- Today in 1975, Minnie Pearl was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
- Today in 1975, John Denver was named Entertainer of the Year at the ninth annual CMA Awards. The award presentation didn’t exactly go smoothly as 1974 Entertainer of the Year Charlie Rich, who was there to award the trophy, pulled out a lighter and torched the envelope to express his outrage.
- Today in 1978, Ronnie Milsap’s album, “Only One Love In My Life,” was certified gold.
- Today in 1980, at the 14th annual CMA Awards, Johnny Cash was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame, Barbara Mandrell was named Entertainer of the Year, Emmylou Harris and George Jones were Female and Male Vocalists of the Year and the Single of the Year was “He Stopped Loving Her Today.”
- Today in 1986, at the 20th annual CMA Awards, Reba McEntire became the first woman in five years to be named Entertainer of the Year. She was also named Female Vocalist of the Year, while George Strait was named Male Vocalist. The Horizon Award went to Randy Travis, and the Single of the Year was “Bop” by Dan Seals.
- Today in 1992, Reba McEntire scored another #1 hit with “The Greatest Man I Never Knew.”
Today in 1993, the “Haunted Heart” album by Sammy Kershaw was certified gold. - Today in 1998, Travis Tritt’s “No More Looking Over My Shoulder” CD arrived in stores.
- Today in 1999, Vince Gill confirmed that he and Amy Grant were an item.
- Today in 2000, the Dixie Chicks’ “Fly” album was certified for multi-platinum sales of seven million.
- Today in 2001, Martina McBride thrilled thousands of fans as she performed her very first live concert on pay-per-view.
- Today in 2001, Alan Jackson’s “Where I Come From” topped the Billboard country chart.
- Today in 2005, Keith Urban’s “Better Life” video debuted on CMT.
- Today in 2007, Sammy Hagar’s 60th birthday bash featured performances by Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Ted Nugent and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith at Sammy’s Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
- Today in 2008, Darius Rucker’s “It Won’t Be Like This For Long” hit the airwaves.
- Today in 2009, Keith Urban hosted a concert at Nashville’s Sommet Center, raising $500-thousand for the Country Music Hall of Fame. Also on board: Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift, Vince Gill, Faith Hill, Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum and Little Big Town.
- Today in 2010, Elvis Presley’s album “How Great Thou Art” was certified triple-platinum by the RIAA.
- Today in 2010, Blake Shelton launched his first headlining tour at the Ogden Theatre in Denver.
- Today in 2011, Martina McBride completed a cross-country train trip to promote her album “Eleven” as she arrives in New York City. McBride gives a performance at Manhattan’s Penn Station that includes her current single, “I’m Gonna Love You Through It.”
- Today in 2014, Luke Bryan was the only country artist to appear on the ballot twice as nominees for the American Music Awards are announced.
- Today in 2015, RaeLynn announced her engagement to Josh Davis on Instagram. The couple married the following October. The year after their marriage…he enlisted in the military and she’s since said she loves being a military wife.
- Today in 2015, Sam Hunt leads the country field with three nominations in the American Music Awards. Taylor Swift tops the entire list with six nominations as a pop artist.
- Today in 2016, Garth Brooks single, “Baby, Let’s Lay Down And Dance” hit the airwaves.
- Today in 2017, Carly Pearce’s album, “Every Little Thing,” was released. On the same day, Jessie James Decker’s “Southern Girl City Lights” album arrived on shelves.
- Today in 2017, Dolly Parton visited patients at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville. She also announced she was making a $1-million donation to the facility.
- Today in 2017, Charley Pride, Jimmie Rodgers and Ralph Peer were among the honorees as PBS airs a “Great Performances” episode that featured a GRAMMY salute to legends. Dwight Yoakam delivers a three-song medley of Rodgers’ hits, Neal McCoy covers Pride’s “Is Anybody Goin’ To San Antone” and Pride sings “Kiss An Angel Good Mornin’.”
- Today in 2018, Kellie Pickler played a benefit for Tyler Rich, a 29-year-old who had a lung transplant, at the Campos Family Vineyards in Bryan, California.
- Today in 2019, Gretchen Wilson and her entourage were told to leave Hotel Encanto in Las Cruces, New Mexico, after allegedly making excessive noise in the early hours. Body cam footage released by police two weeks later suggests the hotel may have sent officers to the wrong room.
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