Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.
On September 16, 1983, Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson were back at No. 1 on the country album chart with Pancho & Lefty. In 2020, Thomas Rhett and Carrie Underwood shared Entertainer of the Year at the ACM Awards in Nashville.
Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson were back at No. 1 on the country album chart with Pancho & Lefty. The duet record traded the top spot with Alabama several times that year.
Steel guitar great Ralph Mooney was born in Duncan, Oklahoma. He played steel in the first lineups of Merle Haggard's Strangers and Waylon Jennings' Waylors, and he co-wrote "Crazy Arms," Ray Price's first No. 1 country hit.
Songwriter Wood Newton was born in Hampton, Arkansas. He charted a few singles of his own in the late 1970s, then found bigger success writing hits like Razzy Bailey's No. 1 "Midnight Hauler" and the Oak Ridge Boys' "Bobbie Sue."
David Bellamy of the Bellamy Brothers was born. The Darby, Florida, duo topped the pop chart with "Let Your Love Flow" in 1976 and went on to score 20 No. 1 country singles.
Session bass player Michael Rhodes was born in Monroe, Louisiana. He played on records for Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Randy Travis and many more. He died in 2023 at 69.
Johnny Cash was sitting at No. 1 on Billboard's country singles chart with "A Boy Named Sue," his funny tale of a young man hunting down the father who saddled him with a girl's name.
John Denver had the No. 1 country album with Back Home Again. Its title song reached No. 1 on the country chart, and the album also carried "Annie's Song."
Alan Jackson had the No. 1 country album with A Lot About Livin' (And a Little 'bout Love), his third studio record. It held the top spot for several weeks that summer.
Trisha Yearwood had the No. 1 country album with (Songbook) A Collection of Hits. It was the first of her albums to reach the top of the chart.
Thomas Rhett and Carrie Underwood shared Entertainer of the Year at the ACM Awards in Nashville. It was the first time the top prize ended in a tie.
Dolly Parton released Love Is Like a Butterfly, her 14th solo studio album. The title song became her third No. 1 country single in a row and later served as the theme for her 1976 TV show, Dolly!
"Forever Country" was released to honor the 50th CMA Awards. Thirty country stars sang a medley of "Take Me Home, Country Roads," "On the Road Again" and "I Will Always Love You." It entered the Hot Country Songs chart at No. 1.
Sheb Wooley died in Nashville at 82. He sang the 1958 novelty hit "The Purple People Eater" and acted in High Noon and The Outlaw Josey Wales. TV fans knew him as scout Pete Nolan on Rawhide.
Songwriter Billy Edd Wheeler died at 91 at his home in Swannanoa, North Carolina. He was behind "Jackson," a Grammy winner for Johnny Cash and June Carter, and "Coward of the County" for Kenny Rogers. He joined the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001.
It depends on the year. In 1969, Johnny Cash was sitting at No. 1 on Billboard's country singles chart with "A Boy Named Sue," his funny tale of a young man hunting down the father who saddled him with a girl's name. In 1983, Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson were back at No. 1 on the country album chart with Pancho & Lefty.
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.