Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.
On March 23, 1970, Merle Haggard held No. 1 on the country chart with "The Fightin' Side of Me," one of the best known songs of his career. In 1981, Dolly Parton was at No. 1 on the country albums chart with 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs. Violinist Carol Walker Gorodetzky and Brett Eldredge share this birthday.
Merle Haggard held No. 1 on the country chart with "The Fightin' Side of Me," one of the best known songs of his career. It stayed on top for three weeks.
Fiddlin' John Carson was born near McCaysville in Fannin County, Georgia. His 1922 shows on Atlanta's WSB radio helped make him one of country music's early pioneers.
Violinist Carol Walker Gorodetzky was born in Nashville, Tennessee. She and her husband, Carl Gorodetzky, formed the Nashville String Machine, a group of session string players credited on more than 1,000 albums since 1972.
Country singer Brett Young was born in Anaheim, California. His second album, Ticket to L.A., debuted at No. 1 on the country albums chart in 2018.
Brett Eldredge was born in Paris, Illinois. He earned a No. 1 on the Country Airplay chart in 2013 with "Don't Ya." His cousin is Terry Eldredge, a former member of The Grascals.
Dolly Parton was at No. 1 on the country albums chart with 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs. The concept album about working folks spent 10 weeks at the top.
Ricky Van Shelton was at No. 1 on the country albums chart with RVS III. The album gave fans the No. 1 hit "I've Cried My Last Tear for You," plus "Statue of a Fool" and "I Meant Every Word He Said," which both reached No. 2.
The Dixie Chicks held No. 1 on the country albums chart with Fly. Earlier that year, the album's single "Cowboy Take Me Away" spent three weeks at No. 1 on the country singles chart.
Billy Ray Cyrus released "Achy Breaky Heart." Don Von Tress wrote it in 1990, and the Marcy Brothers cut it first as "Don't Tell My Heart." Cyrus's version became the first country single to go platinum since "Islands in the Stream" in 1983.
Cindy Walker, the Texas songwriter behind "You Don't Know Me," "Distant Drums" and "Bubbles in My Beer," died at 88 in Mexia, Texas. She entered the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1997.
Fiddlin' John Carson (1868), Violinist Carol Walker Gorodetzky (1942) and Brett Eldredge (1986) were all born on this date.
It depends on the year. In 1970, Merle Haggard held No. 1 on the country chart with "The Fightin' Side of Me," one of the best known songs of his career. In 1981, Dolly Parton was at No. 1 on the country albums chart with 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs.
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.