Jan 1, 1953

Hank Williams is pronounced dead at Oak Hill General Hospital in Oak Hill, West Virginia, after passing away in the back seat of a Cadillac, en route to a show in Canton, Ohio. Many believe he died from a mix of alcohol and morphine. He will become one of the three inaugural members of the Country Music Hall of Fame

Jan 1, 1952

Booking agent and manager Jim Halsey sets up an agency in Oklahoma City. He plays a major role in the careers of Hank Thompson, Roy Clark and The Oak Ridge Boys, among others

Jan 1, 1952

Future singer/songwriter Neil Young arrives in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, with his family, following a six-day trip from Toronto. The family stays for five months while young Neil recuperates from a bout with polio

Jan 1, 1952

Wesley Rose, future Country Music Hall of Famer, is cut in on the family business, as father Fred Rose gives him part of his share of Acuff-Rose, a publishing company he built with Roy Acuff

Jan 1, 1950

Steve Ripley is born in Boise, Idaho. He becomes the lead singer for The Tractors, a raw amalgam of country, R&B and roots rock that defies a country tradition in 1994, achieving a gold album without ever having played a full concert

Jan 1, 1948

Johnnie & Jack leave Nashville's Grand Ole Opry and WSM Radio to become regulars on KWKH in Shreveport, Louisiana, setting them up three months later among the first acts to perform on "The Louisiana Hayride"

Jan 1, 1948

The American Federation of Musicians initiates a strike against the nation's record companies. It lasts until December

Jan 1, 1947

Johnny Bond plays an Okie in "Gallant Bess," starring Marshall Thompson, George Tobias and Chill Wills

Jan 1, 1942

Tex Ritter stars in his 35th movie, "The Lone Star Vigilantes"

Jan 1, 1941

Minnie Pearl goes on her first tour with Roy Acuff, playing Evansville, Indiana, as part of a package that also features Eddy Arnold and Pee Wee King