Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.
On February 15, 1979, Willie Nelson took home two Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. In 2016, Chris Stapleton won Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Album for Traveller at the 58th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Wally Fowler and Hank Locklin share this birthday.
Willie Nelson took home two Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. He won the top male country vocal prize for "Georgia on My Mind" and shared a duo award with Waylon Jennings for "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys."
Wally Fowler was born near Adairsville, Georgia. The gospel singer and promoter started the Oak Ridge Quartet, the group that grew into the Oak Ridge Boys. Folks called him "Mr. Gospel Music" and "The Man with a Million Friends." He died in 1994.
Hank Locklin was born in McLellan, Florida. His biggest hit, "Please Help Me, I'm Falling," spent 14 weeks at No. 1 in 1960. He also gave us "Send Me the Pillow You Dream On" and stayed a Grand Ole Opry member for 49 years. He died in 2009.
Chris Stapleton won Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Album for Traveller at the 58th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Little Big Town's "Girl Crush" won Best Country Duo/Group Performance, and its writers took Best Country Song.
Ray Charles cut the second half of Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music at United Recording studios in Hollywood. The album and its first single, "I Can't Stop Loving You," each went gold that same year.
Dolly Parton put out The Golden Streets of Glory, her sixth solo studio album, on RCA Victor. The gospel set climbed to No. 22 on Billboard's country albums chart.
Murder in Coweta County first aired on CBS. Johnny Cash played Sheriff Lamar Potts opposite Andy Griffith in the TV movie, which tells the true story of a 1948 murder case in rural Georgia. June Carter Cash also had a part.
Wally Fowler (1917) and Hank Locklin (1918) 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.