Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.
On January 31, 1977, Johnny Cash was given the Award of Merit at the American Music Awards. In 2010, Taylor Swift won Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards for Fearless. It’s also Tyler Hubbard’s birthday.
Johnny Cash was given the Award of Merit at the American Music Awards. Country winners included Charley Pride, Loretta Lynn, Glen Campbell for Rhinestone Cowboy, Willie Nelson for "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," and Conway Twitty with Loretta as a duo.
Tyler Hubbard was born in Monroe, Georgia. He later formed Florida Georgia Line with Brian Kelley, and their 2012 debut album, Here's to the Good Times, became one of the best-selling albums of 2013.
Merle Haggard's It's Not Love (But It's Not Bad) was the top album on Billboard's country chart. Its title song had also gone to No. 1, his 13th country chart-topper.
Taylor Swift won Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards for Fearless. At 20, she was the youngest winner of that award up to then. She took home four Grammys that night, including Best Country Album.
Alabama released Southern Star, its 12th studio album, on RCA. All four singles went to No. 1 on the country chart: "Song of the South," "If I Had You," "High Cotton" and "Southern Star."
Dolly Parton's album Blue Smoke came out in Australia and New Zealand. It reached U.S. stores that May and debuted at No. 2 on Top Country Albums, her best debut there in 23 years. It includes a duet with Willie Nelson.
Walk the Line, the movie about Johnny Cash, earned five Academy Award nominations. Joaquin Phoenix was up for Best Actor and Reese Witherspoon for Best Actress. She went on to win for playing June Carter.
Guitar great Harold Bradley died in Nashville at 93. A Country Music Hall of Fame member since 2006, he played on records by Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley and Slim Whitman.
Tyler Hubbard (1987) was born on this date.
It depends on the year. In 1973, Merle Haggard's It's Not Love (But It's Not Bad) was the top album on Billboard's country 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.