Wednesday, March 21, 2012: Charlie Rich - I Take It On Home

Let's keep the classic county coming for just one more day.

Although Rich never easily fit into any category, and was actually banned for life from the Country Music Awards.

On the Oct 13th, 1975 show, Charlie Rich was about to announce that year's winner of the Association's biggest award, Entertainer Of The Year, the very award Rich himself had won a year earlier.

However, upon opening the envelope and silently reading who had won (John Denver), Charlie Rich reached into his pocket for a cigarette lighter and set the envelope on fire, right there onstage. Though the display shocked the live audience in attendance, John Denver himself was present only via satellite linkup, and he offered a gracious acceptance speech with no idea what had occurred.

In the aftermath of the incident, Charlie Rich was blacklisted from the CMA awards show for the rest of his career.

So, here's to not easily fitting into any category. And to shaking things up whenever they need to be shaken. And stirred.