Country Stars’ Birthdays, Career Milestones Revisited

Shane McAnally moved from a brief career as a country singer to become one of Nashville’s most successful songwriters, writing major hits for artists including Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves and Sam Hunt. Terry McMillan was a versatile session musician whose harmonica and drumming appeared on recordings by country stars such as Garth Brooks and Tim McGraw, after work with Chet Atkins and other legends. Gene Watson built a lasting career on traditional country ballads, including “Farewell Party” and “Fourteen Carat Mind,” and has continued recording and performing into recent years. Alan Jackson initially doubted that “Chattahoochee,” inspired by his Georgia upbringing, would connect beyond his home region, but the song became a major hit and an enduring coming-of-age anthem. Dottie West broke ground as the first woman to win a Grammy in a country music category, later scoring hits as a singer and songwriter, including with “Country Sunshine,” which grew out of a Coca-Cola jingle.