This Day in Country History: March 21

Author Kristina Hall

March 21st 2:48 AM

March 21 has been an eventful day in country music, with notable recordings, cultural milestones, performances, and benefit concerts.

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

Several country music artists have performed live at music events on March 21, including:

2006: Earl Scruggs played at The Kennedy Center with his Family and Friends band as part of Kennedy Center’s Country: A Celebration of America’s Music.
2014: George Strait performed at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena for The Cowboy Rides Away Tour. Strait, who has sold over 120 million records, stated this was his last concert tour.
2024: The Steel Wheels, Sloppy Joe, and Town Mountain performed at Suwannee Spring Reunion in Live Oak, Florida.

Cultural Milestones

Country music stars have received honors and given back to the community on March 21:

2018: Trace Adkins sang at the Jammin’ to Beat the Blues benefit for mental health awareness in Nashville, Tennessee. Adkins performed alongside Blake Shelton, MercyMe, Craig Morgan, and High Valley.
2018: The Library of Congress added Kenny Roger’s “The Gambler” to the National Recording Registry. Other honors went to Merle Travis for his 1947 album, Folk Songs of the Hills.
2021: Actor Matthew McConaughey hosted a virtual fundraiser on his YouTube channel for those affected by a devastating winter storm in Texas. The fundraiser featured country music stars from Texas, including George Strait, Willie Nelson, Miranda Lambert, and Kelly Clarkson.

Notable Recordings and Performances

Some memorable country music recordings and performances from March 21 include:

2017: Country music vocal group Little Big Town performed in Australia for the first time at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney. By 2017, Little Big Town had already won two Grammy Awards.
2018: New Zealand-born Australian country music singer Keith Urban released his song “Coming Home,” which he recorded with pop star Julia Michaels.

Country Music Moments

Memorable country music moments happened on March 21, such as:

2016: LoCash singer Chris Lucas and his wife Kaitlyn welcomed their second child on March 21 at the Williamson Medical Center in Franklin, Tennessee. They named their daughter Remi McKenna Lucas.
2018: Darius Rucker, known as the singer of the rock band Hootie & the Blowfish, performed with Luke Combs at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney, Australia. Rucker started a career in country music in 2008.

The height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 greatly affected the music industry. However, since then, country music stars have hosted sold-out shows and performed at music festivals.