Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.
On May 29, 1962, Jimmy Dean won the Grammy for Best Country & Western Recording for "Big Bad John" at the 4th Annual Grammy Awards, held in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. In 1966, Jim Reeves was at No. 1 on the country chart with "Distant Drums," nearly two years after his death.
Jimmy Dean won the Grammy for Best Country & Western Recording for "Big Bad John" at the 4th Annual Grammy Awards, held in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York.
Jim Reeves was at No. 1 on the country chart with "Distant Drums," nearly two years after his death. Later in 1966 it also topped the British chart, his only No. 1 there.
Freddy Fender held the top spot on Billboard's country albums chart with Before the Next Teardrop Falls. The Tex-Mex singer's breakout record stayed at No. 1 for several weeks that spring.
Chris Young sat at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart with "The Man I Want to Be." Brett James and Tim Nichols wrote the title track of his second album.
Jason Aldean's Rearview Town was No. 1 on Billboard's country albums chart. It was his eighth studio album and his fourth in a row to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
George Jones put out "Play It Cool, Man" on Starday Records, his second single. It became the oldest track on his first album, which came out in 1956.
Brad Paisley put out his second studio album, Part II. He took the name, and ideas for the songs, from the movie Father of the Bride Part II.
Doc Watson, the flatpicking guitar great from Deep Gap, North Carolina, died at 89 in Winston-Salem. He won seven Grammy awards plus a Lifetime Achievement Grammy, and for years he played alongside his son Merle.
It depends on the year. In 1966, Jim Reeves was at No. 1 on the country chart with "Distant Drums," nearly two years after his death. In 2018, Jason Aldean's Rearview Town was No. 1 on Billboard's country albums chart.
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.