This Day in Country History: September 27
Significant country music moments on Sept. 27 have included several events at the Grand Ole Opry, with Rascal Flatts invited to join this hallowed venue and Keith Urban leading the…
Significant country music moments on Sept. 27 have included several events at the Grand Ole Opry, with Rascal Flatts invited to join this hallowed venue and Keith Urban leading the crowd in a birthday tribute to Marty Stuart. Also on this day, Luke Bryan had to cancel a show in Michigan due to bad weather, and Dierks Bentley performed at the stunning Red Rock Amphitheatre in Colorado.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Sept. 27 has seen great occasions for celebration at the Grand Ole Opry:
- 2008: Marty Stuart celebrated his 50th birthday at the iconic venue. Keith Urban led the audience in singing "Happy Birthday" to Stuart, while Connie Smith and Little Jimmy Dickens presented Stuart's birthday cake.
- 2011: The legendary Vince Gill invited Rascal Flatts to join the Grand Ole Opry. The GRAMMY-nominated band was officially inducted on Oct. 8, 2011.
Cultural Milestones
From a benefit concert to an exhibit, these were cultural milestones for Sept. 27:
- 2016: Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves, Vince Gill, and other artists performed at an All for the Hall benefit concert in Los Angeles, California. Proceeds from concerts in this series go to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's Words & Music program and the museum's education program.
- 2019: The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum opened an exhibit titled We Could: The Songwriting Artistry of Boudleaux and Felice Bryant. The Bryants are some of the most prolific songwriters in the music industry, writing songs across multiple genres, including country.
Notable Recordings and Performances
We take our hats off to these notable performances on Sept. 27:
- 2014: Keith Urban, Darius Rucker, and Kira Isabella headlined a concert at Tim Hortons Field in Ontario, Canada. This was the first time the venue, home to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats football team, had hosted a concert instead of a game.
- 2016: During his second performance at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado, Dierks Bentley brought some special guests on stage — Tucker Beathard and Randy Houser. Bentley is a member of the Grand Ole Opry and has received 15 GRAMMY nominations.
Industry Changes and Challenges
A record label acquisition and show cancellation were the highlights of industry changes and challenges on this day:
- 2010: Black River Entertainment purchased the legendary Sound Stage Studios. The president of Black River, Jimmy Nichols, was delighted to add the studio, which had recorded greats such as George Strait and Alan Jackson, to his label.
- 2019: Luke Bryan had to cancel his Farm Tour show in Richland, Michigan, due to extreme weather. Fans were already in the audience, and performer Mitchell Tenpenny was already on stage when the announcement came that the show was canceled.
Black River Entertainment is a major country music label representing artists such as Kelsea Ballerini and Chris Young. The label's takeover of the iconic Sound Stage Studios on Sept. 27, 2010, was a major event for Nashville's music scene.
