April 11th: On this day

1953
Hank Williams' "Your Cheatin' Heart" was at #1 in the Billboard country chart. The story goes that Williams was prompted to write the song when thinking about his first wife, Audrey Williams, while driving around with his second, Billie Jean Jones who she is supposed to have written down the lyrics for him whilst sat in the passenger seat. The song was record during his last ever recording sessions, on September 23, 1952 and had been released the following year, shortly after he died.

1957
Born on this day in Troutman, North Carolina, was country singer, songwriter Jim Lauderdale. Since 1986 he has released nineteen studio albums and artists who have recorded his material include George Strait, Vince Gill and Patty Loveless.

1964
Born on this day, in Greenville, Mississippi, was Steve Azar, country music singer, songwriter who scored the 2002 US Country #2 "I Don't Have to Be Me ('Til Monday)", which was the lead-off single from his second studio album, Waitin' on Joe.

1977
Waylon Jennings released the single "Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)" which became his fifth US Country #1 hit. In his autobiography, Waylon remarked about his feelings on the song: "I knew it was a hit song, even though I didn't like it, and still don't."

1977
American songwriter Eddie Miller died age 57. He co-wrote "Release Me" covered by Patti Page (1954), Ray Price (1954), and Kitty Wells (1954) and Engelbert Humperdinck (1967). Patsy Cline covered his song "In Care of the Blues". He was the founder of the Country and Western Music Academy in Hollywood, as well as a co-founder of the Nashville Songwriters Association International.

1978
Born on this day in Roblin, Manitoba, Canada, was country music singer, songwriter Tara Lyn Hart. Hart's self-titled debut album released in 1999 featured the #6 Canadian country singles chart hit "Stuff That Matters."

1987
K.T. Oslin was at #1 on the Country chart with her debut album 80's Ladies. "Wall of Tears," the title track, "Do Ya'" and "I'll Always Come Back" were all released as singles from the album.

2003
During a business dinner record producer Tony Brown (Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, and George Strait), fell down a flight of stairs, resulting in a brain injury. He underwent two surgeries and fully recovered.

2005
Trace Adkins was at #1 on the country chart with Songs About Me, his seventh album and his highest-selling album to date. Singles from this album include the title track, "Arlington", and "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk", which respectively reached #2, #16, and #2 on the Billboard country charts.

2005
American session musician Floyd Chance (often credited as Lightnin' Chance) died from cancer and Alzheimer's disease. He played bass on many successful country and pop records, especially in the 1950s and 1960s. His bass playing can be heard on classic country music recordings including: 'Your Cheatin' Heart' (Hank Williams); 'Bye Bye Love' (The Everly Brothers); 'It's Only Make Believe' (Conway Twitty)" and 'Poetry In Motion' (Johnny Tillotson) along with recordings by Patsy Cline and Willie Nelson.

2005
American musician Jerry Byrd died of Parkinson's disease age 85. He played the lap steel guitar in country and Hawaiian music, as well as a singer-songwriter and the head of a music publishing firm. He was important to the early career of Dolly Parton being one of the first to sign her. The list of artists that Byrd played or recorded with included Hank Williams, Ernest Tubb, Patsy Cline and Red Foley and countless others. With Hank Williams he played songs such as "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry", "Lovesick Blues" and "A Mansion on the Hill."

2006
Kenny Chesney released "Summertime" as the third single from his 2005 album The Road and the Radio. The track became his tenth US #1 hit on the Country charts.

2014
Singer and prolific songwriter Jesse Winchester died at his home in Charlottesville, Va., at age 69 following a battle with cancer. His music blended folk, country and blues. Jesse's songs were covered by a variety of artists from several fields over the years. One of his most famous songs, "A Showman's Life," has been recorded by George Strait, Gary Allan and other artists. Jesse also wrote the last major hit for the Everly Brothers, "Bowling Green." Michael Martin Murphey enjoyed a Top 5 country hit in 1986 with Jesse's song, "I'm Gonna Miss You, Girl."

2016
Carrie Underwood released "Church Bells" taken from her fifth studio album Storyteller. The single topped the Billboard Country Airplay chart, becoming Underwood's 15th leader on that chart and thereby extending her record as the female artist with most #1 hits in history of that chart.

2017
Jeff Cook of Alabama announced he would stop touring with the band, after revealing he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease four years earlier.

2020
Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews raised $500,000 with the online benefit concert At Home With Farm Aid. Nelson and his sons, Lukas and Micah Nelson, performed "On The Road Again" and Dave Matthews covered Nelson's song "Funny How Time Slips Away".