstone.comLoretta Lynn's 87th birthday was celebrated early with a star-filled tribute at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Garth Brooks, George Strait, Alan Jackson and many more sang her songs. Loretta closed the night herself with "Coal Miner's Daughter," her first big show since a 2017 stroke.
Source: triblive.comThe Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum first opened its doors at the head of Music Row in Nashville. In May 2001 it moved into a much larger home in downtown Nashville.
Paul Cohen, the longtime Decca Records man who helped make Nashville a recording town, died at 61. He signed or produced Kitty Wells, Webb Pierce, Patsy Cline and Brenda Lee. He also served as CMA president and entered the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1976.
Jim Ed Brown (1934), Kenny Buttrey (1945) and Kip Moore (1980) were all born on this date.
It depends on the year. In 2008, Alan Jackson held the top spot on the country singles chart with "Small Town Southern Man."
Every entry is checked by the Country Thang Daily editors. Spot something we got wrong? Let us know and we’ll fix it and note the change.