This Day in Country History: April 18
April 18 was a momentous day in country music history with the 56th Annual Country Music Awards, inductions into the Grand Ole Opry, and country stars performing public service announcements…
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – NOVEMBER 10: (L-R) Brad Tursi, Trevor Rosen, Matthew Ramsey, Geoff Sprung and Whit Sellers of Old Dominion speak on stage during the 55th annual Country Music Association awards at the Bridgestone Arena on November 10, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images)
April 18 was a momentous day in country music history with the 56th Annual Country Music Awards, inductions into the Grand Ole Opry, and country stars performing public service announcements about getting vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
On April 18, 2012, the 56th ACM Awards were held at The Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, with major stars winning big, including:
- 2021: Luke Bryan, known for his role as a judge on the TV show American Idol and songs such as "That's My Kind of Night" and "Love You, Miss You, Mean It," won Entertainer of the Year. Maren Morris won Female Artist of the Year, and Thomas Rhett won Male Artist of the Year.
- 2021: Group of the Year winner went to Old Dominion, Duo of the Year went to Dan + Shay, and Album of the Year went to Chris Stapleton for Starting Over.
- 2021: Carly Pearce and Lee Brice won Single of the Year for "I Hope You're Happy Now," Maren Morris won Song of the Year for "The Bones," and Kane Brown won Video of the Year for "Worldwide Beautiful."
Cultural Milestones
The ACMs continued to dominate on April 18, including:
- 1998: Country band Diamond Rio was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry and performed its hit song "Meet in the Middle." After 30 years, this Grammy-winning band continues to record and perform.
- 2010: Mega superstars performed at the 45th ACM Awards in Las Vegas, including Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, and Charlie Daniels. The legendary Reba McEntire hosted the show.
- 2010: Carrie Underwood won Entertainer of the Year at the ACMs and was the first woman to ever win this category at this awards show.
Notable Recordings and Performances
April 18 saw these performances and chart toppers:
- 2009: Taylor Swift's "Love Story" peaked at No. 4 with 30 weeks on the charts.
- 2020: During the televised concert of One World: Together at Home, Keith Urban performed Steve Winwood's "Higher Love."
Industry Changes and Challenges
The COVID-19 pandemic saw musical artists promoting vaccinations and the premiere of Glen Campbell's documentary about Alzheimer's disease:
- 2014: Glen Campbell premiered his documentary, Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me, about his struggle with Alzheimer's disease. Campbell died in 2017 at the age of 81.
- 2020: Country stars Eric Church, Darius Rucker, and Ashley McBryde made a public service announcement encouraging fans to learn more about getting a COVID-19 vaccination. The message was to get through the pandemic so everyone could all get back to seeing live music again.
- 2020: The NBC television show Roll Up Your Sleeves with guests such as Faith Hill and Jennifer Lopez premiered on April 18. This special announcement was made in collaboration with Walgreens to educate the public on the importance of getting COVID-19 vaccinations to help beat the pandemic.
While the pandemic still raged across the world, country music artists came together to share songs of hope and encourage people to get vaccinated. April 18 saw big winners at the ACM awards, which helped validate the cultural importance of country music.
