Dec 29, 1963

The Weavers deliver a farewell concert at Chicago's Orchestra Hall. The folk group's members--Fred Hellerman, Lee Hays, Pete Seeger and Ronnie Gilbert--wrote country hits "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine," "Gotta Travel On" and "I'm Just A Country Boy"

Jan 1, 1964

Eleven years after Hank Williams' death, Audrey Williams starts a promotional concert tour for Hank Williams Jr.'s first record, "Long Gone Lonesome Blues," in Canton, Ohio, the city in which Hank Senior was scheduled to play the day he died

Jan 15, 1964

Roy Orbison begins his first tour of Australia, playing Festival Hall in Brisbane along with The Beach Boys, Paul & Paula and The Surfaris

Feb 11, 1964

The Beatles give their first U.S. performance at the Washington Coliseum in Washington, D.C. Three of the four members will receive credits as songwriters on future country hits

Feb 12, 1964

The Beatles perform at New York's prestigious Carnegie Hall. Three of the English band's members--John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison--will appear in future decades as songwriters on country hits

Mar 9, 1964

The Statler Brothers show up at a Johnny Cash show in Canton, Ohio, and open the concert when the Man in Black is late. Cash subsequently adds them to his touring cast for the next eight years

May 9, 1964

Chuck Berry kicks off his first tour of the United Kingdom, with Carl Perkins, The Animals and The Nashville Teens in tow. In the audience: The Rolling Stones

May 16, 1964

Buck Owens, Ernest Tubb and Bill Monroe draw fans to all-country concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York. Also featured: Webb Pierce, Bill Anderson, Stonewall Jackson, Skeeter Davis, Carl Smith, Hank Snow, Ray Price, Porter Wagoner and Leon McAuliffe

May 23, 1964

Six months after releasing "Saginaw, Michigan," Lefty Frizzell plays Saginaw, where the mayor surprises him on stage with a silver hammer. Fearful of a stranger with a potential weapon, Frizzell gets him in a headlock and wrestles him to the ground

Jun 6, 1964

The Rolling Stones perform in San Antonio, Texas, where they appear on a bill that also includes George Jones. The Possum's guitarist gets into a fight with Mick Jagger, putting him in a headlock until Jones orders his bandmate to let go