Today in 2012, Blake Shelton won three trophies during the 46th annual Country Music Association awards, broadcast on ABC from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. He takes Entertainer of the Year and Male Vocalist and shares Song of the Year with Miranda Lambert, for “Over You.”
Taylor Swift is nominated for five American Music Awards this year, but she’s already guaranteed to go home a winner. The singer has chosen as the recipient of the AMA’s Artist of the Decade Award.
If that wasn’t exciting enough for Swifties, Taylor is also scheduled to perform on the show.
Taylor has already won 23 American Music Awards throughout her career, and should she win two more this year she’ll break Michael Jackson’s record for the most AMA wins ever.
The 2019 AMAs will air November 24th on ABC, live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Today in 1982, Alabama made their first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry.
Alabama was founded by Randy Owen (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) and his cousin Teddy Gentry (bass, backing vocals). They were soon joined by their other cousin, Jeff Cook (lead guitar, fiddle, and keyboards). First operating under the name Wildcountry, the group toured the Southeast bar circuit in the early 1970s, and began writing original songs. They changed their name to Alabama in 1977 and following the chart success of two singles, were approached by RCA Records for a record deal.
Alabama’s biggest success came in the 1980s, where the band had over 27 number one hits, seven multi-platinum albums and received numerous awards. Alabama’s first single on RCA Records, “Tennessee River”, began a streak of 21 number one singles, including “Love in the First Degree” (1981), “Mountain Music” (1982), “Dixieland Delight” (1983), “If You’re Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band)” (1984) and “Song of the South” (1988). The band’s popularity waned slightly in the 1990s although they continued to produce hit singles and multi-platinum album sales. Alabama disbanded in 2003 following a farewell tour and two albums of inspirational music but reunited in 2010 and have continued to record and tour worldwide.
The band’s blend of traditional country music and Southern rock combined with elements of bluegrass, folk, gospel and pop music gave it a crossover appeal that helped lead to their success. They also toured extensively and incorporated production elements such as lighting and “sets” inspired by rock concerts into their shows. The band has over 41 number one country records on the Billboard charts to their credit and have sold over 75 million records, making them the most successful band in country music history. AllMusic credited the band with popularizing the idea of a country band and wrote that “It’s unlikely that any other country group will be able to surpass the success of Alabama.”
The guys in Midland will never forget celebrating Halloween in Sacramento last year while on tour with Thomas Rhett.
“Sacramento takes their Halloween very seriously, and they have one of the largest costume stores in the world, I think,” Mark Wystrach shares, “and Thomas said everybody’s gettin’ dressed up for it.”
So that’s what the guys did, with Cameron Duddy decked out as a sheik, and Jess Carson as a pharaoh, although the guys are not exactly sure Mark was, with Cameron suggesting he was the Burger King.
“I wouldn’t say the Burger King, okay,” he jokes, “but I was thinking like Prince Charming or something like that.”
And the best part, they saved all the costumes, with Mark noting, “we’ve got ‘em for this coming up Halloween.”
Today in 1968, Johnny Cash’s “comeback” was complete when his album, “At Folsom Prison,” was certified gold.
‘At Folsom Prison’ is a live album released on Columbia Records in May 1968. After his 1955 song “Folsom Prison Blues”, Cash had been interested in recording a performance at a prison. His idea was put on hold until 1967, when personnel changes at Columbia Records put Bob Johnston in charge of producing Cash’s material. Cash had recently controlled his drug abuse problems, and was looking to turn his career around after several years of limited commercial success. Backed by June Carter, Carl Perkins and the Tennessee Three, Cash performed two shows at Folsom State Prison in California on January 13, 1968. The album consists of fifteen tracks from the first show and two tracks from the second.
Despite little initial investment by Columbia, At Folsom Prison was a hit in the United States, reaching number one on the country charts and the top 15 of the national album chart. The lead single, a live version of “Folsom Prison Blues”, was a top 40 hit, Cash’s first since 1964’s “Understand Your Man”. At Folsom Prison received positive reviews and revitalized Cash’s career, becoming the first in a series of live albums recorded at prisons that includes “At San Quentin” (1969), “På Österåker” (1973), and “A Concert Behind Prison Walls” (1976). The album was re-released with additional tracks in 1999, a three-disc set in 2008, and a five LP box set with bonus rehearsals in 2018 for Record Store Day. It was certified triple platinum in 2003 for US sales exceeding three million.
Miranda Lambert surprised everyone back in February when she announced she had married NYPD officer Brendan McLouglin, and now she’s finally opening up about how they first met.
“I met my husband doing press for the Pistol Annies record, this time last year,” Miranda tells the “New York Times.” “Our record came out the day after Halloween, and we did ‘Good Morning America.’ My husband was doing security there for the show.”
And apparently it was her Pistol Annies bandmates Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley who picked Brendan out in the crowd. “My girlfriends, the Annies, saw him and knew I might be ready to hang out with someone,” she added. “They invited him to our show behind my back. They plucked him for me. My security guy Tom, he was in on it too. He said to me, ‘He’s here. And he’s pretty.’”
Miranda noted, “Now the Pistol Annies have three husbands, two ex-husbands, three children, a stepson and 23 animals. We’ve done a lot in nine years!”
Today in 1976, Elvis Presley recorded his last hit record, “Way Down,” at his studio in the Graceland Mansion. The raw, unedited version can be found on the album, “Our Memories of Elvis, Vol. II.”
Carrie Underwood brought out a very special guest for her “Cry Pretty 360” tour stop in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Carrie, who grew up in Checotah, Oklahoma, brought her mom Carole on stage to join her for “The Champion,” where mom rapped the Ludacris verse.
“Got to share the stage with this amazing champion tonight!,” Carrie shared on Instagram. “Of course, I’m talking about my mom! She crushed it!”
Today in 1994, Ronnie Dunn and his wife, Janine, welcomed their daughter, Haley Marie.
Congratulations are in order for Brett Young and his wife Taylor. The couple welcomes their first child, daughter Presley Elizabeth, on Monday.
“We have wanted this for so long and never could we have dreamed of something so beautiful and life-changing,” the couple tells People. “She is perfect and we are forever better because she was given to us.”
Brett took to Instagram to praise his wife, who he called his “superhero.” “Your beauty and strength never cease to amaze me,” he writes. “I’m so impressed by and proud of you. Thank you for this incredible gift. I could not love you more!”
And to Presley he adds, “My daughter, Baby P, you’re perfect. I am so head over heels in love with you I can’t even explain it. My world is forever changed because God gave you to me.”
While being a new dad is scary, Brett says he has a great role model to take after – his own dad. “I’m fortunate to be able to say this and mean it – there are way more than one quality in my dad that I would hope to embody or be able to, 20 years from now have my daughter say about me,” he says, adding that his father has always been super supportive of him. He notes, “it seemed like he believed it so it made me believe it, so I hope that that’s something that I have for her.”
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