On This Day

A recurring series featuring memorable events and stories from before

On This Day

07.17.26

52 Years Ago Today, Buck Owens Lost His Best Friend and Right-Hand Man: “The Real Lightning and Thunder Is Gone Forever”

By Erinn Callahan
On This Day

07.17.26

Born in Tennessee 62 Years Ago, the Army Ranger and Real-Life Hero Who Rose to Fame After Singing Demos To Make Ends Meet

By Clayton Edwards
On This Day

07.17.26

16 Years Ago Today, Country Music Lost the Beloved “A-Team” Member Who Played With Kenny Rogers, Hank Snow, and Sonny James

By Erinn Callahan
On This Day

07.17.26

Born in England 77 Years Ago, the Bassist and Songwriter Who Helped Create Heavy Metal

By Clayton Edwards
On This Day

07.17.26

Born 50 Years Ago Today in Georgia, the Patron Saint of “Bro Country” Turned Reality TV Star

By Erinn Callahan
On This Day

07.16.26

Born 111 Years Ago Today in Missouri, the “Clown Prince of Country Comedy” Who Entertained Audiences on ‘The Porter Wagoner Show’

By Erinn Callahan
On This Day

07.16.26

On This Day in 1990, Garth Brooks Was at No. 1 With His Favorite Song To Perform Live—“I Could Play It 4 or 5 Times a Night”

By Clayton Edwards
On This Day

07.16.26

Released 44 Years Ago Today, the Heartwarming Comedy Starring Kenny Rogers as a Down-On-His-Luck Race Car Driver

By Erinn Callahan
On This Day

07.16.26

On This Day in 1969, Sonny James Was No. 1 With a Tragic Love Song Written by the Big Bopper and Previously Recorded by George Jones

By Clayton Edwards
On This Day

07.16.26

62 Years Ago Today, Connie Smith Recorded the Record-Breaking Debut Single That Went Untouched for Nearly 50 Years

By Erinn Callahan
On This Day

07.16.26

On This Day in 1930, Jimmie Rodgers Recorded a “Blue Yodel” With an Uncredited Jazz Icon Who Revisited It With Johnny Cash Decades Later

By Clayton Edwards
On This Day

07.16.26

14 Years Ago Today, Country Music Said Goodbye to the Revolutionary Songstress Who Paved the Way for Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, and Dolly Parton

By Erinn Callahan

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