"I Will Always Love You", written as a farewell to her former partner and mentor Porter Wagoner, first reached number one in June 1974, and then in October 1982, with Dolly's re-recording on the soundtrack of the movie version of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
Although the pseudonym was meant to distinguish Williams' gospel recordings from his more popular country music, Williams insisted on performing his "Luke the Drifter" songs during his regular concerts.
By the time Hank arrived in Montgomery in 1937, he had decided to drop his given name, Hiram, in favor of Hank. According to one of his first steel guitarists, Boots Harris, he'd say that "there was a fence outside his house and he'd sleep with the window open, and there was an old cat walking up and down that fence yowling 'H-a-r-r-m-m, h-a-r-r-m-m.' He said he thought the cat was calling him so he changed his name to Hank." The truth was, of course, that "Hank" sounded more like the name of a western music star than "Hiram."
Reba had No. 1 hits in the 1980s, '90s, '00s, and '10s.
The song became a multi-platinum hit for LeAnn Rimes in 1996. Although it was claimed that Mack had been waiting nearly four decades to find the right vocalist to record "Blue", the song had been previously recorded by at least five artists, including Mack himself in 1958.
Initially, Brooks planned to feature the Gaines persona in The Lamb, a motion picture which never materialized. In 1999, Brooks released one album as Gaines; the album produced two charting Billboard singles, including the Top 5 pop hit "Lost in You".
Named in honor of Bakersfield, California, Owens' adopted home, Bakersfield was the first genre of country music to be significantly influenced by rock and roll, and as a result, the first to rely heavily on electric instrumentation and a defined backbeat. It was also a reaction against the slickly produced, orchestra-laden Nashville sound, which was becoming popular in the late 1950s.
For some reason, Reba's name never made it onto the list of performers for the evening. At the door, security wouldn't let her in! (Remember, in 1977, she was still an unknown.) Thankfully, Reba's booking agent came to the rescue and got her inside to play the show.
While playing in the Negro Leagues with the Louisville Clippers, Pride and Jesse Mitchell were traded to the Birmingham Black Barons for a team bus. In his 1994 autobiography, Pride mused, "Jesse and I may have the distinction of being the only players in history to be traded for a used motor vehicle."
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