THE BIG MOMENT1957
Porter Wagoner became a member of the Grand Ole Opry
Porter Wagoner became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Known for his flashy suits and his duets with a young Dolly Parton, he charted 81 singles between 1954 and 1983.
On This Day in Country Music: February 23
Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.
What happened on February 23 in country music history?
On February 23, 1957, Porter Wagoner became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. In 1978, Crystal Gayle's "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" was a big winner at the 20th Grammy Awards, hosted by John Denver. Thom Bresh and Steve Holy share this birthday.
Country Stars Born on February 23
1948
Thom Bresh
Thom Bresh was born in Hollywood, California. The son of Merle Travis, he reached No. 6 on the country chart in 1976 with "Homemade Love" and later filmed videos for stars like George Jones and Tanya Tucker.
1972
Steve Holy
Steve Holy was born in Dallas, Texas. He reached No. 1 on the country chart with "Good Morning Beautiful," heard in the film Angel Eyes, and again with "Brand New Girlfriend."
No. 1 Songs on This Date
2021
Taylor Swift's new recording, "Love Story (Taylor's Version)," opened at No. 1 on Hot Country Songs. She joined Dolly Parton as the only artists to top that chart with two versions of the same song.
Source: billboard.comBig Awards Nights
1978
Crystal Gayle's "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" was a big winner at the 20th Grammy Awards, hosted by John Denver. Kenny Rogers won for "Lucille," and The Kendalls won for "Heaven's Just a Sin Away."
1983
Willie Nelson won a Grammy for "Always on My Mind" at the 25th Grammy Awards. Juice Newton took the female country vocal award for "Break It to Me Gently."
2000
Shania Twain and the Dixie Chicks were among the country winners at the 42nd Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Shania won for "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" and the Dixie Chicks won for "Ready to Run."
2003
Faith Hill won a Grammy for "Cry" at the 45th Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden. Johnny Cash won for "Give My Love to Rose," and the Dixie Chicks won for "Long Time Gone."
2010
Jimmy Dean was named to the Country Music Hall of Fame, along with Billy Sherrill, Don Williams and Ferlin Husky. Known for "Big Bad John" and his sausage company, Dean passed away before the October ceremony.
New Music on This Date
2010
American VI: Ain't No Grave, a Johnny Cash album issued after his passing, came out three days ahead of the date he would have turned 78. It was cut in 2003 during his final sessions and opened at No. 3 on the Billboard 200.
2012
Carrie Underwood released "Good Girl," the first single from her album Blown Away. Fans bought about 108,000 downloads in three days, and it became her 12th No. 1 on Hot Country Songs.
Concerts and Shows
1956
Brenda Lee, just 11, passed on a $30 radio job so she could catch Red Foley's Ozark Jubilee road show at Bell Auditorium in Augusta, Georgia. Foley heard her sing and let her perform "Jambalaya" on stage that night.
Source: libnotes.missouristate.eduRemembering the Ones We Lost
2014
Penny DeHaven, a country singer from Winchester, Virginia, died at 65. Her best-known record was "Land Mark Tavern," a 1970 duet with Del Reeves.
2015
Bobby Emmons, a keyboard player from the Memphis studio scene, died at 72. He played on Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds" and helped write "Luckenbach, Texas" for Waylon Jennings and "Love Me Like You Used To" for Tanya Tucker.
Quick Answers
Which country singers were born on February 23?
Thom Bresh (1948) and Steve Holy (1972) were all born on this date.
What was the No. 1 country song on this date?
It depends on the year. In 2021, Taylor Swift's new recording, "Love Story (Taylor's Version)," opened at No. 1 on Hot Country Songs.
This Week in Country Music History
February 201991: Kathy Mattea won a Grammy for "Where've You Been" at the 33rd Grammy Awards.February 212001: Faith Hill won three Grammys at the 43rd Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.February 221989: K.T. Oslin won two Grammys for "Hold Me" at the 31st Grammy Awards, taking Best Country…February 241982: Dolly Parton won two Grammys for "9 to 5" at the 24th Grammy Awards, for best female co…February 251981: George Jones won a Grammy for "He Stopped Loving Her Today" at the 23rd Grammy Awards i…February 261985: Emmylou Harris won a Grammy for "In My Dreams" at the 27th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.
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