Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.
On December 3, 2023, Garth Brooks surprised Scotty McCreery during the Opry Country Christmas Show by inviting him to join the Grand Ole Opry. In 2006, Dolly Parton was saluted at the Kennedy Center Honors for her lifetime of work in the arts. Rabon Delmore and Ferlin Husky share this birthday.
Garth Brooks surprised Scotty McCreery during the Opry Country Christmas Show by inviting him to join the Grand Ole Opry. Josh Turner inducted him on April 20, 2024.
Rabon Delmore was born in Elkmont, Alabama. With his brother Alton, he made up the Delmore Brothers, Grand Ole Opry favorites in the 1930s. The duo later entered the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Ferlin Husky was born in Gumbo, Missouri. He scored about two dozen Top 20 country hits, and "Wings of a Dove" went to No. 1 in 1960. He joined the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010.
Roger Bowling was born in Leslie County, Kentucky. The Nashville songwriter co-wrote "Lucille" with Hal Bynum, and Kenny Rogers took it to No. 1 on the country chart in 1977.
Paul Gregg was born in Altus, Oklahoma. He played bass and sang in Restless Heart, a band that put 26 singles on the country chart, with six reaching No. 1.
Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man" was the No. 1 country single. It spent three weeks on top and later ranked first on CMT's list of the 100 greatest country songs.
Dolly Parton was saluted at the Kennedy Center Honors for her lifetime of work in the arts. Steven Spielberg, Smokey Robinson, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Zubin Mehta were honored with her.
Source: georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.govConnie B. Gay died at 75 in McLean, Virginia. He is credited with coining the name "country music" to replace "hillbilly," and he served as the first president of the Country Music Association. He entered the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1980.
Grady Martin died at 72 in Lewisburg, Tennessee. The Nashville A-Team guitar man played on Marty Robbins' "El Paso," Loretta Lynn's "Coal Miner's Daughter" and Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman."
Rabon Delmore (1916), Ferlin Husky (1925), Roger Bowling (1944) and Paul Gregg (1954) were all born on this date.
It depends on the year. In 1968, Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man" was the No. 1 country single.
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.