Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.
On July 30, 1985, Alabama became the first country act to earn quadruple-platinum status. In 1983, George Jones topped the Billboard country chart with "I Always Get Lucky with You," a song Merle Haggard helped write. It’s also Neal McCoy’s birthday.
Alabama became the first country act to earn quadruple-platinum status. Two of the band's albums, Feels So Right and Mountain Music, each reached 4 million copies.
Songwriter and music publisher Dennis Morgan was born in Tracy, Minnesota. His first big hit as a writer was Barbara Mandrell's 1978 No. 1, "Sleeping Single in a Double Bed." He joined the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004.
Neal McCoy was born in Jacksonville, Texas. In 1994 he scored two country No. 1 hits, "No Doubt About It" and "Wink," both from his platinum album No Doubt About It.
Banjo player Ron Block was born in Gardena, California. He joined Alison Krauss and Union Station in 1991 and played on hits like "When You Say Nothing at All" and Vince Gill's Grammy-winning "High Lonesome Sound."
Songwriter and producer Gordie Sampson was born in Big Pond, Nova Scotia, Canada. He helped write Carrie Underwood's "Jesus, Take the Wheel" and "Just a Dream," plus Martina McBride's "If I Had Your Name."
George Jones topped the Billboard country chart with "I Always Get Lucky with You," a song Merle Haggard helped write. It turned out to be the Possum's ninth and last solo No. 1.
Johnny Cash cut the first version of "Folsom Prison Blues" at Sun Studio in Memphis. He got the idea from the 1951 movie Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison, which he watched while stationed with the Air Force in West Germany.
Morgan Wallen released "Whiskey Glasses" as the third single from his album If I Know Me. Ben Burgess and Kevin Kadish wrote it, and it first showed up on his 2016 EP The Way I Talk.
Sam Phillips, the man behind Sun Records, died at 80 in Memphis. He found Elvis Presley and recorded Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Roy Orbison. Many call his 1951 recording of "Rocket 88" the first rock and roll record.
Lynn Anderson died at 67 in Nashville. Her signature song, "Rose Garden," spent five weeks at No. 1 on the country chart and reached No. 3 on the pop chart. She was also the first female country singer to headline Madison Square Garden.
Randy Barlow died of cancer at 77. From 1976 to 1983 he put out four albums and charted about 20 country singles, including "Slow and Easy," "No Sleep Tonight" and "Sweet Melinda."
Neal McCoy (1958) was born on this date.
It depends on the year. In 1983, George Jones topped the Billboard country chart with "I Always Get Lucky with You," a song Merle Haggard helped write.
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.