This Day in Country History: August 20
From awards and honors to country music festivals, Aug. 20 has been a significant day for country music throughout the years. Tammy Wynette celebrated the opening of an exhibit about…
From awards and honors to country music festivals, Aug. 20 has been a significant day for country music throughout the years. Tammy Wynette celebrated the opening of an exhibit about her at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, and Jason Aldean welcomed his second baby girl. Here are some other notable events from this day in history.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Country music had new winners at the American Country Music Awards on Aug. 20, and there were several country songs on the charts:
- 2020: Keith Urban crashed a live video meeting to surprise Riley Green and Tenille Townes with the news of their wins at the 55th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. Green won New Male Artist of the Year, and Townes won New Female Artist of the Year. The awards were broadcast in September of that same year from three iconic venues in Nashville: The Bluebird Cafe, Ryman Auditorium, and the Grand Ole Opry.
- 2022: Several country music artists were on the Billboard Hot 100 chart this day. Luke Combs' "The Kind of Love We Make," Morgan Wallen's "Wasted On You" and "You Proof," and Cole Swindell's "She Had Me At Heads Carolina" were all there representing the country music industry.
Cultural Milestones
Honors and cultural milestones for Aug. 20 included:
- 2005: Jimmy Dean, Johnny Gimble, Glenn Sutton, and Roger Miller were inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame. Sutton, Dean, and Gimble performed at the ceremony, as did Dean Miller, the late Roger Miller's son.
- 2010: An exhibit about the legendary Tammy Wynette opened at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The exhibit, called Tammy Wynette: First Lady of Country Music, showcased some of the singer's stage costumes, photos, and awards.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Fans enjoyed country music festivals on Aug. 20, including:
- 2022: The final day of the popular Headwaters Country Jam was headlined by Lee Brice, Granger Smith, and Earl Dibbles Jr. Others to perform on this day of the music festival were Kameron Marlowe, Mackenzie Porter, and Ben Burgess.
- 2023: Keith Urban, Carly Pearce, and Nate Smith helped wrap up the last day of Country Thunder Alberta in Calgary, Alberta. Other big names to take the stage this day were Bailey Zimmerman, Mackenzie Carpenter, and Farewell Town.
Industry Changes and Challenges
From a new baby to a power outage during a performance, here are some changes and challenges that happened on Aug. 20:
- 2007: Jason Aldean and his then-wife Jessica Ussery welcomed their second baby girl, Kendyl, on this day. The couple divorced in 2013, but Aldean later married Brittany Kerr, with whom he has a son and a daughter.
- 2015: A power outage caused by an explosion in downtown Los Angeles interrupted Shania Twain in the middle of the song "That Don't Impress Me Much" during her performance at the Staples Center. Being the pro she is, Twain remained calm and chatted with fans in the audience during the five-minute disruption.
Shania Twain was a trooper during the power outage of her show, fans got to sing and dance to their favorite tunes at country music festivals, and country music was fiercely represented on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on Aug. 20.
