This Day in Country History: March 13
Several country music events occurred on March 13 over the years, such as Trisha Yearwood’s induction into the Grand Ole Opry and Blake Shelton’s performance at the grand opening of his restaurant. Country music fans in the U.K. and Ireland have enjoyed the C2C: Country to Country music festival, with Miranda Lambert as a headliner.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
March 13 has witnessed award shows and music festivals, including:
- 1988: Kenny Rogers presented Dolly Parton with the award for Favorite All-Around Female Entertainer at the People’s Choice Awards.
- 2022: Miranda Lambert headlined C2C: Country to Country at 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. Additional country music stars at this event included Kip Moore and Russell Dickerson.
Cultural Milestones
From making bold statements through music videos to gathering donations for music education, country music artists have made cultural milestones on March 13, such as:
- 1999: Legendary country music singer and producer Porter Wagoner inducted Trisha Yearwood into the Grand Ole Opry. Wagoner said Yearwood was one of the best vocalists he had ever heard. Yearwood also won Female Vocalist of the Year in 1997 from the Country Music Association.
- 2015: Sam Hunt released the music video for his song “Take Your Time.” In contrast to the song’s lyrics about a man wanting to talk to a woman at a bar, the video depicted the disturbing nature of domestic violence.
- 2019: Blake Shelton performed at the grand opening of his restaurant, Ole Red Gatlinburg, in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Part of the proceeds for this event went to the Gatlinburg-Pittman High School music education program.
- 2020: Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, closed due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Many country music artists canceled tours and performances during the height of the pandemic.
Notable Recordings and Performances
March 13 has witnessed some interesting and notable performances in country music, including:
- 2012: Country music artists Ty Herndon, Bucky Covington, Bo Bice, Carter’s Chord, and Mockingbird Sun performed at a benefit concert called Autism Sings! at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville in Nashville, Tennessee.
- 2018: Luke Bryan released the music video for his song “Most People Are Good.” This was the second single from his album What Makes You Country.
- 2023: At the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Carrie Underwood invited Guns N’ Roses singer Axl Rose on stage to perform the song “Welcome to the Jungle.” This show was part of Underwood’s Denim & Rhinestones Tour.
Country music continues to make a lasting impact on the music industry and society in positive and heartwarming ways. Many artists feel strongly about community involvement and giving back, which endears fans to them.
