This Day in Country History: October 12
Among noteworthy events on Oct. 12, country megastar Blake Shelton officiated a wedding, Taylor Swift attended a special grand opening in Nashville, and drummer Scott Thomas got married in Las…
Among noteworthy events on Oct. 12, country megastar Blake Shelton officiated a wedding, Taylor Swift attended a special grand opening in Nashville, and drummer Scott Thomas got married in Las Vegas. Here are some more milestones from this day in country music history.
Cultural Milestones
These cultural milestones occurred on Oct. 12:
- 2010: Country music stars came out to the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on Oct. 12 to honor Loretta Lynn at the GRAMMY Salute To Country Music, hosted by the Recording Academy. The event featured performances by Martina McBride, Garth Brooks, Lee Ann Womack, and Reba McEntire.
- 2013: Taylor Swift was on hand to cut the ribbon for the new education facility at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum — the Taylor Swift Education Center. She donated $4 million to the center, which includes several classrooms dedicated to music and arts education.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Fans have had the opportunity to enjoy performances at music festivals, in stadiums, and on TV:
- 2002: Faith Hill was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on Oct. 12. Sarah Michelle Gellar, star of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, was the host for this episode.
- 2017: Garth Brooks played the first-ever concert at the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. This stadium was built as the new home for the Atlanta Falcons football team and serves as a state-of-the-art venue for entertainment.
- 2024: Prominent performers at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin, Texas, included Teddy Swims, Vince Staples, and Dua Lipa. Each year, this festival features performers from all genres, celebrating great music in a city known for its excellent music and arts.
Industry Changes and Challenges
From a tragic death to two joyous weddings, these are some of the industry changes that happened on Oct. 12:
- 2011: Joel "Taz" DiGregorio, longtime keyboardist, vocalist, and songwriter for the Charlie Daniels Band, was killed in a single-car auto crash on Oct. 12. He co-wrote several of the band's hit songs, including "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" and "Simple Man."
- 2019: Blake Shelton officiated the wedding of Trace Adkins and Victoria Pratt at Maison Montegut in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Adkins and Shelton have been friends for years and have even collaborated on songs together, including "Hell Right."
- 2020: Parmalee drummer, Scott Thomas, married his fiancée, Lexia Chamryk, on Oct. 12 in an intimate Las Vegas ceremony. The wedding took place at A Little White Wedding Chapel, with friends Cam Catron and Melody Murphy in attendance.
On Oct. 12, the music industry mourned with the members of the Charlie Daniels Band upon the sudden loss of their friend and keyboardist, Joel "Taz" DiGregorio. Loretta Lynn received a special tribute at the Ryman Auditorium on this day, and Garth Brooks had the honor of being the first performer to play a concert at the new stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
