Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.
On October 3, 2014, Reba McEntire asked Little Big Town to become members of the Grand Ole Opry, and the group said yes. In 2008, Stonewall Jackson and the Grand Ole Opry settled his age discrimination lawsuit for an amount never made public.
Reba McEntire asked Little Big Town to become members of the Grand Ole Opry, and the group said yes. Vince Gill made it official two weeks later, on October 17.
Hank Snow's "I'm Moving On" sat at No. 1 on the country chart. It held the top spot for 21 weeks in all and was the first of his seven No. 1 hits.
Source: americansongwriter.comJohnny Cash's live album "At San Quentin" was No. 1 on the country album chart, partway through a 20-week run. Recorded for the inmates at the California prison, it gave fans "A Boy Named Sue," which won Cash a Grammy.
Keith Urban's The Speed of Now Part 1 was No. 1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart. It was his 11th studio album, released in September 2020.
Stonewall Jackson and the Grand Ole Opry settled his age discrimination lawsuit for an amount never made public. The longtime Opry member had said he was being pushed aside for younger acts. He went back to performing on the show.
Source: news.pollstar.comMerle Haggard released "Swinging Doors and the Bottle Let Me Down" on Capitol. Named for its two big songs, the album went on to top the country album chart.
George Strait put out It Just Comes Natural, a 15-song album. It went to No. 1 on the country albums chart and climbed to No. 3 on the all-genre Billboard 200.
Farm Aid '98 came to Tinley Park, Illinois, outside Chicago. Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp headlined, with Steve Earle and the Del McCoury Band bringing country and bluegrass to the bill.
Ronnie Milsap played his last Nashville concert at Bridgestone Arena. More than 30 artists came out to honor him, including Kelly Clarkson, Little Big Town and Scotty McCreery.
Source: news.pollstar.comA former hair and makeup artist for Garth Brooks filed a civil lawsuit against him in California. Brooks denied her claims and had already filed his own suit against her in Mississippi the month before.
Source: abcnews.go.comFolk singer Woody Guthrie died at 55 in Queens, New York, after a long fight with Huntington's disease. The writer of "This Land Is Your Land" shaped generations of songwriters, country writers included.
It depends on the year. In 1950, Hank Snow's "I'm Moving On" sat at No. 1 on the country chart. In 1969, Johnny Cash's live album "At San Quentin" was No. 1 on the country album chart, partway through a 20-week run.
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.