Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.
On July 2, 2005, Live 8 concerts were held around the world to fight poverty. In 1968, Tammy Wynette's "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" was No. 1 on the country chart. Janette Carter and Michelle Branch share this birthday.
Live 8 concerts were held around the world to fight poverty. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill sang in Rome, while Toby Keith and Keith Urban played the Philadelphia show. More than 1,000 musicians took part.
Janette Carter was born in Maces Spring, Virginia, a daughter of A.P. and Sara Carter. In 1976 she helped build the Carter Family Fold, a music hall that still draws more than 50,000 visitors a year. She died in 2006.
Marvin Rainwater was born in Wichita, Kansas. The country and rockabilly singer scored late-1950s hits with "Gonna Find Me a Bluebird" and "Whole Lotta Woman." He died in 2013.
Michelle Branch was born in Sedona, Arizona. After pop success, she teamed up with her friend Jessica Harp in 2005 as The Wreckers. Their song "Leave the Pieces" earned a Grammy nomination.
Tammy Wynette's "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" was No. 1 on the country chart. The song held the top spot for three weeks that summer.
Donna Fargo reached No. 1 on the country chart with "That Was Yesterday." The first single from her album Fargo Country, it turned out to be her sixth and last chart-topper.
Lady Antebellum's Need You Now was No. 1 on the country albums chart, in the middle of a 24-week run. It later won the Grammy for Best Country Album, and the title song took Song and Record of the Year.
Little Big Town's "Girl Crush" was No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart, where it stayed 13 weeks. It went on to win two Grammys, including Best Country Song.
Morgan Wallen's third album, One Thing at a Time, was No. 1 on the country albums chart. It went on to spend 19 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, a record for a country album.
MCA released Trisha Yearwood's debut album. It held her first No. 1, "She's in Love with the Boy," plus "Like We Never Had a Broken Heart." The album climbed to No. 2 on the country albums chart.
Harmonica player DeFord Bailey died at 82 in Nashville. He was the first Black performer on the Grand Ole Opry and played there from 1927 to 1941. The Country Music Hall of Fame welcomed him in 2005.
Janette Carter (1923), Marvin Rainwater (1925) and Michelle Branch (1983) were all born on this date.
It depends on the year. In 1968, Tammy Wynette's "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" was No. 1 on the country chart. In 2023, Morgan Wallen's third album, One Thing at a Time, was No. 1 on the country albums 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.