This Day in Country History: February 24

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1950: Larry Willoughby, singer-songwriter and vice president of A&R at Capitol Records, was born. He released his debut album, Building Bridges, in 1984, with the title track reaching the Top 60.
• 1958: Country music singer Sammy Kershaw was born. He had more than 25 U.S. country hits, including the No. 1 "She Don't Know She's Beautiful."
• 1964: Country singer Chris Austin was born. He played guitar and fiddle for Reba McEntire and Ricky Skaggs's road bands.
• 1977: Pat Boone, Patti Page, and Jerry Reed hosted the Academy of Country Music Awards. Winners included Crystal Gayle and Billy Jo Spears.
• 1992: Brooks & Dunn released "Neon Moon" from the album Brand New Man. It became their third consecutive No. 1 single.
• 2001: Keith Urban's "But for the Grace of God" reached No. 1.
• 2023: Ashley McBryde released "Light On in the Kitchen."
• 2024: Pop star Beyonce's country music song, "Texas Hold 'Em," was No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs. Her song "16 Carriages," also from her Cowboy Carter album, hit No. 9 on the same chart.

Cultural Milestones

• 1982: Dolly Parton's "9 to 5" won twice at the 24th annual GRAMMY Awards.
• 1987: Country winners at the 29th annual GRAMMY Awards included Reba McEntire's "Whoever's in New England" and The Judds' "Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Old Days)."
• 1991: Webb Pierce passed away. He was a popular honky-tonk vocalist with more No. 1 hits than any other country artist in the ‘50s.
• 1993: Country winners at the 35th annual GRAMMY Awards included Mary Chapin Carpenter's "I Feel Lucky" and Vince Gill's "I Still Believe in You."
• 1999: At the 41st annual GRAMMY Awards, Shania Twain's "You're Still the One" and Dixie Chicks' "There's Your Trouble" won awards.
• 2020: Big Machine Label Group's founder and his wife teamed with Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville to dedicate the new Big Machine Neighborhood. This was a space that would include a 23-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with 15 acute care beds for neonatal patients.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1969: Johnny Cash recorded his second live album at San Quentin State Prison. The album recording was televised and included his hit song "A Boy Named Sue."
• 2011: Billy Currington's "Pretty Good at Drinkin' Beer" received a Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
• 2016: Little Big Town started their Ryman Auditorium residency on this date. This was the beginning of a year-long residency for the band at this historic venue in Nashville.
• 2020: Vince Gill, Michael Ray, Carly Pearce, Rascal Flatts, and Wade Hayes performed at the Nashville Honors Gala.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 2005: Goldie Hill passed away. She was one of the first women to reach No. 1 on the country music charts with "I Let the Stars Get In My Eyes."
• 2017: Don Markham, the horn player in Merle Haggard's band, passed away.
• 2019: Bluegrass and country singer Mac Wiseman passed away. He was a founding member of the Country Music Association and joined the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2014.
• 2021: Trisha Yearwood shared that she had contracted COVID-19. Despite the pandemic affecting gatherings in physical spaces, country music grew by over 15% on streaming devices during this time.
• 2022: The legendary songwriter Mike Dekle died at the age of 77. Deckle wrote hits like Kenny Rogers' "Scarlet Fever," Brantley Gilbert's "Country Must Be Country Wide," and Tracy Byrd's "Don't Love Make a Diamond Shine."
• 2024: Bruce Springsteen pleaded guilty to drinking in a park. The charges were later dropped.