1938
Born on this day in Houston, Texas, was Kenny Rogers, singer-songwriter, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has charted more than 120 hit singles across various music genres, topping the country and pop album charts for more than 200 individual weeks in the US alone. He was voted the “Favorite Singer of All-Time” in a 1986 joint poll by readers of both USA Today and People.

1961
American Western swing singer Spade Cooley was convicted of first-degree murder by a jury. Cooley had suspected his second wife, Ella Mae Cooley of repeatedly being unfaithful, (she had an affair with Roy Rogers), and he murdered her at their home in front of their 14-year-old daughter. It was said that after he had beaten her to death he crushed a lighted cigarette against her skin to see whether she was dead. Cooley had scored over 6 top 10 Country hits in the 1940’s.