On This Day in Country Music: January 26

Gary McSpadden

Gospel singer Gary McSpadden was born in Mangum, Oklahoma. He sang with the Oak Ridge Quartet and with Jake Hess and the Imperials, then started a solo career in 1979. He was also a pastor and TV host. He died in 2020 at 77.

Dave Rowland

Dave Rowland of Dave & Sugar was born in Sanger, California. The trio landed 16 songs on the country charts, with three No. 1 hits: "The Door Is Always Open," "Tear Time" and "Golden Tears."

Lucinda Williams

Lucinda Williams was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana. She wrote "Passionate Kisses," which earned her a Grammy for Best Country Song after Mary Chapin Carpenter made it a hit.

Thomas Rhett's "Die a Happy Man" was holding the top spot on Billboard's Country Airplay chart. The love song stayed there six weeks in all, the longest run since Taylor Swift's "Our Song" topped it in 2007 and 2008.

Country had a good night at the 62nd Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Willie Nelson won Best Country Solo Performance for "Ride Me Back Home," Dan + Shay won the duo or group prize for "Speechless," and Tanya Tucker's While I'm Livin' was named Best Country Album.

Lady Antebellum put out their second album, Need You Now, on Capitol Nashville. It won the Grammy for Best Country Album. The title song took home four Grammys, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year.

Mary Chapin Carpenter joined the Cajun band BeauSoleil to sing "Down at the Twist and Shout" before Super Bowl XXXI. The game was played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans.

Reba McEntire stepped into the role of Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre in New York City.

Jimmy Buffett took a fall off the stage after an encore at his concert in Sydney, Australia. A doctor in the crowd helped him right away, and Buffett was treated at a hospital and released.

The Dukes of Hazzard premiered on CBS, with John Schneider as Bo and Tom Wopat as Luke. Waylon Jennings served as the Balladeer and sang the theme, "Good Ol' Boys." The show grew out of the 1975 film Moonrunners.

Charlie Louvin died at 83 at his home in Wartrace, Tennessee. Born Charles Elzer Loudermilk, he was half of the Louvin Brothers, members of the Grand Ole Opry since 1955. Their close harmonies shaped Emmylou Harris, Gram Parsons and The Byrds.

Songwriter Peter McCann died at 74 at his home in Nashville. He sang his own 1977 pop hit "Do You Wanna Make Love" and wrote "Nobody Falls Like a Fool," a No. 1 country hit for Earl Thomas Conley.