Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.
On October 7, 2023, Sara Evans joined the Grand Ole Opry family, with Crystal Gayle doing the honors on the Opry's birthday weekend. In 2023, Sara Evans was officially made a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Uncle Dave Macon and Dale Watson share this birthday.
Sara Evans joined the Grand Ole Opry family, with Crystal Gayle doing the honors on the Opry's birthday weekend. Bill Anderson had surprised her with the invitation that August during her sold-out show at the Ryman Auditorium.
Uncle Dave Macon was born in Warren County, Tennessee. The banjo-playing "Dixie Dewdrop" became the Grand Ole Opry's first big star and joined the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1966.
Source: countrymusichalloffame.orgKieran Kane was born in Queens, New York. With Jamie O'Hara, he formed The O'Kanes, who placed seven singles on the country chart. Their biggest was the No. 1 hit "Can't Stop My Heart from Loving You."
Dale Watson was born in Birmingham, Alabama. Raised partly in Texas, the honky-tonk singer and songwriter is known for "I Lie When I Drink" and plays the Grand Ole Opry often.
Eddie Rabbitt's Step by Step, his seventh studio album, was No. 1 on the country albums chart. The title song topped the country singles chart and also reached No. 5 on the pop chart.
Alabama's The Closer You Get... was the No. 1 country album. All three of its singles, "Dixieland Delight," "The Closer You Get" and "Lady Down on Love," went to No. 1 in 1983.
Janie Fricke's Black & White, released while she spelled her name Frickie, topped the country albums chart. It was the only No. 1 album of her career, and its single "Always Have, Always Will" also went to No. 1.
Garth Brooks' Ropin' the Wind was the No. 1 country album, taking the top spot from his own No Fences. His third studio album, it also debuted at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200.
George Strait's self-titled album was the No. 1 country album. It gave fans the singles "Go On," "If You Can Do Anything Else" and "Don't Make Me Come Over There and Love You."
Sara Evans was officially made a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Her 2005 album Real Fine Place was the first of her records to reach No. 1 on Billboard's country albums chart.
Source: musicrow.comSongwriter and producer Ray Pennington died at 86 at his home in Hendersonville, Tennessee. He wrote "I'm a Ramblin' Man," which became Waylon Jennings' second No. 1 hit, and he co-founded Step One Records.
Uncle Dave Macon (1870), Kieran Kane (1949) and Dale Watson (1962) were all born on this date.
It depends on the year. In 1983, Alabama's The Closer You Get... was the No. 1 country album. In 1991, Garth Brooks' Ropin' the Wind was the No. 1 country album, taking the top spot from his own No Fences.
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.