April 20th: On this day

1939
Born on this day in Jacksonville, Florida, was Johnny Tillotson, singer and songwriter who scored the 1964 Country #4 hit “It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin’.”

1959
Goldband Records released “Puppy Love” by a 13-year old Dolly Parton, a song that was recorded two years earlier when she was just eleven years old. The song didn’t chart, but was later to be a hit in 1972 for Donny Osmond.

1965
Roger Miller was at #1 on the US Country charts with “King Of The Road.” The song has been covered by many other artists, including George Jones, Dean Martin, Boxcar Willie, Randy Travis, the Statler Brothers, Rufus Wainwright & Teddy Thompson, The Proclaimers and Jerry Lee Lewis.

1969
Born on this day in Bethel Acres, Oklahoma, was Wade Hayes, singer, songwriter, who scored the 1995 US #1 single “Old Enough to Know Better.” In 2003, he founded the duo McHayes with Alan Jackson’s fiddle player Mark McClurg.

1993
Shania Twain released her self-titled debut album which peaked at #67 on the US Country album charts. Also on this day Mercury Records released Toby Keith’s self-titled debut album and Curb Records released Tim McGraw’s debut studio album.

2005
John Michael Montgomery confirmed on his website that he had a condition known as acoustic neuroma, which is a non-cancerous growth that interferes with a nerve running between the brain and the ear. This condition can affect balance and hearing and can certainly make singing or any kind of public performing quite difficult for the patient.

2008
Hank Williams, Steve Wariner and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band were all added to theMusic City Walk of Fame in Nashville.

2009
Jimmy Dean’s house was largely gutted by a fire, although the Deans escaped injury. The Deans rebuilt their home on the same foundation and returned early in 2010.

2012
Willie Nelson helped unveil a statue honoring him in downtown Austin by singing his new song “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die”, on a date long reserved to celebrate marijuana use. Over 2,000 people watched the unveiling by Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell in front of the Moody Theater, where the Austin City Limits Studio is now located. Nelson, a 10-time Grammy Award winner who has sold more than 40 million copies of his 150 albums.

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