Merle Travis

While rock legends such as Jimi Hendrix and Slash typically dominate the "best guitarist ever" conversations, country music is no slouch when it comes to producing legendary shredders.

January 4th, 1953 Hank Williams' funeral draws close to 25,000 people in Montgomery, Alabama.

December 28th, 1993 Shania Twain marries songwriter/record producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange in Northern Ontario, Canada.

December 21st, 1979 Willie Nelson makes his film debut with the opening of "The Electric Horseman," also starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda.

December 14th, 2013 Brad Paisley is presented with the Harmony Award at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center.

December 7th, 2004 Loretta Lynn nets five Grammy nominations in recognition of her album Van Lear Rose.

November 29, 1994 Brooks & Dunn's Brand New Man becomes the first album by a country duo certified quadruple-platinum, while their Hard Workin' Man album goes triple-platinum.

November 23, 1992 Roy Acuff dies from congestive heart failure in Nashville and is buried within eight hours.

November 16, 1994 Garth Brooks' Ropin' The Wind album is certified for shipments of 10 million copies

November 9, 2011  "If I Die Young," wins Song and Single of the Year for The Band Perry and songwriter Kimberly Perry at the 45th annual Country Music Association awards.

November 2, 2003 Rodney Crowell, John Prine ("Love Is On A Roll"), Paul Overstreet ("On The Other Hand") and Hal Blair ("(I Can't Help You) I'm Falling Too") join the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in a Loews Vanderbilt Plaza ceremony.

October 26, 2000 Garth Brooks announces his plans to retire from touring during a party to celebrate his certification for sales of 100 million albums at Nashville's Gaylord Entertainment Center.