August 27th: On this day

1926
Born on this day in Butcher Holler, KY was Oliver Lynn, an American talent manager and country music figure, best known as the husband of country music legend Loretta Lynn. Doolittle was instrumental in developing Lynn's musical talent and country music career, purchasing her first guitar, getting her first radio appearances, and serving as her de facto talent manager for many years. He died on August 22, 1996.

1949
Born on this day in Fort Payne, Alabama, was Jeff Cook guitarist and singer, songwriter best known as one of the founding members of Alabama who have scored over 30 US Country #1 hits. He died on November 7, 2022, at the age of 73.

1955
George Jones recorded "Why Baby Why" at Gold Star Studios, Houston, Texas. The song became Jones' first chart single (peaking at #4), following several unsuccessful singles released during the prior year on Starday Records.

1960
The last ever Louisiana Hayride show was broadcast. What started as a country music radio show and later became a television show was broadcast from the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana, that from 1948 to 1960 helped to launch the careers of some of the greatest names in American country & western music. The creators of the show took the name from the 1941 book with that title by Harnett Thomas Kane.

1961
Born on this day in Burbank, California, was Jeffrey Steele, country music singer and songwriter who formed the band Boy Howdy, and along with recording his own material, Steele has become a prolific Nashville songwriter, having co-written more than sixty hit songs for such artists as Montgomery Gentry, Tim McGraw, ("The Cowboy in Me"), Faith Hill, LeAnn Rimes, Rascal Flatts, ("These Days" and "What Hurts the Most"), Billy Ray Cyrus, and others.

1970
Born on this day in Barrie, Ontario, was Jason McCoy, who has won many awards including the 2001 Male Vocalist of the Year at the Canadian Country Music Awards. McCoy was a member of the country-rock group The Road Hammers from 2005-2010.

1977
Jimmy Buffett married his second wife, Jane Slagsvol, of Columbia, South Carolina, who had co-written two of his songs, "Something So Feminine About A Mandolin" and "Kick It In Second Wind."

1982
George Strait made his movie debut in The Soldier, where he performed his song "Fool Hearted Memory" in a honky tonk as a brawl breaks out. The song becomes the first of Strait's 44 #1 Country hits.

1990
Garth Brooks released his second studio album, No Fences which reached #3 on the Billboard 200, and #1 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart. The album remains Brooks' best-seller to date with 17 million copies sold in the US alone.

2002
Dixie Chicks released their sixth studio album Home, which is dominated by up-tempo bluegrass and pensive ballads. In addition, the text of the opening track and first single, "Long Time Gone", was a pointed criticism of contemporary country music radio, accusing it of ignoring the soul of the genre as exemplified by Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, and Hank Williams.

2007
Garth Brooks released his 51st single and first single from his third compilation album The Ultimate Hits which became the first song to debut at #1 in the entire history of the Hot Country Songs charts. The song was also Brooks's first #1 hit since "To Make You Feel My Love" in 1998.

2019
Donnie Fritts, session musician and songwriter died age 76. Fritts has been Kris Kristofferson's keyboardist for over forty years. In 2008, he was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. Songs he wrote have been recorded by Charlie Rich and Jerry Lee Lewis.

2024
Drew Baldridge made history by becoming the first artist to self-fund a #1 song when his single "She's Somebody's Daughter" reached the top of the Country Aircheck chart.