On This Day in Country Music: October 13

Anita Kerr

Anita Kerr was born in Memphis, Tennessee. Her Anita Kerr Singers sang backup on countless Nashville sessions for stars like Jim Reeves, Patsy Cline and Brenda Lee, and she won two Grammy awards.

Lacy J. Dalton

Lacy J. Dalton was born in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. Known for her rough, soulful voice, she reached No. 2 on the country chart with "Takin' It Easy" in 1981. Her 1982 single "16th Avenue" became a lasting tribute to Nashville songwriters.

Marie Osmond

Marie Osmond was born in Ogden, Utah. The only sister in the singing Osmond family, she was just a teenager when her 1973 version of "Paper Roses" went to No. 1 on the country chart and reached No. 5 on the pop chart.

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Rhett Akins

Rhett Akins was born in Valdosta, Georgia. He topped the country chart in 1996 with "Don't Get Me Started." He later became a top Nashville songwriter, writing many hits with Dallas Davidson and Ben Hayslip as the Peach Pickers.

Dolly Parton's album Heartbreaker was in the middle of a nine-week run at No. 1 on the country album chart. Its title song, written by Carole Bayer Sager and David Wolfert, also went to No. 1 on the country singles chart.

Garth Brooks held the No. 1 spot on the country singles chart with "Friends in Low Places," the first single from No Fences. The barroom anthem spent four weeks on top and later won Single of the Year from both the ACM and the CMA.

Montgomery Gentry was No. 1 on the country singles chart with "Something to Be Proud Of." Written by Jeffrey Steele and Chris Wallin, the song honors hard work and family pride. It spent two weeks at the top.

Russell Dickerson was No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart with “Blue Tacoma,” a summer love song named after a pickup truck.

The CMA Awards were held at the Grand Ole Opry House. John Denver was named Entertainer of the Year, and "Back Home Again" took Song of the Year. Dolly Parton and Waylon Jennings won the top vocalist awards, and Freddy Fender's "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" was Single of the Year.

Reba McEntire won both Entertainer and Female Vocalist of the Year at the 20th CMA Awards, hosted by Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson. George Strait was Male Vocalist, Ronnie Milsap's Lost in the Fifties Tonight won Album of the Year, and Dan Seals' "Bop" was Single of the Year.

CMT’s Artists of the Year show in Nashville honored Chris Stapleton, Luke Combs, Kane Brown, Kelsea Ballerini and Gabby Barrett. Mickey Guyton was named Breakout Artist, and Randy Travis received the Artist of a Lifetime award.

Billboard printed its separate country sales and disc jockey charts for the last time in the Oct. 13, 1958, issue. The next week, the two were merged into one list called Hot C&W Sides. Ray Price's "City Lights" was its very first No. 1.

Dolly Parton gave $1 million to Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville. She visited the young patients on the same day her first children's album, I Believe in You, came out. The hospital had once treated her niece for leukemia.

Reid Perry announced on Instagram that he was leaving The Band Perry. That left his sister Kimberly as the only original member of the group behind “If I Die Young.”