This Day in Country History: January 16
Jan. 16 saw Trisha Yearwood’s invitation to the Grand Ole Opry, Little Big Town’s performance at Carnegie Hall, and the death of two prolific singer/songwriters. Country music stars were part…
Jan. 16 saw Trisha Yearwood's invitation to the Grand Ole Opry, Little Big Town's performance at Carnegie Hall, and the death of two prolific singer/songwriters. Country music stars were part of a tribute to the late rocker Chris Cornell, and Lauren Alaina performed at the Exit/In music venue in Nashville on Jan. 16.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Trisha Yearwood and Little Big Town hit milestones on Jan. 16, including:
- 1999: Trisha Yearwood was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry on this date, with her induction into this hallowed venue taking place on March 13, 1999. Her Opry debut was on Feb. 29, 1992, and to date, she has earned three GRAMMY Awards and 27 nominations.
- 2020: Little Big Town performed at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York City. Every pair of tickets came with a complimentary copy of the band's latest album, Nightfall, featuring songs such as "River of Stars" and "Wine, Beer, Whiskey."
Cultural Milestones
Ronnie Milsap celebrated his birthday in style, and stars paid tribute to the late Chris Cornell on Jan. 16. Here are the details:
- 2019: Stars turned out for Ronnie Milsap's 76th birthday celebration at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Milsap entertained the audience with many of his hit songs and was surprised by musical guests such as Little Big Town and Lucy Angel, who sang "Happy Birthday" to Milsap and also performed with him.
- 2019: At the I am the Highway: A Tribute to Chris Cornell concert held at The Forum in Los Angeles, California, artists including Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, and several of Cornell's bandmates performed songs honoring the late frontman. Cornell died on May 18, 2017.
Notable Recordings and Performances
From a tour to record certifications, these were notable events for this day:
- 2020: The Recording Industry Association of America gave Chris Janson's single "Good Vibes" a Gold certification. In addition, Scotty McCreery's "Five More Minutes" received a 2x Platinum from the RIAA, and Gabby Barrett got a Gold certification for "I Hope" on the same day.
- 2020: Lauren Alaina performed to a sold-out crowd at Nashville's Exit/In on Jan. 16. This was her second night at this venue as part of her That Girl Was Me Tour.
Industry Changes and Challenges
The deaths of two country music superstars marked significant changes in the industry on Jan. 16:
- 2010: Country Music Hall of Famer Carl Smith died on this date. Smith was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003 after decades of songwriting and performing hits such as "Hey Joe!" and "Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way." Smith was also a TV personality and, for a short time, was married to June Carter, who later married Johnny Cash.
- 2015: Singer/songwriter Dixie Hall died on Jan. 16 at the age of 80. Dixie was married to Country Music Hall of Famer Tom T. Hall for 46 years and wrote over 500 songs during her lifetime.
Receiving a Gold or Platinum certification from the RIAA is always an honor, and over the years, on Jan. 16, several country music stars have accepted that distinction. On a more somber note, the industry said goodbye to Dixie Hall and Carl Smith on this day.
