Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.
On July 19, 1975, Lefty Frizzell died in Nashville at 47 after a stroke. In 1992, Wynonna's "I Saw the Light" was in its third week at No. 1 on the country singles chart. Billy Parker and George Hamilton IV share this birthday.
Lefty Frizzell died in Nashville at 47 after a stroke. His smooth style shaped Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson and George Jones, and Roy Orbison later took the name Lefty Wilbury in his honor.
George Hamilton IV was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He broke through with "Before This Day Ends" in 1961, and his 1963 hit "Abilene" spent four weeks at No. 1 on the country chart.
Billy Parker was born in Tuskegee, Oklahoma. A beloved country disc jockey, he was named DJ of the Year by the CMA in 1974 and by the ACM four times. He also charted more than 20 country singles.
Source: americansongwriter.comBernie Leadon was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Before he became an original member of the Eagles, he played in the country-rock groups Dillard & Clark and the Flying Burrito Brothers.
Wynonna's "I Saw the Light" was in its third week at No. 1 on the country singles chart.
Big & Rich earned their first No. 1 country single with "Lost in This Moment." Their best showing before that was "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)," which peaked at No. 11.
Toby Keith released "Who's That Man," the lead single from his album Boomtown. The song climbed all the way to No. 1 on the country chart.
Johnny Cash welcomed The Monkees, Joni Mitchell, Roy Clark and Ed Ames to his ABC variety show, taped at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Cash and The Monkees teamed up on his song "Everybody Loves a Nut."
A bridge on Business 40 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was named for George Hamilton IV. The ceremony fell on what would have been his 79th birthday.
Billy Parker (1937), George Hamilton IV (1937) and Bernie Leadon (1947) were all born on this date.
It depends on the year. In 1992, Wynonna's "I Saw the Light" was in its third week at No. 1 on the country singles chart. In 2007, Big & Rich earned their first No. 1 country single with "Lost in This Moment."
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