This Day in Country History: July 1
July 1 was an interesting day in country music history. Willie Nelson opened a truck stop and music venue, featuring several outstanding performances. We also saw an engagement, a wedding,…
NASHVILLE, TN – NOVEMBER 16: (L-R) Jimi Westbrook, Kimberly Schlapman, Karen Fairchild and Philip Sweet of Little Big Town perform onstage for ACM Lifting Lives featuring Little Big Town hosted and underwritten by Johnathon Arndt and Newman Arndt on November 16, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Academy of Country Music)
July 1 was an interesting day in country music history. Willie Nelson opened a truck stop and music venue, featuring several outstanding performances. We also saw an engagement, a wedding, and a final performance at the Grand Ole Opry.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
From a truck stop featuring biodiesel to gracing the cover of a magazine, country music artists had milestones on July 1, including the following:
- 2008: Willie Nelson opened his alternative fuel truck stop, Willie's Place, in Carl's Corner, Texas. This establishment offered Nelson's brand of biodiesel and had a music venue called Willie Theater. The grand opening featured performances by country music stars David Allen Coe, Merle Haggard, and Ray Price.
- 2014: Miranda Lambert was featured on the cover of Live Happy magazine. In an interview inside, Lambert discussed some of her core values, including building and maintaining character, having fun, and caring for others, especially rescue dogs and abused women.
- 2017: The multi-GRAMMY award-winning group Little Big Town, known for hit songs such as "Girl Crush" and "Wine, Beer, Whiskey," headlined the America's Freedom Festival at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah. New country music star Hunter Hayes, who toured with Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood, also played at this annual event.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Notable performances and hits for July 1 include the following:
- 2016: Kenny Chesney made a surprise appearance at rocker Billy Joel's concert. They sang a duet of Joel's "You May Be Right" to the audience's delight.
- 2016: Martina McBride performed at the Divots Summer Concert Series to help the city of Norfolk, Virginia, celebrate its 150th anniversary. Known for her amazing soprano voice and country/pop songs, McBride had multiple hit songs, including "I Can't Stop Loving You" and "In My Daughter's Eyes."
- 2017: Sam Hunt's "Body Like a Back Road" was No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart up from No. 14 the week before. This would be its 20th week on the chart.
Industry Changes and Challenges
Weddings are a wonderful event, and when musical stars get married, it can change the direction of their careers. Notable changes on July 1 include the following:
- 2015: Tyler Hubbard from the country music band Florida Georgia Line married his sweetheart Hayley Stommel in Sun Valley, Idaho. The couple and their 150 guests enjoyed an outdoor wedding with Hubbard's golden retriever, Harley, serving as the ring bearer.
- 2017: The late Troy Gentry, who was part of the duo Montgomery Gentry known for their hit song, "Where I Come From," played his last performance at the Grand Ole Opry. Unfortunately, Gentry was killed in a helicopter crash on Sept. 8 in Medford, New Jersey.
- 2021: The "Pretty Heart" and "Young Man Blues" up-and-coming country music superstar Parker McCollum got engaged to his long-term girlfriend, Hallie Ray Light. McCollum even wrote a song titled "Hailey Ray Light" in 2020 that featured on his album Hollywood Gold.
The start of summer and July were quite notable for the country music industry. From high-energy performances fans loved to interesting new business ventures, country music stars never disappoint in sharing with their community and loyal fans.
