- Today in 1957, the Elvis Presley film “Jailhouse Rock” premiered.
- Today in 1968, Nashville’s top Country Music Awards go to Jeannie C. Riley’s “Harper Valley P.T.A.” for best song and to “Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison” for best album.
- Today in 1987, the “Hillbilly Deluxe” album by Dwight Yoakam was certified gold.
- Today in 1987, “The Best Of Dan Seals” album was released.
- Today in 1994, Willie Nelson’s “Always On My Mind” album was certified quadruple platinum.
- Today in 1997, Wynonna Judd’s album, “The Other Side,” was released.
- Today in 1999, the “Wide Open Spaces” album by the Dixie Chicks was certified for multi-platinum sales of 8-million.
- Today in 2001, some of country music’s biggest artists gathered in Nashville to show their support of America and to raise money for the Salvation Army, which has been working around the clock since the September 11th terrorist attacks. The music at the “Country Freedom Concert” began with Martina McBride’s a cappella introduction to “Independence Day” and closed with Trisha Yearwood and a choir belting out “We Shall Be Free.” But those were just two of the key moments during the three-hour show that featured some unexpected songs while the artists – and the fans – demonstrated their unwavering love of America.
- Today in 2001, Billy Gilman took part in the all-star “United We Stand” concert in Washington, D.C.
- Today in 2001, Alan Jackson was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.
- Today in 2002, it was revealed that Faith Hill’s “Cry” album debuted at #1 on “Billboard’s” Top Country Albums chart as well as the all-genre “Billboard 200” chart. The CD sold a whopping 472,000 copies in just its first week – that was the highest SoundScan debut in history for any Warner Bros. Records recording artist. Plus, first-week sales of “Cry” were nearly twice her record-breaking 1999 “Breathe” debut, which also hit the #1 spot on Billboard’s Top 200 Album and Country Album Chart (it sold 242,229 in its first week).
- Today in 2003, the Eagles’ album, “Eagles – The Very Best Of,” as well as Mark Wills’ “And The Crowd Goes Wild” arrived in stores.
- Today in 2004, Toby Keith received his second quadruple-platinum album for “Shock’n Y’all.”
- Today in 2009, Brad Paisley performed at Madison Square Garden for the first time.
- Today in 2012, Garth Brooks, Connie Smith, and session keyboard player, Hargus “Pig” Robbins, officially joined the Country Music Hall of Fame.
- Today in 2014, Little Big Town’s “Pain Killer” album was released.
- Today in 2015, Miranda Lambert makes a surprise appearance during Taylor Swift’s concert at the Greensboro Coliseum in North Carolina. They team on “Little Red Wagon.”
- Today in 2016, Zac Brown Band guitarist Coy Bowles and his wife, Kylie, welcomed daughter Hattie Bowles shortly after midnight.
- Today in 2017, Kane Brown’s “What Ifs,” featuring Lauren Alaina, began a five-week run at #1 on the Billboard country singles chart.
- Today in 2017, Reid Perry, of The Band Perry, had an emergency appendectomy at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles.
- Today in 2017, Shania Twain’s single, “Now,” hit #1.
- Today in 2018, Ricky Skaggs, Dottie West and fiddler Johnny Gimble were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame during an official medallion ceremony.
- Today in 2019, Brett Young and wife Taylor Mills welcome a daughter, Presley Elizabeth Young.
- Today in 2020, Garth Brooks was injured in a saw accident after working on his deck at home in Tennessee. Fortunately, the damage is relatively minor: he lost the fingernail on his left ring finger.
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