This Day in Country History: February 17

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 1975: Dolly Parton released her 15th solo studio album, The Bargain Store. The title track reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
• 1998: David Kersh released his album If I Never Stop Loving You.
• 2001: Jamie O'Neal reached No. 1 with "There Is No Arizona."
• 2001: Brad Paisley was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. On December 16, 2000, Bill Anderson, Jeannie Seely, and Little Jimmy Dickens surprised Paisley with an invitation to join the Opry after his 1999 debut.
• 2016: Elvis Costello made his Grand Ole Opry debut. On stage with Costello were Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, and David Rawlings.

Cultural Milestones

• 1931: Fiddle player and singer-songwriter Uncle Jimmy Thompson passed away. Jimmy was the first performer to play on Nashville's Grand Ole Opry, previously known as the WSM Barn Dance.
• 1935: Singer-songwriter and drummer Johnny Bush was born. Lovingly dubbed the "Country Caruso," Johnny wrote the top 10 hit single "Whiskey River."
• 1938: Instrumentalist Buck Trent was born. Trent is known for inventing the electric banjo and being a member of Porter Wagoner's band, Wagon Masters.
• 1965: Tennessee governor Frank Clement unofficially named "Tennessee Waltz" the state song.
• 1969: Singer-songwriter Jon Randall was born. Randall co-wrote "Whiskey Lullaby," sung by Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss, which made it to No. 3 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart.
• 1974: Singer-songwriter Bryan White was born. His 1999 album, How Lucky I Am, produced two Top 40 hits, "You're Still Beautiful To Me" and "God Gave Me You."
• 1998: The Nashville Network premiered The George Jones Show. Jones interviewed some of the country's biggest stars, such as Faith Hill, Merle Haggard, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Tim McGraw.
• 2013: Mindy McCready passed away at the age of 37. McCready's first four studio albums produced 12 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
• 2021: Singer-songwriter Ray Fulcher signed a record deal with Black River Entertainment. Ray is best known for writing many of Luke Combs' songs, including "When It Rains It Pours" and "Going, Going, Gone."
• 2023: Songwriter Kyle Jacobs passed away. He co-wrote Garth Brooks' "More Than a Memory," the first song to debut at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart.
• 2024: Singer-songwriter and producer Bryan White, musical band Ricochet, and songwriter Verlon Thompson were inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 1969: Bob Dylan re-recorded "Girl from the North Country" as a duet with Johnny Cash.
• 2015: The Big Machine Label Group released the movie soundtrack to Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me on February 17. Additional artists included in the soundtrack were Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, and Bruce Springsteen.
• 2019: Blake Shelton was part of the Elvis All-Star Tribute, which NBC aired on this date. Other notable performers included Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, The Pistol Annies, Mac Davis, and Darius Rucker.
• 2023: Award-winning country singers Shenandoah, Billy Dean, and Wade Hayes performed at the Country Comeback Tour at Paradise Theater in Bossier City.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 2014: Joey and Rory Feek welcomed a baby girl, Indiana Boone Feek, on this day. This husband and wife duo are known for songs like "When I'm Gone" and "In the Garden."