In 1932, Pete Drake was born in Augusta, Georgia. He went on to become a great steel guitar player and music producer. The first band that he organized was called the Sons of the South, and included Jerry Reed, Doug Kershaw, Roger Miller, Jack Greene, and Joe South. He was the inventor of the talking steel guitar, and played steel guitar on some of the most famous of all country hits, including "Rose Garden", and "Behind Closed Doors", and reputedly also "Stand By Your Man".
In 1944, Susan Raye, singer who worked as a soloist and also with Buck Owens, was born in Eugene, Oregon. She had nineteen Top Forty records, with seven of those being Top Ten hits.
In 1949, "Slipping Around" was atop the charts for Jimmy Wakely and Margaret Whiting.
In 1950, Jackie Franz, of Dave and Sugar, was born in Sidney, Ohio.
In 1953, Ricky Lee Phelps, of the Kentucky Head Hunters and Brother Phelps, was born in Paragould, Arkansas. His band mate with the Head Hunters, Anthony Kenney was also born on this day in Glasgow, Kentucky.
In 1954, rumor has it that Erin Burris Berg's father was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, singing a Hank Williams song, and, in his old age, turned out to be one of the biggest, or at least fattest, country music fans in the world. It is also rumored that he loves traditional and classic country music, and is not much on the new stuff that comes out of Nashville.
In 1955, Eddy Arnold was atop the charts with "Cattle Call", the anthem of George Dewey Peters, who used it to call the cattle home on the Glendale, Florida farm that played a major part in the childhood of this writer.
In 1977, The Kendalls had a smash Number Hit entitled "Heaven's Just A Sin Away".
In 1979, Hubert Long and Hank Snow were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
In 1983, Ronnie Milsap was on top of the charts with "Don't You Know How Much I Love You".
In 1984, Ralph Peer and Floyd Tillman were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
In 1988, Randy Travis was smiling at that "Honky Tonk Moon" because he was atop the charts with a hit with that name.
In 1990, Tennessee Ernie Ford was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
In 1994, Toby Keith asked "Who's That Man", and received a Number One record as a response.
