THE 1930s
March 21, 1936-born in Kansas City, Missouri

THE 1940s
1940-Family relocates to the Ozarks, Springfield, Missouri

1948-Family moves to farm near Pleasant Hope, Missouri

1948-Stan accepts Jesus as Savior at 12 years of age

THE 1950s
1954-Graduate from Pleasant Hope High School

August, 1954-Joins Navy

January 1955-Boards ship, USS Bryce Canyon (AD-36) in Mare Island, California

March 1955-Ship embarks for Orient

April 1955-Subic Bay, Philippines

May 1955-Yokosuka, Japan

July 1955-Sasebo, Japan

August 1955-Kobe, Japan

October 1955-Hong Kong, China

December 1955-Okinawa

February 1956-Long Beach, California

December 1956-Hawaii

January 1957-Yokosuka, Japan

April 1957-Hong Kong, China

June 1957-Manila, Philippines

July 1957-Long Beach, California

November 1957-Transferred to shore duty in US Naval Air Station, Beeville, Texas

August 1958-Discharged from Navy.   Move back to Springfield, Missouri

August 1959-Help startup ranch for homeless boys, The Good Samaritan Boys Ranch, Brighton, Missouri

November 1959-Start radio broadcasts from the boys ranch on radio stations in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.

THE 1960s
1961-Sign recording contract with Columbia Records on their Epic Records Label.

November 1961-first recording session in Nashville for Epic Records.  “I Had Heaven In My Hands”, backed by “Somebody Had To Lose”  Don Law Produces.

March 1962-Move to Nashville from Springfield, Missouri to begin full time music career.  

1963-Billy Sherrill produces Epic Records sessions.

1964-Signed to featured vocalist position on early morning TV show called “Country Junction” with Eddy Hill, Lightnin Chance, Jimmy Capps, Hal Rugg, David Reese and Willie Ackerman.  

1966-1972- Begin nationwide syndicated television show from Nashville, “The Stan Hitchcock Show” carried in over 120 major markets.  Touring worldwide increases.

THE 1970s
1970-Appear on Hee Haw 2 times.  Guest host on Good Ole Nashville Music.  Guest on all other syndicated country TV shows.  

1971-Left Epic Records.  Signed with GRT Records.  Tommy Allsup produces.

1973-GRT closes.  Signed with Cinnamon Records.  Bill Rice produces.

1973-1976-Extensive touring.

1977-relocate to Branson, Missouri to design and build Old Sawmill Theater.  

1978-Theater opens with “Stan Hitchcock Show”.  Roy Acuff and his whole show come from Nashville to appear on stage for the opening.  

1979- Nationwide syndicated TV show starts showing, “Stan Hitchcock From The Ozarks” plays in over 80 markets nationwide.

THE 1980s
1982-Stan moves back to Nashville to work with developers of “Music Village USA”, a music theme park in Hendersonville, Tennessee, which includes Conway Twitty’s “Twitty City”.  Stan accepts  position of Entertainment Director,  helps design theater and puts together “Stan Hitchcock Show” which is featured seven days per week on stage.  Stan books special guests and Ronnie Reno joins him as part of the regular entertainment.  

1984 –1991- Stan and Nyhl Henson head up the group to create and operate a country music video channel.  Deal is made with TeleStar to purchase name and 2 million cable subscribers of the programming service CMTV.  TeleStar owned the name Country Music Television (CMTV) and two million cable subscribers.  Stan’s group completely restarts network and builds it into the powerhouse career builder network that brings new, younger demographic to country music.  Stan runs the channel from Nashville until 1991 when Gaylord and Group W buy the network.

In December 1984, at the Western Cable Show in Anaheim, California Stan meets Denise Thornburg.  Denise is a cable television executive.

1985-Stan and Denise Thornburg are married 21 September 1985 in Conway Twitty’s backyard with many TV & Entertainment leaders in attendance.  

1986-25 September Denise gives birth to their son Scott Austin Hitchcock in Hendersonville Hospital.

1986-Stan starts his show, “Stan Hitchcock’s Heart to Heart” on CMT.  The show is music and stories shared between friendsover cups of coffee and a couple of flat top guitars.  Audiences are introduced to artists and songwriters such as Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Marty Stuart, Alabama, Shenandoah, Lorrie Morgan, Travis Tritt and all the others you can think of for the first time.  The show becomes the top show on CMT.  

1986-Stan begins adding songwriter credits for the first time on every music video.  CMT becomes the leader in celebrating the songwriters in country music.

1988-March, Stan begins the first music video chart for CMT in Billboard Magazine.  

1988-September, Stan and Denise celebrate the birth of their son Dennis Walker Hitchcock.  On trip to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving Dennis dies from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) on Thanksgiving Day.   

1989-Stan starts CMT Roadshow with big concert at Busch Gardens in Virginia starring Charlie Daniels, Restless Heart, Wild Rose and The Reno Brothers.  

THE 1990s
1990-Stan takes CMT Roadshow to Gaffney, SC for the Peach Festival, featuring Garth Brooks, Shenandoah and The Reno Brothers.  One of the first television appearances for Garth.  

1991-Gaylord and Group W buy CMT.  Stan leaves network.

1992-Stan and Denise move to Branson, Missouri to start new network called Americana Television Network (ATN).

1993-Stan buys all the primetime hours of existing network to give sheltered launch to Americana Television Network (ATN) that reaches 12 million homes.  

1994-January 15th, Americana launches on own satellite transponder with 24/7 network.  

1995-January 15th, Liberty Media of Denver, Colorado buys controlling interest in ATN.  Moves assets to Denver.  FCC had frozen cable with reregulation and would not let the network be relaunched to replace an existing channel.  Network goes on the shelf.  

1997-Stan and Denise relocate back to Tennessee, buying a farm in Sumner County.

THE 2000s
2005-Stan and Denise, along with partners Frank Auman, Ronnie Reno and Al McLaughlin put together new LLC called Network Creative Group to create programming and networks to feature family programming.  First network is determined to be BlueHighways TV.  Stan is named Chairman/CEO and Denise is Executive Vice President, Marketing & Affiliate Relations.

2006-Stan is inducted into Missouri Country Music Hall Of Fame, along with Ferlin Husky, Porter Wagoner, Wynn Stewart, Smokey Smith and Leon Rausch of the Texas Playboys.

2007-BlueHighways TV launches as nationwide television network.  To learn more about this network go to: www.bluehighwaystv.com

2007-Stan’s Network Creative Group purchases all assets of Americana Television Network (ATN) including its video library of 600 hours of original programming.  Purchase is backed by Frank Auman and assets and library moved back to Hendersonville, Tennessee.  Stan’s programming is back home at last.

2008-August 29, Stan Inducted into Traditional Country Music Hall Of Fame in LeMars, Iowa.

2008-September 21, Stan and Denise celebrate 23rd wedding anniversary.