Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.
On March 11, 1970, Johnny Cash had a big night at the 12th Grammy Awards. In 1980, Willie Nelson held the No. 1 spot on the country chart with "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys." Jimmy Fortune and Pat Bergeson share this birthday.
Johnny Cash had a big night at the 12th Grammy Awards. "A Boy Named Sue" won him best male country vocal, and his liner notes for Bob Dylan's Nashville Skyline also won. Tammy Wynette took the female award for "Stand By Your Man."
Nolan "Cowboy Slim" Rinehart was born in Comanche County, Texas. He was one of the early singing cowboys heard on the radio. He died in a 1948 car accident in Michigan and joined the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in 1996.
Jimmy Fortune was born in Williamsburg, Virginia. He joined The Statler Brothers in 1982 and wrote their No. 1 hits "Elizabeth," "Too Much on My Heart" and "My Only Love."
Pat Bergeson was born in Batavia, Illinois. The Nashville guitar and harmonica player toured and recorded with Chet Atkins and has worked with Lyle Lovett and Suzy Bogguss.
Willie Nelson held the No. 1 spot on the country chart with "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys." The song came from the movie The Electric Horseman and stayed on top for two weeks.
Ricky Van Shelton's album RVS III sat at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart. It included his No. 1 single "I've Cried My Last Tear for You" and the No. 2 hit "Statue of a Fool."
Don Warden died at 87. He played steel guitar on The Porter Wagoner Show and later served as Dolly Parton's manager for decades. He entered the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 2008.
Singer Brad Martin died in Nashville at 48. His 2002 debut album, Wings of a Honky-Tonk Angel, gave him the No. 15 hit "Before I Knew Better."
Jimmy Fortune (1955) and Pat Bergeson (1961) were all born on this date.
It depends on the year. In 1980, Willie Nelson held the No. 1 spot on the country chart with "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys." In 1990, Ricky Van Shelton's album RVS III sat at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart.
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