September 19th: On this day

1924
Born on this day in Toronto, Ontario, was Canadian comedian, actor, director, journalist, author, playwright and composer Don Harron. He is perhaps best known for the comedic character Charlie Farquharson from the country music television show, Hee Haw. He died on January 17, 2015 age 90.

1927
Born on this day was Helen Carter, American country music singer. The eldest daughter of Maybelle Carter, she performed with her mother and her younger sisters, June Carter and Anita Carter, as a member of Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters, a pioneering all female country/folk music group. The group was also known as The Carter Family. She died on June 2nd 1998 aged 70.

1953
Patsy Cline married contractor Gerald Cline. The couple divorced on July 4, 1957, the dissolution of the marriage was blamed on their considerable age difference and on the conflict between her desire to sing professionally and his desire that she adopt the conventional role of a housewife.

1963
Born on this day in Bunker Hill, Mississippi, was Jeff Bates American country music artist. His two RCA albums accounted for seven chart singles on the Billboard country charts, of which three reached top 40: "The Love Song", "I Wanna Make You Cry" and "Long, Slow Kisses".

1963
The Jimmy Dean Show aired for the first time on ABC-TV. An hour-long weekly series, the variety program featured country performers such as Charlie Rich, Roger Miller, Eddy Arnold, Connie Smith, Buck Owens, Jim Reeves, Red Buttons, and Johnny Cash. The Jimmy Dean Show, also gave puppeteer Jim Henson his first national media exposure, best known as the creator of The Muppets.

1964
Born on this day in Monticello, Georgia, was Trisha Yearwood, country music artist. Best known for her ballads about vulnerable young women from a female perspective. She scored the 1997 song "How Do I Live", which was initially released on the soundtrack of the film, Con Air.

1973
Country rock singer, songwriter, 26-year-old Gram Parsons, formerly of The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers, died under mysterious conditions in Joshua Tree, California. His death was attributed to heart failure but later was officially announced as a drug overdose. His coffin was stolen by two of his associates, manager Phil Kaufman and Michael Martin, a former roadie for The Byrds, and was taken to Cap Rock in the California desert, where it was set alight, in accordance to Parson's wishes. The two were later arrested by police.

1985
Born on this day was singer, songwriter, and reality television personality Chase Rice. He co-wrote the "Cruise" by Florida Georgia Line. His first #1 single on country radio was "Eyes on You", which went #1 in 2019.

1987
The third Farm Aid benefit concert took place at the Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska. Held to raise money for family farmers in the US, the concerts were organized by Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Neil Young. Artists who appeared included: Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill, Lyle Lovett, John Denver, Lou Reed, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Bandaloo Doctors, Joe Walsh, Willie Nelson, The Unforgiven, Dr. Starr.

1995
All I Want, the third album by Tim McGraw was released by Curb Records. The album's singles were, in order of release: "I Like It, I Love It", "Can't Be Really Gone", "All I Want Is a Life", "She Never Lets It Go to Her Heart" and "Maybe We Should Just Sleep on It".

1998
American country music star Red Foley died aged 58. He sold over 25 million records, and hosted the first popular country music series on network television, Ozark Jubilee.

2003
Australian country music singer-songwriter David Gordon "Slim Dusty" Kirkpatrick died aged 76. He sold more than five million albums and singles in Australia.

2004
Skeeter Davis died aged 72. She was one of the first women to achieve major stardom in the country music field as a solo vocalist, and was an acknowledged influence on Tammy Wynette and Dolly Parton.

2019
One of Josh Turner's tour buses crashed off a cliff in California, killing one and injuring seven. Turner himself was not on the bus at the time.