This Day in Country History: February 7
Country music continues to evolve with crossover artists breaking into the genre. February 7 saw important milestones with several artists being inducted into the Grand Ole Opry and notable recordings by favorites Hank Williams Jr., and Shania Twain.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Many songs country fans sing to this day and remember well were recorded or released on February 7.
- 1981: Hank Williams Jr. released “Texas Woman” as his first single from the album Rowdy.
- 1995: Canadian country music fan favorite, Shania Twain, releases her second album The Woman in Me. This album became Twain’s biggest-selling album with over 20 million copies sold worldwide.
- 2020: Country musicians John Anderson and Blake Shelton sing a duet, “Tuesday I’ll Be Gone.” This song was about the uncertainty of life with riffs similar to crossover rock songs performed by the Eagles.
Cultural Milestones
Certain February 7 performances and recordings have a lasting influential impact on future musicians, including:
- 1962: Garth Brooks is born on February 7. He later became one of the top country stars with his 1991 album Ropin’ the Wind, which became the first country album on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart to hit #1 where it was 70 weeks on the charts.
- 1962: Patsy Cline appeared on the Pet Milk Opry TV broadcast. This was Cline’s first appearance as part of the Opry family, and her song “Crazy” became an instant hit and is played on the radio and streaming services to this day.
- 2020: Legend country singer Gene Watson is inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. Watson is a well-known country performer with several number-one hits who influenced future country artists.
Notable Recordings and Performances
February 7 had country artists with number-one hits and Super Bowl ads.
- 1995: Bluegrass and country songstress, Alison Krauss released her album Now That I’ve Found You. This album is a compilation of her early recordings.
- 1981: Singer/songwriter John Conlee becomes a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Connlee is known for country hits like “Rose Colored Glasses” and “Friday Night Blues.”
- 2021: Dolly Parton has an ad during the Super Bowl where she parodies her song “9 to 5” to “5 to 9” as a salute to football odds.
Industry Changes and Challenges
From artists changing genres to country music legends launching a bourbon brand, Feb 7 was a notable day in country history.
- 1996: Former pop/rocker Darius Rucker best known as the lead man for Hootie and the Blowfish and eventually won a Grammy Award for Best Solo Country Performance, is inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame. This induction shows how artists can successfully change genres.
- 2020: Jason Aldean and Florida Georgia Line launch their bourbon company, Wolf Moon Bourbon. From legendary country stars to owners of a liquor brand, performers branch out from their primary industry.
- 2024: Musician Mojo Nixon who mixed country/Americana roots with rock and roll, died of a cardiac event while on an Outlaw Country Cruise. Nixon was a controversial performer and radio personality with wild ways and controversial subject lines.
Country music is holding its own with new stars crossing into the genre from pop, R&B, and rock and roll. The future of country music may include more crossovers with reggae and rap influences blending with roots and Americana.
