Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.
On December 31, 2025, Terri Clark was named a Member of the Order of Canada, one of her home country's top honors. In 1977, Dolly Parton's "Here You Come Again" spent its fifth and final week at No. 1 on Billboard's country singles chart. It’s also John Denver’s birthday.
Terri Clark was named a Member of the Order of Canada, one of her home country's top honors. Her albums have produced more than 20 singles over her career.
Guitarist Fred Carter Jr. was born in Winnsboro, Louisiana. A member of Nashville's famed "A Team" of studio players, he worked with Kenny Rogers, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Simon & Garfunkel. He died in 2010 at 76.
John Denver was born in Roswell, New Mexico. He gave us "Take Me Home, Country Roads," "Annie's Song" and "Thank God I'm a Country Boy," and earned 12 gold and four platinum albums. He died in a plane crash in 1997 at 53.
Canadian country singer Charlie Major was born in Aylmer, Quebec. He lost sight in one eye after a pellet gun accident at age 12 and went on to win the Juno Award for Country Male Vocalist of the Year in the 1990s.
Dolly Parton's "Here You Come Again" spent its fifth and final week at No. 1 on Billboard's country singles chart. It was one of the biggest country hits of 1977.
Shania Twain's Up! held No. 1 on Billboard's country albums chart. Her fourth studio album opened at No. 1 on both the country and all-genre charts after selling 874,000 copies in its first week.
Luke Bryan was at No. 1 on Billboard's country albums chart with What Makes You Country, his sixth studio album. It gave fans "Light It Up," "Most People Are Good" and "Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset."
Morgan Wallen rang in New Year's Eve by dropping "Smile" with no warning, along with a music video. Ernest was one of the song's co-writers.
Hank Williams was booked to play Charleston, West Virginia, but an ice storm kept him from flying. His driver Charles Carr took him by car instead, stopping at a Knoxville hotel that evening. Hank died on the road early the next morning.
Great American Country went on the air as a new country music TV channel. The first video it played was Garth Brooks' "The Thunder Rolls."
Piano great Floyd Cramer died at 64 in Nashville. His slip-note style shaped the Nashville sound, and he played on Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel." His own tune "On the Rebound" reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961.
John Denver (1943) was born on this date.
It depends on the year. In 1977, Dolly Parton's "Here You Come Again" spent its fifth and final week at No. 1 on Billboard's country singles chart. In 2002, Shania Twain's Up! held No. 1 on Billboard's country albums 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.