Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.
On July 15, 2010, Hank Cochran died in Nashville at 74. Mac McAnally and Drummer Owen Hale share this birthday.
Hank Cochran died in Nashville at 74. The songwriter helped give Patsy Cline "I Fall to Pieces" and "She's Got You," and he wrote "Make the World Go Away," a hit for both Ray Price and Eddy Arnold.
Cowboy Copas was born Lloyd Estel Copas in Adams County, Ohio. His song "Alabam" spent three months at No. 1 on the country chart in 1960. He died in a 1963 plane crash.
Hal Willis was born in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec. The Canadian singer climbed to No. 5 on the Billboard country chart with "The Lumberjack," a hit that earned him the nickname "Mr. Lumberjack." He passed away in 2015.
Linda Ronstadt was born in Tucson, Arizona. She won 11 Grammy Awards, and her take on the Everly Brothers song "When Will I Be Loved" became her first No. 1 country hit.
Drummer Owen Hale was born in Lumberton, Mississippi. He kept the beat for Lynyrd Skynyrd and played on Nashville sessions for Patty Loveless, Doug Stone and Toby Keith.
Mac McAnally was born in Red Bay, Alabama. The songwriter and longtime member of Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band sang with Kenny Chesney on a 2008 remake of his own "Down the Road," which went to No. 1.
Cowboy Copas (1913), Hal Willis (1933), Linda Ronstadt (1946), Drummer Owen Hale (1948) and Mac McAnally (1957) were all born on this date.
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.