Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.
On May 23, 2011, Brad Paisley released This Is Country Music, a salute to the music that shaped him. In 2012, Carrie Underwood's Blown Away held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200. Mac Wiseman and Shelly West share this birthday.
Brad Paisley released This Is Country Music, a salute to the music that shaped him. Friends like Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Alabama, Marty Stuart, Don Henley and Sheryl Crow joined in. It opened at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.
Mac Wiseman was born in Crimora, Virginia. The bluegrass singer played with Flatt & Scruggs and Bill Monroe, helped found the Country Music Association, and joined the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2014.
Misty Morgan was born in Buffalo, New York. With her husband Jack Blanchard, she took the quirky "Tennessee Bird Walk" to No. 1 on the country chart.
Judy Rodman was born in Riverside, California. She won the ACM's Top New Female Vocalist award in 1985 and reached No. 1 in 1986 with "Until I Met You."
Shelly West was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the daughter of country star Dottie West. She topped the charts with David Frizzell on "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma" in 1981, then hit No. 1 on her own with "Jose Cuervo" in 1983.
Brian McComas was born in Bethesda, Maryland. His 2003 single "99.9% Sure (I've Never Been Here Before)" climbed to No. 10 on the country chart.
Carrie Underwood's Blown Away held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200. It was her third country album to top that chart, which tied her with Linda Ronstadt and Faith Hill.
Johnny Cash's Personal File came out on Legacy Recordings. The two-disc set held 49 songs nobody had heard before, cut between 1973 and 1982 and later found in a vault at the House of Cash.
The Dixie Chicks put out Taking the Long Way, their seventh studio album. It opened at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and later won five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year.
Songwriter Dewayne Blackwell died at 84. He wrote Garth Brooks' "Friends in Low Places" and David Frizzell's "I'm Gonna Hire a Wino to Decorate Our Home."
Guitarist and singer Thom Bresh died in Nashville at 74. His 1976 hit "Homemade Love" reached No. 6 on the country chart. He also filmed and edited video work for stars like George Jones, Jerry Reed and Tanya Tucker.
Mac Wiseman (1925), Misty Morgan (1945), Judy Rodman (1951), Shelly West (1958) and Brian McComas (1972) were all born on this date.
It depends on the year. In 2012, Carrie Underwood's Blown Away held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200.
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.