August 15th: On this day

1925
Born on this day in Boaz, Alabama, was Rose Maddox country singer-songwriter and fiddle player, who was the lead singer with the Maddox Brothers and Rose before a successful solo career. Dolly Parton credits Maddox as an early influence. Maddox died on April 15th 1998.

1933
Born on this day, was Bobby Helms, American country music singer best known for his 1957 hit, "Jingle Bell Rock". He died on June 19, 1997 of emphysema at his home in Martinsville, Indiana, he was 63.

1941
Born on this day, was Don Rich, country musician who helped develop the Bakersfield sound in the early 1960s. He was a noted guitarist and fiddler, and a member of the Buckaroos, the backing band of country singer Buck Owens. Rich died on July 17, 1974.

1946
Born on this day in Elk City, Oklahoma, was Jimmy Webb, songwriter. His country hits include "Highwayman," by Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson; and "Wichita Lineman" and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix," by Glen Campbell. "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" was the third most performed song in the fifty years between 1940 to 1990. Webb is the only artist ever to have received Grammy Awards for music, lyrics, and orchestration.

1961
Born on this day in Woodside, California, was Paul Jefferson, country music artist who has had his songs recorded by Keith Urban, Little Texas and Buddy Jewell, among others. He also co-wrote Aaron Tippin's #1 song "That's as Close as I'll Get to Loving You."

1977
Reba McEntire released her self titled debut studio album on Mercury Records. The album featured her first single "I Don't Wanna Be a One Night Stand", but the album was not a commercial success, failing to chart.

2003
American bluegrass fiddler Mack Magaha died age 74. He is best known as a member of Porter Wagoner's band, and a long-time backup player in the pioneering bluegrass band, Reno and Smiley. He wrote "I know You're Married But I Love You Still" which was recorded by Reno & Smiley and later covered by artists such as Bill Anderson, Rodney Crowell, Patty Loveless and Travis Tritt.

2009
114 people were arrested at Kenny Chesney's concert at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, near Boston and another 228 were taken into protective custody at the New England Country Music Festival. Most of the offenses involved underage drinking.

2018
Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line broke the record previously held by 2017's "Body Like a Back Road" by Sam Hunt for the most weeks at #1 on the US Hot Country Songs chart.

2020
Morgan Wallen went to #1 on the US Country chart with his debut studio album If I Know Me after a record-breaking 114 weeks on the chart from its release in April 2018.