January 8

1928 - Luther Perkins 1928~1968, guitarist for Johnny Cash’s Tennessee Two, and Three was born today in Tennessee. Luther was the man who created the Johnny Cash sound.

1935 - Elvis Aaron Presley, born Tupelo, Mississippi. His twin brother, Jesse Garon Presley was stillborn, and buried in a shoebox, in an unmarked grave. Elvis was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1998.

1944 - Billboard published its first “Country Music popularity chart.”“Pistol Packin’ Mama” was the first song to make the chart. Prior to 1944 the chart was called the Hillbilly Records Chart.

1944 - Ernest Tubb's first chart record was his self-penned Decca single "Try Me One More Time." The song topped out at #2, and remained on the chart for 17 weeks. Prior to this Ernest had a hit called "Walking The Floor Over You" in 1941, this was prior to country music charts. The Texas Troubadour became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1943.

1959 - Patsy Cline recorded the following songs today in Nashville, for Four Star Records: "I'm Moving Along" written by Johnny Starr; "I'm Blue Again" by C.C. Beam, C.L. Jiles, and W.S. Stevenson; "Love, Love, Love Me Honey Do" by C.C. Beam, C.L. Jiles, and W.S. Stevenson. Patsy's contract with Four Star required her to record songs written by writers who published their material through Four Star owner's publishing company only. Most of the material was substandard, and Patsy had little success until she was released from that contract, and began recording for Decca.

1960 - Marty Robbins single “El Paso” topped the charts. The self-penned Columbia single was recorded in Nashville on April 7, 1959. Don Law and Frank Jones produced the session (which included "Big Iron). El Paso was Marty's 21st chart record and his 6th #1 hit.

1960 - Eddie Cochran backed by Buddy Holly’s Crickets, completed his last recording session. The session was held at Goldstar Studios in Los Angeles and the last song recorded was “Three Steps to Heaven.” Eddie was killed in a car wreck on April 17, 1960, while enroute to an airport in England. His friend Gene Vincent was injured when the Taxi they were riding in crashed.

1968 - Capitol Records released Buck Owens’ self-penned single “How Long Will My Baby Be Gone" b/w "Everybody Needs Somebody.” How Long topped the charts and became Buck's 39th chart single, and his 16th #1 hit.

1969 - Buck Owens recorded “Tall Dark Stranger.” The Capitol single charted in August, went to #1 and remained on the charts for 15 weeks. This was Buck’s 45th hit single, and his 19th #1.

1972 - Johnny Duncan, Doug Kershaw, Gunilla Hutton, and Buddy Alan were featured guests on “Hee Haw.”

1972 - Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Would You Take Another Chance on Me”

was #1.

1979 - Sara Carter Bayes 1899~1979, age 79, “Carter Family” died in Lodi, California. Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame 1970. Sara was laid to rest in the Mount Vernon Methodist Church Cemetery, in Maces Spring, Virginia.

1993 - The U. S. Postal Service released their Elvis Presley stamps.

2003 - Marvin Douglas Brown, age 53, died in Brushy Mountain State Prison. He was one of two men sentenced to life in prison, for the murder of Grand Ole Opry star Stringbean, and his wife Estelle, on November 10, 1973.