This Day in Country History: March 7
Gilley’s nightclub, which gets its name from part-owner Mickey Gilley, a notable country singer, opened on March 7, 1971, in Pasadena, Texas. The bar was home to the mechanical bull, and that, combined with its honky-tonk crowd, eventually drew the attention of Hollywood. Gilley’s was the inspiration for and filming location of the 1980 movie Urban Cowboy starring John Travolta and Sissy Spacek.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
You can’t go wrong listening to these March 7 breakthrough hits and remembering milestones from this day in country music history:
- 1973: Eric Weissberg’s “Dueling Banjos” hit No.2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, a song that also earned a Grammy in 1974 for Best Country Instrumental Performance. The song was later credited to Arthur Smith as it was based on his “Feudin’ Banjos” song from 1955.
- 2020: Breaking two records, “Make Me Want To” by Jimmie Allen reached the top of the Billboard Country Airplay chart. It held the record for the longest climb to the top, at 58 weeks, and the longest chart run in history.
Cultural Milestones
If it weren’t for these cultural milestones on March 7, country music wouldn’t be what it is today:
- 1983: The Nashville Network launched from Opryland USA, a theme park near Nashville, Tennessee. While the channel featured country music, its main focus was the Southern and country lifestyle.
- 2014: In West Virginia, a resolution passed making John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” one of its four official state songs. The other three state songs are “West Virginia Hills,” “This Is My West Virginia,” and “West Virginia.”
Notable Recordings and Performances
These notable country music recordings and performances from March 7 helped shape the country music landscape as we know it:
- 1973: Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn got together at Bradley’s Barn in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, to record “As Soon As I Hang Up the Phone.” The musicians had 12 duets that made it onto the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.
- 2013: After becoming the youngest winner on The Voice at age 16, Danielle Bradbery’s first video premiered on Country Music Television. “The Heart of Dixie” music video was for her first single, which she recorded soon after her win.
Industry Changes and Challenges
Your favorite music genre didn’t get where it is without facing these changes and challenges on March 7:
- 1980: Coal Miner’s Daughter, a biography about the life of Loretta Lynn, opened in theaters. The movie starred Sissy Spacek, who won an Academy Award for her portrayal of the iconic country singer.
- 2000: Pee Wee King, born Julius Frank Anthony Kuczynski, died aged 86 in Louisville, Kentucky. He was probably best known for writing the “Tennessee Walz,” but he was also inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and did a 10-year stint performing at the Grand Ole Opry.
Without these memorable March 7 moments, country music wouldn’t be the genre you love so much today. Consider what the industry has been through as you hum along to your favorite country hits this spring.
