July 5th: On this day

1937
Born on this day was Bobby Thompson, American banjoist and guitarist. He worked as a session musician from the 1960s through 1980s and recorded with Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Willie Nelson, Charley Pride, Jimmy Buffett, Neil Young, among others. He died on May 18, 2005 age 67.

1969
Special guests on this week's Johnny Cash ABC television music variety show included, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Doug McClure and The Cowsills. Johnny performed a version of "Custer Don't Ride Very Good Any" with Buffy Sainte-Marie.

1970
Tammy Wynette was at #1 on the Country singles chart with "He Loves Me All the Way." Written by Billy Sherrill, Norro Wilson, and Carmol Taylor, it became Tammy Wynette's seventh #1 solo hit on the country charts.

1974
Linda Ronstadt recorded her breakthrough hit "You're No Good" at the Sound Factory in Hollywood with producer Peter Asher. The song was originally released by Dee Dee Warwick in 1963. Ronstadt began performing "You're No Good" to close her live shows in early 1973, after her band member Kenny Edwards suggested it to her.

1979
In a dispute over a $3-million lawsuit filed by Porter Wagoner, Dolly Parton said she signed the 1970 deal under “mental intimidation” from Wagoner. Parton also claimed he voided the deal by tearing it up in front of her.

1980
George Jones' classic track, "He Stopped Loving Her Today" was at #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles charts. The melancholy song, written by Bobby Braddock and Curly Putman has been named in several surveys as the greatest country song of all time.

1982
Born on this day in Augusta, Georgia, Dave Haywood, country music singer-songwriter with Lady Antebellum, who scored the 2009 US #1 Country hit "I Run To You." The group won five awards at the 2011 Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year for "Need You Now". Lady Antebellum was also awarded the "Best Country Album" award at the 54th Grammy Awards.

1999
Dolly Parton began shooting the made-for-television musical drama film Blue Valley Songbird in Nashville. Also appearing in the picture: Billy Dean, Ed Bruce, fiddler Sam Bush and music publisher Charlie Monk.

2003
Johnny Cash made his last ever live performance when he appeared at the Carter Ranch. Before singing "Ring of Fire", Cash read a statement about his late wife that he had written shortly before taking the stage: "The spirit of June Carter overshadows me tonight with the love she had for me and the love I have for her. We connect somewhere between here and heaven. She came down for a short visit, I guess, from heaven to visit with me tonight to give me courage and inspiration like she always has." Cash died on Sept 12th of this year.

2009
Mickey Gilley was seriously injured in a fall in Branson, Missouri. The 73 year-old was helping a neighbor move some furniture when he fell, with the 'love seat' falling on top of him, crushing four vertebrae. The incident left him temporarily paralyzed from the neck down . After intense physical therapy he was able to walk again and returned to the stage a year later. However, he still lacks the hand coordination necessary to play the piano.

2017
From A Room: Volume 1 the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton was at #1 on the Country chart. The album was the country's sixth highest-selling album of the year, and the best-selling country album.

2023
"Last Night" by Morgan Wallen was at #1 on the Country charts. It was also the first country song by a solo male to top the Hot 100 in over 42 years, following "I Love a Rainy Night" by Eddie Rabbitt (1981), and the first country song to top the chart since "All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault)" by Taylor Swift in November 2021. The song also became the first song to accrue one billion on-demand streams in the United States in a single year.