Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.
On July 10, 1955, Songwriter and keyboard player Stan Munsey was born in Easton, Pennsylvania. In 1970, Johnny Cash recorded a live album at the Ryman Auditorium, then home of the Grand Ole Opry, tied to his ABC TV series. It’s also Ken Mellons’ birthday.
Songwriter and keyboard player Stan Munsey was born in Easton, Pennsylvania. He played keys for Shenandoah and wrote Tim McGraw's No. 1 hit "All I Want Is a Life," along with songs for Alabama, Shania Twain and Glen Campbell.
Ken Mellons was born in Kingsport, Tennessee. His 1994 debut album on Epic Records gave fans "Jukebox Junkie," which reached No. 8 on the country chart.
Gary LeVox, lead singer of Rascal Flatts, was born in Powell, Ohio, just outside Columbus.
Kitty Wells hit No. 1 on Billboard's country chart with "Heartbreak U.S.A." It stayed on top for four weeks and was the last of her three No. 1 hits.
Alan Jackson's "Don't Rock the Jukebox" sat at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart. It was his second No. 1 in a row and later won ASCAP's Country Song of the Year.
Johnny Cash recorded a live album at the Ryman Auditorium, then home of the Grand Ole Opry, tied to his ABC TV series. The album, The Johnny Cash Show, and its single "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" both reached No. 1 on the country charts.
Dolly Parton opened her Halos & Horns Tour at Irving Plaza in New York City. It was her first big concert tour in about a decade.
Carrie Underwood married hockey player Mike Fisher, then with the Ottawa Senators. The couple wed at the Ritz-Carlton Lodge at Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Georgia.
Jerry Greer, the 19-year-old son of Craig Morgan, went missing after falling from an inner tube on Kentucky Lake. Searchers found him the next day.
Fiddle great Byron Berline died at 77 in Oklahoma City after a stroke. He played with The Flying Burrito Brothers, added fiddle to the Rolling Stones' "Country Honk" and recorded with Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and Bill Monroe.
Dave Loggins, the man who wrote "Please Come to Boston," died at 76 in Nashville. His own recording was a Top 5 pop hit in 1974. A second cousin of Kenny Loggins, he joined the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1995.
Ken Mellons (1965) was born on this date.
It depends on the year. In 1961, Kitty Wells hit No. 1 on Billboard's country chart with "Heartbreak U.S.A." It stayed on top for four weeks and was the last of her three No. 1 hits. In 1991, Alan Jackson's "Don't Rock the Jukebox" sat at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles 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.