This Day in Country History: April 5
Carrie Underwood performed on this date with a rock band. Inductions into a couple of hall of fames dominated this day, and the Annual Party for a Cause featured two…
Carrie Underwood performed on this date with a rock band. Inductions into a couple of hall of fames dominated this day, and the Annual Party for a Cause featured two big headliners, Keith Urban and Rascal Flatts.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
From a new exhibit to an unusual performance from Carrie Underwood, these were milestones for April 5:
- 2013: The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum opened a new exhibit called Nashville: Like a Country Song. This exhibit was dedicated to the cast and crew of the hit TV show Nashville, with costumes, props, scripts, and other memorabilia.
- 2025: Carrie Underwood got on stage to perform with the rock band Papa Roach during their performance at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. Underwood sang a duet with Papa Roach's frontman, Jacoby Shaddix, on the band's song, "Last Resort, Leave a Light On."
Cultural Milestones
A benefit concert and inductions to iconic organizations, these were cultural milestones for April 5:
- 2014: Keith Urban and Rascal Flatts were the big headliners at the Party for a Cause held in Las Vegas before the Academy of Country Music Awards, which were held on April 6. Proceeds from this benefit concert and party, hosted by ACM Lifting Lives, went to select charities.
- 2017: The Country Music Association announced its 2017 inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Inductees included Alan Jackson, Don Schlitz, and Jerry Reed.
- 2022: The Music City Walk of Fame inducted Dierks Bentley, Connie Smith, Bobby Bare, and Keb' Mo' on this date. The honor of being inducted into this hall of fame goes to those who have contributed to Nashville's music scene and culture.
Notable Recordings and Performances
A notable record release and a Carrie Underwood performance highlighted April 5.
- 2019: Sony Music released Brooks & Dunn's album REBOOT. This album was a collaboration of various artists performing some of Brooks & Dunn's hit songs, with stars including Luke Combs, Brothers Osborne, Kacey Musgraves, Kane Brown, and Cody Johnson.
- 2025: During her REFLECTION: The Las Vegas Residency at the Resorts World Theatre in Resorts World Las Vegas, Carrie Underwood treated the audience to hits like "Cowboy Casanova" and "Something in the Water."
Industry Changes and Challenges
On April 5, the industry experienced the following changes:
- 2019: Columbia Records released a remixed version of the rapper Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" featuring Billy Ray Cyrus. When the song was first released without Cyrus, it reached the Billboard country charts but was promptly removed for not being country enough. Cyrus added the country touch the song needed to hit the country charts again.
- 2021: The "Goodbyes Are Hard to Listen To" singer Joe Nichols signed a record deal with Quartz Hill Records. Nichols will work with label head Benny Brown and record producers Mickey Jack Cones and Derek George, who helped him with his album, Cricket.
What a fun and exciting day for the country music industry April 5 was. Between Carrie Underwood's rock-and-roll performance and Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus's version of "Old Town Road," we saw lots of crossover enthusiasm on April 5.
