Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.
On June 12, 2002, the first CMT Flameworthy Awards, known today as the CMT Music Awards, were held in Nashville. In 2004, Canadian singer Terri Clark was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. Chips Moman and Junior Brown share this birthday.
The first CMT Flameworthy Awards, known today as the CMT Music Awards, were held in Nashville. Kenny Chesney won Video of the Year for "Young," and Martina McBride took Female Video of the Year for "Blessed."
Chips Moman was born in LaGrange, Georgia. The producer, guitarist and songwriter worked with Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson and Tammy Wynette, and he co-wrote "Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)" for Waylon Jennings.
Junior Brown was born in Cottonwood, Arizona. He is known for playing the "guit-steel," a double-neck mix of electric guitar and lap steel, and his "My Wife Thinks You're Dead" won CMA Video of the Year in 1996.
Chris Young was born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He won the TV singing contest Nashville Star in 2006 and went on to score No. 1 hits like "Voices," "Tomorrow" and "You."
Randy Travis was sitting at No. 1 on the Billboard country singles chart with "I Told You So."
Ferlin Husky became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He later reached the top of the country chart with "Gone" in 1957 and "Wings of a Dove" in 1960.
Canadian singer Terri Clark was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. Years later she entered the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2018 and the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2023.
Dolly Parton recorded "I Will Always Love You" at RCA Studio B in Nashville. Released as a single in March 1974, the song climbed to No. 1 on the country chart that June.
Toby Keith released Big Dog Daddy, his 12th studio album. He produced it himself, and it went to No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
Toby Keith shared that he had been diagnosed with stomach cancer late in 2021. He told fans he had spent the past six months in treatment, including chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.
Dr. Humphrey Bate, the harmonica player George D. Hay called the "Dean of the Opry," died of a heart attack at 61 in Castalian Springs, Tennessee. He and his Possum Hunters were among the first to play old-time music on Nashville radio.
Johnny Bond, the Oklahoma-born singer and songwriter best known for "Divorce Me C.O.D.," died at 63 in Burbank, California. His 1965 novelty song "Ten Little Bottles" spent four weeks at No. 2.
Songwriter Larry W. Johnson died at 69. He co-wrote "Don't Take the Girl," the Tim McGraw story song that fans still love.
Chips Moman (1937), Junior Brown (1952) and Chris Young (1985) were all born on this date.
It depends on the year. In 1988, Randy Travis was sitting at No. 1 on the Billboard country singles chart with "I Told You So."
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.