Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.
On January 28, 1985, the American Music Awards honored plenty of country stars. In 2018, Chris Stapleton was a big winner at the 60th Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden in New York. It’s also Barbi Benton’s birthday.
The American Music Awards honored plenty of country stars. Kenny Rogers, Barbara Mandrell and Alabama won top country awards, Anne Murray took two video prizes, and Loretta Lynn received the Award of Merit.
Session drummer Eddie Bayers was born in Patuxent, Maryland. He played on records for George Strait, Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton, and he joined the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2022.
Barbi Benton was born in New York City. Country fans remember her from Hee Haw, and her 1975 record "Brass Buckles" went to No. 5 on Billboard's country singles chart.
Toby Keith's Shock'n Y'all was No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart. The album ruled the chart for the first seven weeks of 2004.
Russell Dickerson's "Yours" topped Billboard's Country Airplay chart. He first put the love song out in 2015, and it became a wedding favorite before country radio caught on in 2017.
Chris Stapleton was a big winner at the 60th Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden in New York. He took Best Country Solo Performance for "Either Way" and Best Country Album for From A Room: Volume 1. Little Big Town won for "Better Man."
Alabama released "Dixieland Delight" as the first single from The Closer You Get... It reached No. 1 that April, the band's ninth chart-topper in a row.
Willie Nelson, Kenny Rogers and Waylon Jennings joined pop and soul stars at A&M Studios in Hollywood to record "We Are the World." Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie wrote the charity song, and Quincy Jones produced it.
Alan Jackson released "Drive (For Daddy Gene)," a tribute to his late father. It went to No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart that May.
Glen Campbell, Marty Robbins and Nancy Ames were guests on The Johnny Cash Show on ABC.
Source: ultimate70s.comAl Dexter, born Clarence Albert Poindexter, died at 78 in Lewisville, Texas. The honky-tonk pioneer is best known for "Pistol Packin' Mama," a smash in 1943 that even became the New York Yankees' marching song.
Barbi Benton (1950) was born on this date.
It depends on the year. In 2004, Toby Keith's Shock'n Y'all was No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart. In 2018, Russell Dickerson's "Yours" topped Billboard's Country Airplay 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.