Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.
On August 16, 1976, Dolly Parton put out All I Can Do, her 17th solo studio album. In 1969, Merle Haggard's "Workin' Man Blues" was No. 1 on the Billboard country singles chart. Ashton Shepherd and Billy Joe Shaver share this birthday.
Dolly Parton put out All I Can Do, her 17th solo studio album. It climbed to No. 3 on Billboard's country albums chart and included her takes on "Boulder to Birmingham" and Merle Haggard's "Life's Like Poetry."
Billy Joe Shaver was born in Corsicana, Texas. His 1973 debut, Old Five and Dimers Like Me, is an outlaw country classic, and his 2007 album Everybody's Brother earned a Grammy nod. He died in 2020 at 81.
Banjo player Eric Weissberg was born in Brooklyn, New York. His "Dueling Banjos" from the 1972 film Deliverance climbed to No. 2 in the U.S. and Canada in 1973. He died in 2020 at 80.
Emily Strayer of The Chicks, known for years as Emily Robison, was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. She went on to help the trio score a string of country hits.
Ashton Shepherd was born in Coffeeville, Alabama. Her 2008 debut album, Sounds So Good, gave her two Top 40 country hits with "Takin' Off This Pain" and the title song.
Merle Haggard's "Workin' Man Blues" was No. 1 on the Billboard country singles chart. The song was his salute to the hardworking folks who made up so much of his fan base.
Tammy Wynette released "My Man (Understands)," written by Billy Sherrill, Norro Wilson and Carmol Taylor. It was her 20th single on the country charts and went on to hit No. 1.
Brad Paisley released Time Well Wasted on Arista Nashville. It topped the country albums chart, won CMA Album of the Year in 2006 and gave him three No. 1 singles, "When I Get Where I'm Going," "The World" and "She's Everything."
Johnny Cash's ABC variety show welcomed O.C. Smith, who joined Cash on "Hickory Holler's Tramp." Kenny Rogers and the First Edition sang "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town," and Melanie and Grandpa Jones also stopped by.
Source: johnny-cash-infocenter.comElvis Presley died at Graceland in Memphis at 42. The King of Rock and Roll had deep country roots, and the Country Music Hall of Fame welcomed him in 1998.
Fiddler Vassar Clements died at 77. He first drew notice playing with Flatt and Scruggs on the theme to The Beverly Hillbillies, and over 50 years he played with everyone from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band to Paul McCartney.
Jo Walker-Meador, who led the Country Music Association from 1962 to 1991, died in Nashville at 93. She helped create the first Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and was inducted into the Hall herself in 1995.
Billy Joe Shaver (1939) and Ashton Shepherd (1986) were all born on this date.
It depends on the year. In 1969, Merle Haggard's "Workin' Man Blues" was No. 1 on the Billboard country singles chart.
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.