Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.
On January 17, 1983, Country stars shone at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles. In 1986, Reba McEntire officially became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Grady Martin and Steve Earle share this birthday.
Country stars shone at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles. Kenny Rogers won three awards, Willie Nelson's Always on My Mind took two album honors, and Alabama was voted Favorite Country Band, Duo or Group.
Grady Martin was born in Chapel Hill, Tennessee. A guitarist in Nashville's famed A-Team of studio players, he played on Marty Robbins' "El Paso," Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman" and Loretta Lynn's "Coal Miner's Daughter."
Steve Earle was born at Fort Monroe, Virginia, where his father was stationed. His 1986 album Guitar Town gave him a Top 10 country hit with its title track and helped light the way for alt-country.
Eddie Rabbitt held the No. 1 spot on Billboard's country singles chart with "I Love a Rainy Night." He built the song from a scrap of tape he had made on a rainy night years earlier and found again in 1980.
Garth Brooks was named Artist of the Decade for the 1990s at the American Music Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. He also took home Favorite Country Male Artist and Favorite Country Album for Double Live.
Reba McEntire officially became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. She has kept her place in the Opry family ever since.
Red Foley stepped into WSM radio's Studio B and became the first country star to cut records in Nashville. Among the songs from that session was "Tennessee Saturday Night."
Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson opened their joint 2 Worlds 2 Voices Tour at the Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio. The two shared one band and sang each other's hits across 39 shows.
Kenny Chesney shared news that he had parted ways with Sony Music Nashville and signed a new deal with Warner Music Nashville. It closed a long chapter with his old label family.
Don Harron, the Canadian funnyman who played newsman Charlie Farquharson on Hee Haw, died in Toronto at 90. His rambling KORN newscasts were a favorite part of the show for years.
Grady Martin (1929) and Steve Earle (1955) were all born on this date.
It depends on the year. In 1981, Eddie Rabbitt held the No. 1 spot on Billboard's country singles chart with "I Love a Rainy Night."
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.