May 31st: On this day
1938
Born on this day in Greenfield, Ohio, was Johnny Paycheck, (Donald Eugene Lytle), singer and Grand Ole Opry member most famous for recording the David Allan Coe song "Take This Job and Shove It", which was a US Country #1 in 1978. Paycheck died on February 19, 2003.
1943
Born on this in Denver, Colorado was Wayne Carson, country musician, songwriter, and record producer. He played percussion, piano, guitar, and bass. His most famous songs as a writer include "Neon Rainbow", "The Letter", and "Always on My Mind" (written with Mark James and Johnny Christopher). Carson died on July 20, 2015, aged 72
1954
Born on this day in Detroit, Michigan, was Paul Franklin, multi-instrumentalist, known mainly for his work as a steel guitarist. Franklin has worked with many well known acts during his career, including Barbara Mandrell, Rodney Crowell, George Strait, Alan Jackson, Faith Hill, Shania Twain, Reba McEntire, Patty Loveless, and Kathy Mattea.
1958
Johnny Cash appeared at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. The Grand Ole Opry started as the WSM Barn Dance in the new fifth-floor radio studio of the National Life & Accident Insurance Company in downtown Nashville on November 28, 1925.
1965
Del Reeves was at #1 on the country charts with "Girl on the Billboard". The novelty song was Reeves' fourth entry on the country chart and his only #1 single. "Girl on the Billboard" which spent two weeks at the top of the charts has become one of many country standards about lust.
1978
Kenny Rogers and Dottie West held the top position on the Country chart with Every Time Two Fools Collide, the duo's first album together. The album spawned two big country hits: the title track went to #1 followed up by the #2 hit "Anyone Who Isn't Me Tonight".
1982
Born on this day in Plano, Texas, was Casey James singer and guitarist who was the third-place finalist on the ninth season of American Idol. He released his eponymous album in March 2012 which peaked at #2 on the US Country chart.
1994
Tim McGraw was at #1 on the coutry chart with "Don't Take The Girl". Written by Craig Martin and Larry W. Johnson, the song was Tim's fifth single overall, and his first #1 single on the Hot Country Songs chart, it was also a successful pop song, reaching #17 on the Hot 100.
2006
71 year-old songwriter Hal Bynum, (whose credits include Kenny Rogers "Lucille,") and his wife were arrested and charged with growing marijuana inside their Nashville home and possessing hallucinogenic mushrooms. After receiving a tip, police searched the couple's home and confiscated 256 marijuana plants, 7.5 pounds of harvested marijuana, 14 grams of hallucinogenic mushrooms, growing lamps and other drug paraphernalia. Bynum, and his wife were released on $73,500 bond each.
2006
Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook from American country music group Little Big Town married in secret. The event was not made public until two months later.
2017
Singer Naomi Martin died age 89. She wrote several classic country #1 hits, including "My Eyes Can Only See As Far As You" for Charley Pride and "Let's Take The Long Way Around The World" for Ronnie Milsap. She won several BMI Awards and had songs recorded by artists like Kenny Rogers, Glen Campbell and Conway Twitty.
2025
On the Billboard Hot 100 chart 36 of the 37 tracks from Morgan Wallen's album I'm the Problem charted, alongside his hit collaboration "I Had Some Help". This gave the country star the record for the most tracks charted simultaneously, breaking the previous record held by himself (36). Wallen also became the only artist in history to hold all tracks inside the top 10 of the Hot Country Songs chart.