Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.
On April 15, 2018, Reba McEntire hosted the 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. In 1968, Dolly Parton released Just Because I'm a Woman, her second studio album. Chris Stapleton and Roy Clark share this birthday.
Reba McEntire hosted the 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Carrie Underwood sang "Cry Pretty," and Jason Aldean won Entertainer of the Year.
Roy Clark was born in Meherrin, Virginia. The picker co-hosted Hee Haw with Buck Owens from 1969 to 1993 and played Cousin Roy on The Beverly Hillbillies. He died in 2018 at 85.
Chris Stapleton was born in Lexington, Kentucky. He sang with The SteelDrivers and wrote hits for Kenny Chesney and George Strait before his 2015 album Traveller went to No. 1.
Dolly Parton released Just Because I'm a Woman, her second studio album. The title song was its only single and climbed to No. 17 on the country chart.
Loretta Lynn released her album Fist City on Decca. It became her second album to top the country chart, and its title song gave her a No. 1 single too.
Lady Antebellum released their self-titled first album on Capitol Nashville. It opened at No. 1 on the country albums chart, a first for a country group's debut, and later earned an ACM nod for Album of the Year.
Rose Maddox died in Ashland, Oregon, at 72. She sang lead for the Maddox Brothers and Rose before going solo, and her music mixed hillbilly, rockabilly and gospel.
Gospel singer and pastor Gary McSpadden died in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at 77. He sang with the Oak Ridge Quartet and the Imperials and helped found the Gaither Vocal Band before going solo.
Roy Clark (1933) and Chris Stapleton (1978) were all born on this date.
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.