Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.
On December 20, 2014, Chip Young, the Nashville session guitarist and record producer known for his thumb-style picking, died at 76. In 1970, Loretta Lynn's "Coal Miner's Daughter" sat at No. 1 on the country chart. Geoff Mack and A. J. Masters share this birthday.
Chip Young, the Nashville session guitarist and record producer known for his thumb-style picking, died at 76. His guitar can be heard on records by Eddy Arnold, Waylon Jennings, George Jones, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley and many more.
Geoff Mack was born in Surrey Hills, Victoria, Australia. He wrote "I've Been Everywhere," which caught on in America after it was reworked for Hank Snow. The song has been recorded more than 130 times.
A. J. Masters was born in Walden, New York. He put eight songs on the country charts from 1985 to 1987, then wrote for others, including Faith Hill's "Love Ain't Like That." He died in 2015 at 64.
Guitar player and producer Tom Bukovac was born in Cleveland, Ohio. The busy Nashville session man has played on well over a thousand albums for stars like Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood.
Loretta Lynn's "Coal Miner's Daughter" sat at No. 1 on the country chart. The song about her Kentucky roots became her signature and later gave its name to her life story book and movie.
Record producer Don Law died at 80 in La Marque, Texas. Born in London, he came to America in 1924 and went on to produce big Columbia hits like Marty Robbins' "El Paso" and Jimmy Dean's "Big Bad John."
Hank Snow died at 85 at his Rainbow Ranch in Madison, Tennessee. The Canadian-born star sent more than 85 songs onto the country charts, including "I'm Moving On" and "Hello Love."
Geoff Mack (1922) and A. J. Masters (1950) were all born on this date.
It depends on the year. In 1970, Loretta Lynn's "Coal Miner's Daughter" sat at No. 1 on the country chart.
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