In 1897, country entertainer Bunny Biggs was born. He was known as Jamup of the Jamup and Honey comedy team popularized on the Grand Ole Opry.
In 1917, Red Sovine was born in Charleston, West Virginia, he was most famous for trucking songs, although he had hits with other songs such as "Little Rosa" and "Why, Baby, Why?" He was probably most famous for "Giddy-up Go", "Teddy Bear", "Phantom 309", and "Daddy's Girl".
In 1917, Johnny Sullivan, of Lonzo and Oscar, was born in Kentucky. He was a real brother to "Oscar" Sullivan, and was actually the second Lonzo, after the first one parted company with "Oscar". Their breakthrough hit was "I'm My Own Grandpa".
In 1927, our friend, the great Charlie Louvin, was born in Section, Alabama. He and his brother Ira became the best country duo of all time, and influenced many others including Elvis Presley and Emmylou Harris. The Louvin Brothers were probably best known for "Cash on the Barrelhead", "I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby", "You're Running Wild", and "When I Stop Dreaming". Charlie had a great career of his own after the duo broke up with the best being "See the Big Man Cry", "I Don't Love You Anymore", and "Diana", which he recorded on lone of his last albums.
The Louvin Brothers are members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
In 1930, Doyle Wilburn of the Wilburn Brothers was born in Hardy, Arkansas. As a member of the family group of four, he first performed on the Opry in the forties, then, because of government bureaucracy, lost that job, kept singing, wound up on the Louisiana Hayride, and then back to the Opry in the fifties. Doyle and his brother Teddy became a popular duo, and were famous for their participation on many of Webb Pierce's shows and records because of their great harmony. Some of their best records were "It's Another World", "Hurt Her Once For Me", and their version of "Cryin' Time". They also owned and co-owned publishing companies that, among others, held the rights to Loretta Lynn's catalog.
In 1945,"Stars and Stripes On Iwo Jima" went to Number One for Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys.
In 1973, Kris Kristofferson went to the top of the Country Charts with "Why Me".
In
1975, George Morgan passed away after bypass surgery in Nashville. He
was the last singer to sing in the Old Ryman before the Opry moved to
the Opry House at Opryland. The Opry now returns to the Ryman for
several months each year. Sadly, the Opry caters more to the Pop-Country
crowd now than to traditional and classic country.
In 1984,Conway Twitty was atop the charts with "Somebody's Needin' Somebody". It was to be his thirty sixth COUNTRY chart topper.
