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This Day in Country History: May 20

May 20 has seen big winners at the Billboard Music Awards over the years, including Chris Stapleton and Maren Morris. A commencement speech by Darius Rucker and a gig for…

ATLANTA, GA – NOVEMBER 15: Blake Shelton performs onstage during the ATLive 2019 concert at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on November 15, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

May 20 has seen big winners at the Billboard Music Awards over the years, including Chris Stapleton and Maren Morris. A commencement speech by Darius Rucker and a gig for a Tiger Woods benefit are among other notable events on this day in country music history. 

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

Awards flowed at the Billboard Music Awards on May 20:

  • 2018: Chris Stapleton won Top Country Artist and Top Country Male Artist at the Billboard Music Awards. Florida Georgia Line was named Top Country Duo/Group Artist, Luke Bryan won Top Country Tour, and Maren Morris received the Top Country Female Artist award.
  • 2020: The Grand Ole Opry had special guests, the MusiCorps Wounded Warrior Band. MusiCorps helps rehabilitate wounded armed forces personnel through music, and special artists Lee Greenwood, Ricky Scaggs, and Josh Turner performed for this historic occasion. 

Cultural Milestones

Stars uniting to offer help and encouragement is always heart-warming:

  • 2011: Darius Rucker — the lead singer for Hootie and the Blowfish before transitioning to a successful solo career in country music — delivered the commencement speech to the Medical University of South Carolina graduating class on May 20. Rucker was a student at MUSC and is on the board of the MUSC Children's Hospital Fund.
  • 2016: Numerous country stars gathered for a benefit concert to raise money for the Greater Houston Storm Relief Fund in aid of flood victims. Performers at the May 20 event included Clay Walker, Brian McKnight, Yolanda Adams, and Danny Gokey.
  • 2017: Darius Rucker performed at the 19th annual Tiger Jam private concert event at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 20. This event benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation's college-access programs, founded by the golfer, Tiger Woods.

Notable Recordings and Performances

From Little Big Town to Blake Shelton and Bucky Covington, there have been noteworthy performances on May 20, including:

  • 2012: Country singer Bucky Covington sang the "Star-Spangled Banner" at the Iowa Speedway before the Pioneer Hi-Bred 250 race. The American Idol contestant is known for hits such as "Redneck Country Song" and "I Wanna' Be That Feeling."
  • 2017: The country music group Little Big Town performed at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. They sang a Luke Bryan cover, "Drink a Beer," with surprise guest Luke Bryan and "The Bees," with another surprise guest, Lee Ann Womack.
  • 2019: Coach Blake Shelton sang a duet with Gyth Rigdon on The Voice for the finals week. Rigdon was picked to join Shelton's team for the competition. 

Industry Changes and Challenges

While May 20, 2020, saw the cancellation of many live performances due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this day also marks the birthday of a baby boy named Huck:

  • 2019: Tony Award-winning actress and country singer Laura Bell Bundy and her husband, Thom Winkle, whom she married in 2017, welcomed a baby boy they named Huck.
  • 2020: Country duo Sugarland announced it was cancelling its tour scheduled for June through August due to COVID-19 restrictions. Tim McGraw also released a statement that his Here on Earth Tour was cancelled.

While the pandemic did stop some live performances, country music artists continued to write songs and record albums and encouraged others to do their part to stay safe and healthy.