Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.
On September 29, 1993, Vince Gill was the big winner at the 1993 CMA Awards at the Grand Ole Opry House, taking Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year. In 1945, Singing cowboy Jimmy Wakely became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. It’s also Bob Carlisle’s birthday.
Vince Gill was the big winner at the 1993 CMA Awards at the Grand Ole Opry House, taking Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year. His "I Still Believe in You" won both Album and Song of the Year. Mary Chapin Carpenter won Female Vocalist, and Diamond Rio won Vocal Group.
Gene Autry, The Singing Cowboy, was born near Tioga, Texas. He made 93 films, sang "Back in the Saddle Again," and later owned baseball's Angels for more than 35 years.
Western swing pioneer Bill Boyd was born near Ladonia, Texas. His band, the Cowboy Ramblers, cut more than 225 records and had a big 1935 hit with "Under the Double Eagle."
Jerry Lee Lewis, known as The Killer, was born in Ferriday, Louisiana. The piano man played in Sun Records' Million Dollar Quartet session and later had a long run of country hits.
Bob Carlisle was born in Santa Ana, California. He is best known for "Butterfly Kisses," a father's song that won the Grammy for Best Country Song and a Dove Award.
Carrie Underwood's sixth studio album, Cry Pretty, landed at No. 1 on the country albums chart. It also opened at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200. The title song and "Love Wins" were among its singles.
Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers were named Entertainers of the Year at the IBMA Awards in Nashville. Their album Rare Bird Alert had reached No. 1 on the bluegrass chart that year.
Singing cowboy Jimmy Wakely became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He later topped the country chart in 1949 with "Slippin' Around," a duet with Margaret Whiting.
Rose Maddox joined the Grand Ole Opry. She first sang lead with the Maddox Brothers and Rose and was known for her bright Western outfits.
Capitol Records put out Merle Haggard's "Okie from Muskogee." The small-town anthem spent four weeks at No. 1 on the country chart and became one of his signature songs.
Alabama released "I Wanna Come Over." It climbed to No. 33 and became the band's first Top 40 country hit.
Alan Jackson put out "Country Boy," the third single from his album Good Time. The song went on to top the country chart in January 2009. It was his 25th No. 1, tying George Strait for the most country No. 1 hits since 1990.
Miranda Lambert released her album Revolution. It opened at No. 1 on the country albums chart, her third No. 1 album in a row. In 2010 it was named Album of the Year by both the ACM and the CMA.
Farm Aid 2001, billed as A Concert for America, was held in Noblesville, Indiana, to help America's family farmers. Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp led the show, with Martina McBride, Dave Matthews and the Doobie Brothers also on the bill.
Songwriter and producer Busbee died of brain cancer at 43. He worked with stars like Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Florida Georgia Line and Trisha Yearwood. He earned a Grammy nomination for Best Country Song in 2017.
Mac Davis died in Nashville at 78. Before he was a star himself, he wrote Elvis Presley hits like "In the Ghetto" and "Memories." His own 1972 hit "Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me" went to No. 1, and he later hosted his own NBC variety show.
Bob Carlisle (1956) was born on this date.
It depends on the year. In 2018, Carrie Underwood's sixth studio album, Cry Pretty, landed at No. 1 on the 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.