Ray Turner’s Day in Country Music History

January 24th: On this day

1936
Born on this day in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, was Doug Kershaw, fiddle player, singer and songwriter who had the 1969 hit “Diggy Liggy Lo.”

1939
Born on this day in Clarkdale, Georgia, was Ray Stevens, country and pop singer-songwriter. Stevens recorded perhaps his most famous hit, “The Streak,” which poked fun at the early-1970s fad of running nude in public, known as “streaking.” In 1975, he released the Grammy winning “Misty,” which became his biggest country hit (reaching #3 on the country charts).

1950
Born on this day in Bartlesville, Oklahoma was Becky Hobbs country music singer, songwriter and pianist who has charted multiple singles on the Country charts, including the #10 hit “Let’s Get Over Them Together”, a duet with Moe Bandy.

1953
Hank Williams was at #1 on the US Country charts with “I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive”, knocking himself from the top of the charts with his previous single “Jambalaya (On The Bayou)”. Williams scored another two #1’s this year with “Kaw-Liga” and “Take These Chains From My Heart”.

1954
Born on this day in Dayton, Ohio, was Glenn Worf, a prolific Nashville session bassist. Throughout his career, Worf has recorded with numerous performers including Trace Adkins, Billy Ray Cyrus, Alan Jackson, Wynonna Judd, Toby Keith, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Miranda Lambert, Kenny Rogers, Sugarland, Shania Twain, Keith Urban, Lee Ann Womack, and Tammy Wynette.

1968
Merle Haggard was at #1 on the US County charts with “Sing Me Back Home”, his third chart topper. It was also recorded live by the Byrds on There Is a Season as well as the Grateful Dead who included the song in their live set.

1972
Charley Pride was at #1 on the US Country charts with “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’”, his eighth song to reach the top of the charts.

1977
United Artists released Kenny Rogers’ “Lucille”. Written by Roger Bowling and Hal Bynum, the song is about a man in a bar that meets a woman who has left her husband. It became Rogers’ first major hit as a solo artist after leaving the successful country/rock group The First Edition the previous year. An international hit, it reached #1 on the Billboard Country Singles chart and #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top of the UK singles chart in June 1977.

1981
The Muppet Show staring Johnny Cash was broadcast, in which Cash inspired Kermit the frog to hold an old-fashioned hoedown. During the show Cash sang “Ghost Riders In The Sky” and a medley of his famous railroad songs.

2005
Country singer Lynn Anderson was arrested for shoplifting after being caught stealing a Harry Potter DVD from a New Mexico supermarket and punching a police officer during her arrest.

2008
Charlie Daniels who is known for his #1 country hit “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”, was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.

CMT