November 28 – This Day in Country Music History

Robert Lunn was born in Franklin, Tennessee. His talking-blues routines made him an early Grand Ole Opry performer.

Source: Pictorial History of Country Music.

Western swing fiddler Cecil Brower was born in Bellevue, Texas. He played with Milton Brown’s Musical Brownies and later worked as a Nashville session musician.

Source: Texas State Historical Association.

Country songwriter Arthur Leo “Doodle” Owens was born in Waco, Texas. He and Dallas Frazier went on to write hits for Charley Pride, including All I Have to Offer You (Is Me).

Source: Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Bruce Channel was born in Jacksonville, Texas. Best known for Hey! Baby!, he later co-wrote Janie Fricke’s country hit Don’t Worry ’Bout Me Baby.

Source: Wikipedia.

Guitarist and banjo player Ilya Toshinskiy was born in Russia. He joined the country and bluegrass band Bering Strait and later became a Nashville session musician.

Source: AllMusic.

Carrie Rodgers, widow of country music pioneer Jimmie Rodgers, died in 1961. Her death came less than a month after his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Source: Billboard archive.

British songwriter Tommie Connor died at 89. He wrote I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, which became a country chart hit for Jimmy Boyd.

Source: AllMusic biography on Apple Music.

Ray Price’s Columbia album For the Good Times moved from No. 2 to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country LP’s chart in its thirteenth chart week.

Source: Billboard archive.

Jimmie Rodgers recorded That’s Why I’m Blue in Atlanta with guitarist Billy Burkes. Victor released it on the flip side of Hobo Bill’s Last Ride.

Source: UC Santa Barbara Library — Discography of American Historical Recordings.

Al Dexter recorded Honky Tonk Blues in San Antonio, Texas. Vocalion issued the recording on single 03435.

Source: Praguefrank’s Country Discography.

Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys recorded the original instrumental San Antonio Rose in Dallas, Texas, with Art Satherley producing. Wills later added lyrics for New San Antonio Rose.

Source: Bob Wills box-set session notes.

Bill Anderson recorded Get While the Gettin’s Good, which he wrote. It appeared on his Decca album of the same name.

Source: Wikipedia.

Charlie Rich recorded Kenny O’Dell’s Behind Closed Doors in Nashville with producer Billy Sherrill.

Source: Saving Country Music.

Connie Smith reached No. 1 for the first time with her debut single, Once a Day, on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart. Bill Anderson wrote the song.

Source: Billboard archive.

Sonny James took Endlessly, his version of the Brook Benton song, to No. 1 for the first time on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart.

Source: Billboard archive.

Merle Haggard’s self-written My Favorite Memory rose from No. 4 to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart.

Source: Billboard archive.

Steve Wariner’s Lynda rose from No. 2 to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart. Bill LaBounty and Pat McLaughlin wrote the song.

Source: Billboard archive.

George D. Hay launched the WSM Barn Dance in Nashville with fiddler Uncle Jimmy Thompson. The broadcast became the Grand Ole Opry.

Source: Grand Ole Opry.

Willie Nelson performed on the Grand Ole Opry for the first time at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. He became an Opry member the following year.

Source: Grand Ole Opry anniversary program.

Sonny James performed his Capitol single Born to Be with You in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, broadcast on NBC.

Source: Record World, November 30, 1968.

MPI Home Video set November 28 as the release date for the Judds’ Love Can Build a Bridge home video. The release included the 3-D title video and two pairs of glasses.

Source: MPI Home Video announcement in Billboard, November 24, 1990.

Patsy Montana performed I Want to Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

Source: Arkansas State Archives.

Marty Stuart became a Grand Ole Opry member. His duet with Travis Tritt, The Whiskey Ain’t Workin’, had reached No. 2 on the country chart earlier that year.

Source: Grand Ole Opry.

Cover photo: Alan C. Teeple, Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and color-toned. Cover licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Danny Davis gave an oral-history interview to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. He discussed his career as a producer and bandleader, including his work with the Nashville Brass.

Source: Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

Pam Tillis, Lorrie Morgan, and Carlene Carter announced the Women of Country tour for 1996.

Source: MTSU Center for Popular Music — Alan L. Mayor Collection.

The television special CMA 40th Anniversary Celebration: Country Music’s Biggest Homecoming aired on November 28.

Source: TheTVDB broadcast listing.

Jo Dee Messina guest-starred in Then Sings My Soul, an episode of the CBS series Touched by an Angel.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes episode guide.