This Day in Country History: August 23
Many notable country artists had significant events take place on Aug. 23, including song and album certifications, benefit concerts, divorces, and Bakersfield Hall of Fame inductions. Keep reading to learn…
Many notable country artists had significant events take place on Aug. 23, including song and album certifications, benefit concerts, divorces, and Bakersfield Hall of Fame inductions. Keep reading to learn more about noteworthy moments from this day in country music.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
There were several milestones for the country music industry on Aug. 23, including:
- 2005: The legendary Barbara Mandrell received the American Legion Auxiliary Lifetime Achievement award for her patriotism and support of service members. The awards ceremony was during the American Legion Auxiliary National Convention in Honolulu, Hawaii.
- 2023: Luke Combs had five songs obtain certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The Gold certifications included "Dear Today" and "Honky Tonk Highway," and Platinum certifications were awarded to "Doin' This," "Houston, We Got a Problem," and "Moon Over Mexico."
Cultural Milestones
These country music honors and awards occurred on this day:
- 2009: Garth Brooks, Allen Reynolds, and Jim Foglesong all received the Leadership Music Dale Franklin Award from Broadcast Music, Inc. This prestigious award goes to musicians who broke industry boundaries and represented the highest leadership qualities.
- 2017: Multi-instrumentalist Don Rich, singer Susan Raye, and four other musicians were inducted into the Bakersfield Music Hall of Fame. Some past inductees to this organization helped create the distinct country music style known as the "Bakersfield Sound," such as Merle Haggard and Buck Owens.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Many exciting certifications and benefit concerts happened on Aug. 23, including:
- 2017: Gold and Platinum certified artist Brett Eldredge headlined the Guitar-B-Que 2017 benefit concert at the Ascend Amphitheater in Nashville, raising money for the St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. Chris Nanson, Michael Ray, and Devin Dawson also performed.
- 2017: Justin Moore received a Gold certification from the RIAA for his album Off the Beaten Path, and Platinum certifications for the albums Justin Moore and Outlaws Like Me.
Industry Changes and Challenges
These industry changes happened on Aug. 23:
- 2021: HARDY, known for songs such as "Truck Bed" and "One Beer," announced his engagement to his long-term girlfriend, Caleigh Ryan. The couple got married in front of 350 guests on October 29, 2022, at Diamond Creek Farms in Nashville.
- 2021: The singer of "I Could Not Ask For More," Sara Evans, filed for divorce from her husband, Jay Barker. Barker was previously arrested on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon when he allegedly tried to hit Evans with his vehicle.
Aug. 23 witnessed many interesting moments in country music history. HARDY got engaged, great artists, such as Brett Eldredge and Chris Janson, joined together to raise money for pediatric cancer research, and several albums and songs were recognized by the RIAA, proving that this day had a major influence on the country music industry.
