February 3rd: On this day

1959
J. P. Richardson Jr, better known as The Big Bopper was killed in a plane crash in Iowa along with fellow musicians Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens. His best known compositions include "Chantilly Lace" and "White Lightning", the latter of which became George Jones' first #1 hit in 1959.

1964
Born on this day in Nashville, Tennessee, was Matraca Berg, country music singer and songwriter. Besides recording her own material, Berg has written hits for T.G. Sheppard, Karen Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Deana Carter and others. In 2008 she was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

1969
Dolly Parton released her third studio album In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad). The album's only single the title track released in October 1968 peaked at #25 on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.

1982
Born on this day was Jessica Harp, American songwriter and former country artist from Kansas City, Missouri. Between 2005 and 2007, Harp and Michelle Branch recorded and performed as The Wreckers, a duo that topped the country charts in 2006 with the Grammy nominated "Leave the Pieces." After The Wreckers disbanded, Harp began a solo career with her single, "Boy Like Me," debuted in March 2009 and was a Top 30 hit on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

1990
"Nobody's Home" by Clint Black became the first song to stay for three weeks at #1 since Randy Travis' "Forever and Ever, Amen" in 1987.

1992
Liberty Records released "Papa Loved Mama" by Garth Brooks, lifted from his third album Ropin' the Wind, which peaked at #3 on the US country charts.

2000
Dixie Chicks were at #1 on the US country album chart with there fifth studio album Fly which went on to win them a Grammy for Best Country Album. The tracks "Ready to Run", "Cowboy Take Me Away", "Without You", "Goodbye Earl", "Cold Day in July", "Heartbreak Town", "Some Days You Gotta Dance" and "If I Fall You're Going Down with Me" were all released as singles.

2008
Taylor Swift released "Picture to Burn" as the fourth single from her self-titled debut studio album. The track peaked at #3 on the US Hot Country Songs charts.

2009
Darius Rucker was awarded a gold single for "Don't Think I Don't Think About It", which was his first single off his studio album Learn to Live. Rucker became the first solo African American artist to reach the top of the country charts since Charley Pride's "Night Games" in 1983.

2019
Country singer-songwriter Cody Johnson was at #1 on the Billboard country albums chart with his seventh studio album Ain't Nothin' to It.

2021
American singer-songwriter Jim Weatherly. died from natural causes age 77. His notable songs include the 1974 hit "The Need to Be" and "Midnight Train to Georgia" a #1 hit single for Gladys Knight & the Pips.