Now would be a good time to play “January Rain” by the Lost and Found, “January Wind” by Valerie Smith or “January Night” by Wayne Taylor.
1
New Years Day
(For song suggestions, click here)
Jim Buchanan born, 1941
2
(Song suggestion: play “January 2nd” by Sean Watkins)
Wayne Taylor (Blue Highway) born, 1955
Maro Kawabata born, 1962 (died 2013)
Red Smiley died, 1972
12 coal miners died in Sago (Tallmansville, West Virginia) mine disaster, 2006
(Play “Thirteen” by Katy Penn)
3
Ray Goins born, 1936 (died 7/2/2007)
Larry McNeely born, 1948
T. Michael Coleman born, 1951
Casey Henry born, 1978
Ted Lundy died, 2001
John Dopyera died, 1988
MCA Records released Bill Monroe’s “Weary Traveler” album, 1976
4
Patty Loveless born, 1957
Vernon Derrick died, 2008
Dolly Parton became a member of the Grand Ole Opry, 1969
5
Buzz Busby died, 2003
6
Earl Scruggs born, 1924 (died 3/28/2012)
(Song suggestions: Play “He Came from Carolina” by Jim Mills or “The Pride and Joy of Shelby” by Niall Toner.)
Wyatt Rice born, 1965
Suzanne Thomas born, 1945
First David Grisman Quintet gig, 1976
Gary Ferguson born, 1950
Chubby Wise died, 1996
(Song suggestion: Play “Fiddle, Wooden Case and Bow” by Andy Owens)
Buck Ryan died, 1982
Kody Norris born, 1988
7
Big Country Bluegrass formed, 1987
Buck Ryan died, 1982
8
The Battle of New Orleans fought on this day, 1815
Song suggestion: Play “The Eighth of January” a.k.a. “The Battle of New Orleans.” You can find it on “New Dimensions in Banjo and Bluegrass” by Eric Weissberg/Marshall Brickman, or “Tony Rice” by Tony Rice, or “Destination Life” by Rhonda Vincent.
Randall Hylton born, 1945 (died in 2001)
Elvis Presley born, 1935 (died 8/16/1977 at age 42)
(Song suggestions: Play “Callin’ Elvis” by the Lonesome River Band or “Dixie” by the Gibson Brothers)
Sara Carter died, 1979
(Song suggestion: Play “Tears in Holsten River” from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s “Circle III” album.)
Kelly McCormick (of the McCormick Brothers) died, 2005.
Dub Crouch died, 2017
9
Song suggestion for this date: Play “Love Does It Every Time” by Ricky Skaggs (Brand New Strings CD). There’s a line in the song that goes “… The due date is January 9.”
Lloyd Loar (master Gibson luthier) born, 1886
10
Curly Ray Cline born, 1923 (died 8/19/97)
James Reams born, 1956 (died 6/17/2022)
Butch Baldassari died, 2009
11
Zane Fairchild born, 1971
Jill Snider born, 1972
Rick Shubb born, 1945
Robert Earl Keen born, 1956
Earl Scruggs Center in Shelby, North Carolina opened for the first time, 2014
12
Billy Ray Latham born, 1938 (died 8/19/2018)
Margie Sullivan born, 1933 (died 5/31/2023)
Paul Warren died, 1978
Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper joined the Grand Ole Opry, 1957
Charlie Collins died, 2012
Audie Blaylock died, 2024
13
Ezra Cline born, 1907 (died 7/11/1984)
Zeke Saunders born, 1921 (died 7/3/2014)
Rual Yarbrough born, 1930 (died 9/21/2010)
Amy Gallatin born, 1958.
Brandon Lee Adams born, 1978
Jimmy Martin recorded “You Don’t Know My Mind,” 1960
Ricky Skaggs received the National Medal of the Arts from President Donald Trump, 2021
14
Molly Tuttle born, 1993
Smitty Irvin born, 1930 (died 3/24/2003)
Harold Goad died, 2018
15
Pete Kuykendall born, 1938 (died 8/24/2017)
Ralph Stanley joined the Grand Ole Opry at age 72, 2000.
First Reno & Smiley recording session for King, 1952
16
Ed Neff born, 1946
Donny Catron born, 1956 (died 2/22/2016)
Tony Trischka born, 1949
Marcus Smith born, 1971
John Shuffler born, 1931
Jason “Sweet Tater” Tomlin born, 1989
Dixie Hall died, 2015
17
Walter Bailes born, 1920 (died 11/27/2000)
Hylo Brown died, 2003
18
Eddie Biggerstaff born, 1955
Rusty Williams born, 1954
First performance by Hot Rize, 1978
19
Martin Luther King Day
Song Suggestion: “Pride (In the Name of Love) by Dierks Bentley with Del McCoury, from his “Up on the Ridge” album. This U2 song references the assassination of MLK on April 4, 1968 in Memphis.
“The Ballad of Jed Clampett” by Flatt & Scruggs went to #1 on the Billboard country chart, 1963
Dolly Parton born, 1946
Charlie Waller born, 1935 (died 8/18/2004)
Butch Waller (High Country) born.
John Hardy hanged, 1894
Jimmy Haley born, 1955
Dawn Watson born, 1962
20
David Mayfield born, 1983
Flatt & Scruggs played Nixon’s Inauguration, 1969
Randy Massengill died, 2022
21
Tom Rozum born, 1951
Howard Watts (Cedric Rainwater) died, 1970
22
Bill Emerson born, 1938 (died 8/21/2021)
Slavek Hanzlik born, 1957
Janette Carter died, 2006
Margie Sullivan born, 1933
The soundtrack album for the movie “O Brother Where Art Thou” went to #1 on the U.S. Country Albums chart, 2002.
23
Polly Lewis born, 1937 (died 8/19/2018)
Johnny Russell born, 1940 (died 7/3/2001)
Harley Allen born, 1956 (died 3/30/2011)
Wayne Raney died, 1993
Art Stamper died, 2005
John Hall died, 2007
L. W. Lambert died, 2014
24
Curtis Burch born, 1945
Harold “Shot” Jackson died, 1991
Tommy Thompson died, 2003
Ken Orrick died, 2009
25
Don Lineberger born, 1939 (died 12/5/2010)
26
Ted Lundy born, 1937
Scott Anderson born, 1965
Charlie Louvin died, 2011
Bill Yates died, 2015
27
Cheryl White born, 1955
Joe Isaacs born, 1947
Stephen Dowdy born, 1980
Pete Seeger died, 2014
28
Earl Taylor died, 1984
Tommy Jarrell died, 1985
Rienk Janssen born, 1947
Carl Sauceman died, 2005
Don Sowards died, 2018
29
Kip Martin died, 2014
30
Harold Morrison born, 1931 (died 12/21/1993)
31
Christian Frederick (C.F.) Martin born, 1796 (died Feb. 16, 1867)
Lynwood Lunsford born, 1962
Larry Perkins born, 1967
Joe Drumright born, 1929 (died 3/29/96)
Becky Buller born, 1979