Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.
On August 5, 1953, Fiddle and mandolin man Larry Franklin was born in Sherman, Texas. In 1957, Decca released Patsy Cline's first album, simply titled Patsy Cline. Bobby Braddock and Terri Clark share this birthday.
Fiddle and mandolin man Larry Franklin was born in Sherman, Texas. He won three Grammy Awards with Asleep at the Wheel and has played sessions for Alan Jackson, Vince Gill and Miranda Lambert.
Vern Gosdin was born in Woodland, Alabama. Known as "The Voice," he earned 19 top-10 country hits, including No. 1 songs "Set 'Em Up Joe" and "I'm Still Crazy." He died in 2009.
Bobby Braddock was born in Lakeland, Florida. The songwriter is in both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, with 13 No. 1 hits. He co-wrote "He Stopped Loving Her Today" for George Jones.
Sammi Smith was born in Orange County, California. Her 1971 version of Kris Kristofferson's "Help Me Make It Through the Night" went to No. 1, and she was one of the few women in country's outlaw crowd. She died in 2005.
Fiddler Mark O'Connor was born in Mountlake Terrace, Washington. The Country Music Association named him Musician of the Year six years running, from 1991 through 1996.
Comedian and singer Tim Wilson was born in Columbus, Georgia. Country fans knew him for his funny 1993 song "Garth Brooks Has Ruined My Life." He died in 2014.
Terri Clark was born in Montreal, Quebec, and grew up in Medicine Hat, Alberta. Her hits include "Girls Lie Too" and "You're Easy on the Eyes," and she joined the Grand Ole Opry in 2004.
Decca released Patsy Cline's first album, simply titled Patsy Cline. It included her breakout hit "Walkin' After Midnight." She made only three studio albums in her lifetime.
Kenny Rogers cut "Lucille" during one afternoon at American Studio in Nashville. Released the next year, it went to No. 1 on the country chart and became his first big solo hit after The First Edition.
Source: udiscovermusic.comAlabama released "Lady Down on Love," a Randy Owen song from The Closer You Get. It went on to top the country chart.
Luther Perkins died at 40, two days after a fire at his Hendersonville, Tennessee, home. As guitarist in Johnny Cash's Tennessee Two, he created the famous "boom-chicka-boom" sound.
Songwriter Richard Fagan died in Nashville at 69. He co-wrote John Michael Montgomery's No. 1 hits "Be My Baby Tonight" and "Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)."
Vern Gosdin (1934), Bobby Braddock (1940), Sammi Smith (1943) and Terri Clark (1968) 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.