Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.
On May 17, 2005, Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Were Dying" won Single Record and Song of the Year at the 40th ACM Awards. In 2009, Barbara Mandrell, Roy Clark and harmonica great Charlie McCoy were formally welcomed into the Country Music Hall of Fame at a Sunday night ceremony.
Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Were Dying" won Single Record and Song of the Year at the 40th ACM Awards. Kenny Chesney was Entertainer of the Year, and Gretchen Wilson won Top Female Vocalist and Top New Artist.
Guitarist Pat Flynn was born in Redondo Beach, California. He played with New Grass Revival through the 1980s and wrote "Do What You Gotta Do," which Garth Brooks later took up the charts.
B.J. Thomas reached No. 1 on the country chart for the first time with "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song." The tune also topped the pop chart.
Willie Nelson's Somewhere Over the Rainbow led the country albums chart. The record of old pop standards used acoustic jazz sounds as a nod to his guitar hero, Django Reinhardt.
Kenny Rogers was No. 1 on the country chart with "Buy Me a Rose," with Alison Krauss and Billy Dean. At 61, he became the oldest artist to that point to score a country No. 1.
Barbara Mandrell, Roy Clark and harmonica great Charlie McCoy were formally welcomed into the Country Music Hall of Fame at a Sunday night ceremony.
Source: news.pollstar.comGlen Campbell recorded John Hartford's "Gentle on My Mind" with Los Angeles session pros. The song won four Grammy Awards in 1968 and became the theme for his CBS show, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour.
Source: editorial.americansongwriter.comJohnny Cash began four days of sessions with producer Rick Rubin for the album that became American Recordings. Most of the record features Cash with nothing but his own guitar.
Kenny Chesney released "She's Got It All," the first single from I Will Stand. It went on to become his first No. 1 on the Billboard country chart.
Texas songwriter Guy Clark died in Nashville at 74 after a long fight with lymphoma. Artists from Jerry Jeff Walker to Ricky Skaggs cut his songs, and he won a Grammy for My Favorite Picture of You.
It depends on the year. In 1981, Willie Nelson's Somewhere Over the Rainbow led the country albums chart. In 2000, Kenny Rogers was No. 1 on the country chart with "Buy Me a Rose," with Alison Krauss and Billy Dean.
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.