September 16th: On this day

1928
Born on this day in Duncan, Oklahoma was American steel guitar player and songwriter Ralph Mooney. He was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 1983 and was the original steel guitarist in Merle Haggard's band, The Strangers and Waylon Jennings's band, The Waylors. Mooney co-wrote "Crazy Arms" with Chuck Seals; the song was Ray Price's first #1 country hit in 1956. Mooney died on March 20, 2011.

1946
Born on this day in Hampton, Arkansas, was Wood Newton, songwriter and musician based in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1978 and 1979, Newton charted the singles "Last Exit for Love", "Lock, Stock & Barrel" and "Julie (Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?)". He later became a songwriter for other artists, with his credits including Razzy Bailey's #1 single "Midnight Hauler".

1950
Born on this day in Darby, Florida, was David Bellamy, singer, songwriter of The Bellamy Brothers. The duo had success in the 1970s and 1980s, starting with the release of their crossover hit "Let Your Love Flow" in 1976, a #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100. Starting in the late 1970s, the Bellamy Brothers found success in country music as well, charting twenty #1 singles.

1953
Born on this day in Monroe, Louisiana was Michael Rhodes bass player, known for his session work. Rhodes has worked with Rodney Crowell, Wynonna Judd, Dixie Chicks, Reba McEntire, Tanya Tucker, Hank Williams, Jr., Rosanne Cash, Vince Gill, Dolly Parton, Randy Travis, Faith Hill, Toby Keith, and Kenny Chesney. Rhodes died on March 4, 2023, at the age of 69 of pancreatic cancer.

1969
Johnny Cash was at #1 on the Billboard country singles chart with "A Boy Named Sue". The song tells the tale of a young man's quest for revenge on a father who abandoned him at 3 years of age and whose only contribution to his entire life was naming him Sue, commonly a feminine name, which results in the young man suffering from ridicule and harassment by everyone he meets in his travels.

1974
John Denver was at #1 on the US country album chart with Back Home Again. The multi-platinum album contained the hit singles "Annie's Song" (#1 pop, #1 adult contemporary), "Back Home Again" (#5 pop, #1 AC, #1 country), and "Sweet Surrender" (#13 pop, #1 AC). In addition, the studio version of "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" appeared on this album.

1974
Dolly Parton released her fourteenth solo studio Love Is Like a Butterfly. The title track was the third consecutive single to reach #1 on the U.S. country charts for Parton. For the few years before her pop chart success, "Butterfly" was considered Parton's signature song and was used as the theme song for her 1976 syndicated music series Dolly!

1983
Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson were at #1 on the Country album chart with the honky tonk albumPancho & Lefty.

1993
Alan Jackson was at #1 on the Country chart with A Lot About Livin' (And a Little 'bout Love) his third studio album.

1997
Trisha Yearwood was at #1 on the Country chart with (Songbook) A Collection of Hits, Yearwood's first to reach #1. Due to the success of the single "How Do I Live" in Australia, the album was released there (in 1998) with six extra tracks, including a duet with Australian country star Lee Kernaghan.

2003
Sheb Wooley the singer, songwriter and actor best known for his 1958 novelty song "Purple People Eater" died in Nashville, Tennessee. He played Ben Miller, brother of Frank Miller in the film High Noon, Travis Cobb in The Outlaw Josey Wales, and also had a co-starring role as scout Pete Nolan in the television program Rawhide.

2010
Country singer Justin Townes Earle was arrested in Indianapolis after storming offstage and trashing a green room. Reports said Earle was also intoxicated and he allegedly punched a woman backstage. Earle was forced to pay $200 in damages to the venue and was later released from jail on a $150 bond.

2016
A total of 30 artists gather to record "Forever Country", a single released in honor of the 50th annual Country Music Association awards. The track featured Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, George Strait, Charley Pride, Trisha Yearwood, Lady Antebellum, Darius Rucker and others. The song debuted at #1 the week of October 8, the third song to do so since its inception in 2012.

2020
For the first time in history, the Academy of Country Music declares a tie for the Entertainer of the year award to both Thomas Rhett and Carrie Underwood.