November 25 – This Day in Country Music History

Country radio pioneer Hiram “Biff” Collie is born. His career takes him from San Antonio radio to the Country Music DJ Hall of Fame.

Source: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

Steel guitarist Kayton Roberts is born in Ona, Florida. He later spends more than three decades playing with Hank Snow’s Rainbow Ranch Boys.

Source: Sumner Funeral & Cremation.

Eddie Stubbs is born in Bethesda, Maryland. A fiddler with the Johnson Mountain Boys, he goes on to become a longtime WSM broadcaster and Grand Ole Opry announcer.

Source: Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum.

Canadian country singer and songwriter Steven Lee Olsen is born in Ontario. He later co-writes Keith Urban’s “Blue Ain’t Your Color.”

Source: AllMusic.

Capitol releases Garth Brooks’ seventh studio album, Sevens, featuring the Trisha Yearwood duet “In Another’s Eyes.”

Source: AllMusic.

Eddy Arnold’s Turn the World Around rises from No. 2 to No. 1 on Record World’s Top Country LP’s chart.

Source: Record World — November 25, 1967.

Merle Haggard reaches No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country LP’s chart with The Best of the Best of Merle Haggard.

Source: Billboard.

Waylon Jennings holds at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country LPs chart with I’ve Always Been Crazy.

Source: Billboard — November 25, 1978.

Randy Travis holds at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart with No Holdin’ Back.

Source: Billboard — November 25, 1989.

Alan Jackson’s The Greatest Hits Collection is No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.

Source: Billboard — November 25, 1995.

Alan Jackson debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart with When Somebody Loves You, his sixth album to lead the chart.

Source: Billboard Country Update.

The RIAA awards a Gold certification to Kenny Rogers’ single “Lady.”

Source: RIAA.

The RIAA certifies Bryan White’s Between Now and Forever Platinum.

Source: RIAA.

The RIAA certifies Bryan White’s self-titled debut album Platinum.

Source: RIAA.

The RIAA certifies John Michael Montgomery’s Greatest Hits Gold.

Source: RIAA.

The RIAA certifies Deana Carter’s Everything’s Gonna Be Alright Gold.

Source: RIAA.

Jimmie Rodgers records “Mississippi River Blues” and “Nobody Knows But Me” in Atlanta, Georgia.

Source: Jimmie Rodgers Discography.

The Carter Family records “Jimmie Brown the Newsboy” during its morning Victor session in Atlanta.

Source: The Carter Family Discography.

Johnny Bond and His Red River Valley Boys record “Divorce Me C.O.D.” and “So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed” in Hollywood.

Source: Praguefrank’s Country Discography.

Merle Travis records “Crazy Boogie” at Radio Recorders in Hollywood in a Capitol session produced by Lee Gillette.

Source: Praguefrank’s Country Discography.

Loretta Lynn records “I Wanna Be Free” at Bradley’s Barn in Mount Juliet, Tennessee. The song later becomes the title track of her 1971 album.

Source: Wikipedia — album recording dates.

Loretta Lynn records “You’re Lookin’ at Country” at Bradley’s Barn in Mount Juliet, Tennessee.

Source: Wikipedia — citing Loretta Lynn’s box-set notes.

Red Foley holds at No. 1 on Billboard’s Most Played Juke Box Folk Records chart with “Smoke on the Water.”

Source: Billboard — November 25, 1944, p. 18.

Hank Snow holds at No. 1 on Billboard’s country charts for record sales, jukebox plays, and radio airplay with “I’m Movin’ On.”

Source: Billboard — November 25, 1950.

Sonny James holds at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart with “It’s the Little Things.”

Source: Billboard.

Charley Pride holds at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart with “She’s Too Good to Be True.”

Source: Billboard.

The Kendalls reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart with the two-sided entry “Sweet Desire” / “Old Fashioned Love.”

Source: Billboard — November 25, 1978.

Dolly Parton reaches No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart with “Yellow Roses,” from White Limozeen.

Source: Billboard — November 25, 1989.

George Strait holds at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart with “Check Yes or No.”

Source: Billboard — November 25, 1995, p. 60.

Phil Vassar reaches No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart with “Just Another Day in Paradise.”

Source: Billboard.

Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton perform together at the Grand Ole Opry for the first time, singing “The Last Thing on My Mind.”

Source: Fayfare’s Opry Blog.

The Band plays its Thanksgiving farewell concert at Winterland in San Francisco. The show, filmed by Martin Scorsese, features guests including Bob Dylan and Neil Young.

Source: Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles opens in theaters. Its soundtrack includes Steve Earle’s “Six Days on the Road.”

Source: AFI Catalog.

The Bodyguard opens in New York and Los Angeles. Its soundtrack features Whitney Houston’s rendition of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.”

Source: AFI Catalog.

NBC airs Reba!, an hourlong special from Omaha starring Reba McEntire and featuring Linda Davis.

Source: Radio & Records — November 25, 1994.

Willie Nelson appears as a performer on the CBS television special Frank Sinatra Duets.

Source: The Paley Center for Media.

Clint Black performs at halftime of the Dallas Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Day game.

Source: Dallas Cowboys.

CBS premieres Secret of Giving, a television western starring Reba McEntire as a single mother facing the loss of her ranch.

Source: TV Tango — November 25, 1999 listings.

CBS airs Shania Twain: Come On Over, a concert special filmed at Texas Stadium.

Source: CBS News.