1936 in country music

Events

• In Knoxville, Tennessee the emerging media chain Scripps-Howard purchased the WNOX station in 1935, and then in 1936 the station launched its most popular program, the influential Mid-Day Merry-Go-Round, a live noontime performance show which highlighted hillbilly music artists.
• Lee Roy "Lasses" White of Wills Point, Texas, who was featured on the Nashville radio station WSM, with "Honey" Wilds, and they were featured in their own Friday night "minstrel show and on The Grand Ole Opry, left for Hollywood in May 1936. He found a career as a character actor in the B-Grade Western "horse operas".

Top Hillbilly (Country) Recordings

The following songs were extracted from records included in Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954, record sales reported on the "Discography of American Historical Recordings" website, and other sources as specified. Numerical rankings are approximate, they are only used as a frame of reference.

Births

• January 2 – Roger Miller, singer-songwriter best known for honky-tonk novelty songs, and the non-novelty "King of the Road" (died 1992).
• February 27 – Chuck Glaser, 83, member of Tompall and the Glaser Brothers (died 2019).
• March 9 – Mickey Gilley, pianist and nightclub owner who enjoyed success throughout the 1970s and 1980s; cousin of Jerry Lee Lewis and Jimmy Swaggart (died 2022).
• April 22 – Glen Campbell, pop-country singer and guitarist, host of The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour (died 2017).
• May 25 – Tom T. Hall, singer-songwriter who became known as "The Storyteller" (died 2021).
• June 22 – Kris Kristofferson, singer-songwriter and actor who grew to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s (died 2024).
• July 24 – Max D. Barnes, songwriter and record producer whose peak came in the 1980s and early 1990s (died 2004).
• November 5 – Billy Sherrill, record producer for numerous acts in the 1960s through 1980s, most famously Tammy Wynette (died 2015).
• December 12 – Reggie Young, session guitarist (died 2019).

References

References

1. Cook, Hollie. "Country Music in Knoxville". Knox Heritage & Junior League of Knoxville.
2. Carlin, Richard. (2003). "Country Music: A Biographical Dictionary". Rutledge.
3. Whitburn, Joel. (1986). "Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954". Record Research.
4. "MELOTONE 78rpm numerical listing discography: 13000 to end".
5. "Vocalion 78rpm numerical listing discography: 3000 - 3500".
6. "Victor matrix BS-99195. What would you give in exchange? / Monroe Brothers - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
7. "MELOTONE 1936 78rpm numerical listing discography".
8. "Decca matrix DLA 442. I'm an old cowhand / Bing Crosby - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
9. "Decca matrix DLA 361. Texas star / Sons of the Pioneers - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
10. "Decca matrix DLA 383. Ride, ranger, ride / Sons of the Pioneers - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
11. "Victor matrix BS-102641. Sunny side of life / Blue Sky Boys - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
12. "Decca matrix 60634. The hesitation blues / Brownies [Milton Brown] - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
13. "Decca matrix DLA 379. Mama's getting hot and Papa's getting cold / Jimmie Davis - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
14. "Victor matrix BS-99326. When the sun sets on my Swiss chalet / Bill Boyd; Jim Boyd; Cowboy Ramblers - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
15. "Victor matrix BVE-69412. Why there's a tear in my eye / Sara Carter; Jimmie Rodgers - Discography of American Historical Recordings".
16. Whitaker, Sterling. "RIP: Country Legend Dead at 83".
17. (January 18, 2019). "Legendary guitarist Reggie Young — key sideman to Elvis, Waylon, Willie and more — dead at age 82". Commercial Appeal.