April 2024

Rain in the forecast? Now might be a good time to play “April Showers” by Dalton Harper.

1

April Fools Day
(Song suggestions: “A Fool Such as I” by Ash & W,”Am I a Fool” by the Lonesome River Band, “Fool’s Moon” by Dave Peterson and 1946, or “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool” by Sierra Hull.)
First live broadcast of WWVA Jamboree, Wheeling, WV, 1933
Final episode of the Andy Griffith Show airs on CBS, 1968
Arthur “Guitar Boogie” Smith born, 1921
Forrest O’Connor born, 1988
Roland White died, 2022

2

Emmylou Harris born, 1947
Dale Perry born, 1962

3

Wyatt Ellis born, 2009
The outlaw Jesse James was shot dead by Robert Ford, 1882
Red Allen died, 1993

Earl Taylor performed at Carnegie Hall, 1959 (the first bluegrass act to play there.)
Don Pierce died, 2005
Arthur Smith died, 2014

4

Cliff Waldron born, 1941 (died 7/1/2024)
Daniel Grindstaff born, 1983
Junior Williams born, 1963

5

Bill Clifton born, 1931
Charlie Collins born, 1933
Abe Spear (King Wilkie), born 1982
Mike Burns born, 1953
Stanley Brothers record “Orange Blossom Special,” 1955
Flatt and Scruggs record “Cabin on the Hill,” 1959
Lewis Phillips born, 1972
Ashley Lewis born, ?

6

Vernon Dalhart born, 1883
Merle Haggard born, 1937 (died on his birthday 4/6/2016)
Missy Raines born, 1962
David Propst born, 1956
Jerry Williamson died, 2015

7

Matthew Allred born, 1971
April Verch born, 1978
Hamish Davidson born, 1983
Clyde Moody died, 1989
George Shuffler died, 2014
John Prine died, 2020

9

Jaelee Roberts born, 2001
Wayne Benson born, 1969

Jordan Tice born, 1987
Gordon Terry died, 2006
Tut Taylor died, 2015

10

Fiddlin’ Arthur Smith born, 1898 (died 2/28/71)
Herb Applin born, 1938 (died 6/29/2024)
Ernie Thacker died, 2018

11

Jim Lauderdale born, 1957
George Shuffler born, 1925 (died 4/7/2014)
(Play “The Boy from Valdese” by Buddy Melton and Milan Miller from their album “Secrets, Dreams & Pretty Things”)
Gena Britt born, 1970

12

Vince Gill born, 1957
Joe “Cannonball” Lewis (writer of “Before I Met You”) born, 1924.
Lyman Enloe died, 1997
Junior Barber born, 1943

13

Sam Bush born, 1952
Jody Rainwater born, 1919

14

Stuart Duncan born, 1964
Ben Eldridge died, 2024
Titanic Disaster, 1912

(Play “The Night the Titanic Went Down” by Dean Sapp & the Harford Express. It’s on Prime Cuts, Vol. 24)

15

Tax Day! (in the U.S.)
(For song suggestions, click here)
Chris Stapleton born, 1978
Lamar Grier born, 1938 (died 12/10/2019)

Tim Surrett born
Roy Clark born, 1933 (died 2018)
Vallie Cain died, 1993
Rose Maddox died, 1998
President Abraham Lincoln died, 1865
(Play “Lincoln’s Funeral Train” on N. Blake and T. Rice or “Booth Shot Lincoln” by Uncle Earl)

16

Delia Bell born, 1935 (died 6/15/2018)
Ray Edwards born, 1954

April Stevens born, 1974
Dudley Murphey born, 1940 (died 11/29/2022)
On this day in 1927, levees broke along the Mississippi River, causing one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history. More than 23,000 square miles were submerged, hundreds died, thousands displaced.
(Play “The Flood of 1927” by Daniel Crabtree)

17

Porter Church born, 1934
Uwe Krüger born, 1961
Randy Scruggs died, 2018

18

Terry Eldredge born, 1963
Raymond K. McLain born, 1928 (died 2/14/2003)

Bob Dick born, 1969
Pete Pyle born, 1920 (died 3/11/95)
L. W. Lambert born, 1926 (died 1/23/2014)

Earl Scruggs married Louise Certain, 1948

19

Gary Brewer born, 1965
Ashby Frank born, 1983
Tom Morgan born, 1932 (died 9/26/2024)
Earl Bolick died, 1998

20

Doyle Lawson born, 1944
Steve Kaufman born, 1957
Hylo Brown born, 1922 (died 1/17/03)
Marshall Andrews born, 1946
Craig Morris born, 1954 (died 7/27/2024)

Don McHan died, 2003
Bill Hall died, 2010
Tammy Sullivan died, 2017

21

Wade Mainer born, 1907
Ira Louvin born, 1924 (died 6/20/65)
Todd Phillips born, 1953
Snuffy Jenkins died, 1990

22

Earth Day
(For some song suggestions, click here.)
Ryan Greer born, 1994
Russell Easter born, 1930 (died 9/29/2020)

Pat Enright born, 1945
Don Light born, 1937 (died 6/18/2014)
Jimmy Maynard born, 1928 (died 12/15/2015)

Felice Bryant died, 2003
Hazel Dickens died, 2011

23

Opry Photographer Les Leverett born, 1927 (died 6/2/2023)
Roland White born, 1938 (died 4/1/2022)

Mark Schatz born, 1955
Si Kahn born, 1944
Dale Sledd born, 1937 (died 8/21/2016)

24

Jeff Austin born, 1974
James Easter born, 1932

Larry Rice born, 1949 (died 5/13/2006)

25

Vassar Clements born, 1928 (died 8/16/2005)
Kate McKenzie born, 1952
Chaston Carroll (Hammertowne) born, 1994

26

Mac Martin born, 1925 (died 2/28/2022)
Joe Ross born, 1954
Frank Wakefield died, 2024

27

Herb Pederson born, 1944
Jimmie Skinner born 1909 (died 10/28/79)
Darin Aldridge born, 1977

28

Gene Parker born, 1942
Jimmy Campbell born, 1963 (died 10/24/2003)
Dale Potter born, 1929 (died 3/14/96)
Vern Gosden died, 2009

29

Alison Krauss & Union Station record a live concert at the Palace Theatre in Louisville, Kentucky, 2002
Snuffy Jenkins died, 1990

30

Bill Yates born, 1935
Rob McCoury born, 1971
Jeannie Stanley born, 1962
Bill Bryson died, 2017