Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.
On October 10, 1977, Ronnie Milsap was named Entertainer of the Year at the 11th CMA Awards, hosted by Johnny Cash. In 1988, Dolly Parton hosted the 22nd CMA Awards. Tanya Tucker and John Prine share this birthday.
Ronnie Milsap was named Entertainer of the Year at the 11th CMA Awards, hosted by Johnny Cash. Crystal Gayle won Female Vocalist, and Kenny Rogers' "Lucille" was Single of the Year.
John Prine was born in Maywood, Illinois. Other songwriters looked up to him for plain-spoken story songs, starting with his 1971 debut album. He died in Nashville in 2020 at 73.
Songwriter Tony Arata was born on this day. He wrote Garth Brooks' classic "The Dance" and Clay Walker's No. 1 hit "Dreaming with My Eyes Open."
Tanya Tucker was born in Seminole, Texas. She was just 13 when "Delta Dawn" became her first hit in 1972, and she later scored with "What's Your Mama's Name" and "Strong Enough to Bend."
Carrie Underwood's first Christmas album, My Gift, landed at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart. It was her eighth straight album to top that chart, a first for any artist.
Source: billboard.comAlabama won Entertainer, Vocal Group and Album of the Year at the 17th CMA Awards. Janie Fricke and Lee Greenwood took the top vocalist honors, and John Anderson's "Swingin'" was Single of the Year.
Dolly Parton hosted the 22nd CMA Awards. Hank Williams Jr. won Entertainer and Album of the Year, K.T. Oslin and Randy Travis took the vocalist awards, and Kathy Mattea's "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses" was Single of the Year.
Billboard named Taylor Swift its Woman of the Year for 2014. She had also won in 2011, making her the first artist ever to earn the honor twice.
Source: cbsnews.comABC's drama Nashville made its debut, drawing 8.93 million viewers on its first night. Connie Britton starred as Rayna Jaymes, a country queen watching her fame slip, and Hayden Panettiere played Juliette Barnes, the young singer chasing her spot.
Cal Smith died in Branson, Missouri, at 81. His 1974 hit "Country Bumpkin" earned Song of the Year honors from both the CMA and the Academy of Country Music.
Source: musicrow.comAnita Kerr died in Carouge, Switzerland, at 94. Her Anita Kerr Singers sang backup on countless Nashville records for stars like Jim Reeves, Patsy Cline, Eddy Arnold and Brenda Lee, and she won two Grammy awards.
John Prine (1946) and Tanya Tucker (1958) were all born on this date.
It depends on the year. In 2020, Carrie Underwood's first Christmas album, My Gift, landed at No. 1 on Billboard's Top 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.