25 years ago this month, the song “Does He Love” reached #1 on the country charts giving Reba McEntire her 18th #1 song and her duet partner, Linda Davis, her first. Written in 1982, one of the co-writers, Billy Stritch, also recorded it back then with a trio he was in. He wanted a song that could be sung together by the other two members who were both female artists. “Does He Love You” was offered to Barbara Mandrell, Frank Sinatra and Liza Minnelli before Reba recorded it. And it was Reba who insisted on Linda Davis, a singer in her backup band, as her duet partner. At one point, it was suggested Wynonna Judd join Reba on the song, but Wy didn’t want to record songs about “marital problems. The song went on to win a Grammy award and a Country Music Association (CMA) award for Vocal Event of the Year. And today, Linda celebrates her 56th birthday! Before the Reba duet, she was one-half of duo with Skip Eaton called Skip & Linda. She’s also the mother of Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott.

 

Also Celebrating Birthdays Today: singer Aubrey Collins, of Trick Pony, turns 31 (she replaced Heidi Newfield in January 2006 until the group broke up in 2008); Gloriana singer and guitarist Mike Gossin turns 34; singer/songwriter Joe Nichols turns 42 (he was the 2003 CMA Horizon Award winner); and former River Road singer and musician Steve Grisaffe turns 53 (in 2006, he wrote a book entitled “Behind Nashville: A True Story.”

 

Passages: James Carter, the singer whose version of “Po’Lazarus” was the lead song on the Grammy award-winning “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” soundtrack, in 2003 of a stroke at the age of 77. Carter was working on a chain gang at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in 1959 when musicologist Alan Lomax recorded the song.

 

The Final Tour…Again: eight years ago today, Naomi and Wynonna began “The Judds: The Last Encore Tour” in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Striken with hepatitis in 1991, mom Naomi was forced to retire while daughter Wynonna pursued a solo career. Eventually, Naomi recovered and they reunited for a farewell tour in 2000. Ten years later, they reunited again for “The Last Encore Tour.”

 

And on this date in 1960, singers Hawkshaw Hawkins and Jean Shepard were married. He died in the same plane crash that killed Patsy Cline on March 5, 1963. She gave birth to their son, Hawkshaw Jr., a month after the crash. Jean died two years ago.