This Day in Country History: September 30
Throughout the years, the month of September has wrapped up with benefit concerts, music festivals, and record label changes. Blake Shelton hosted a free concert to celebrate the grand opening…
Throughout the years, the month of September has wrapped up with benefit concerts, music festivals, and record label changes. Blake Shelton hosted a free concert to celebrate the grand opening of his bar and restaurant, Jason Aldean raised money for breast cancer awareness and research, and Patsy Cline signed her first record contract. Here are some standout moments in country music history from Sept. 30.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
From a significant album release to a restaurant opening, these were milestones for Sept. 30:
- 2016: Oh Boy Records released John Prine's album, For Better, Or Worse. It featured duets with Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, Lee Ann Womack, and Kathy Mattea. John Prine was a legendary Americana singer and songwriter with hits such as "Angel From Montgomery." He died in 2020 from complications related to COVID-19.
- 2017: Blake Shelton fans enjoyed a free concert and block party at the grand opening of Shelton's honky tonk bar and restaurant, Ole Red, in Tishomingo, Oklahoma. This is Shelton's hometown, and nearly 10,000 lucky fans were in the audience to celebrate this opening, which featured a surprise appearance by Shelton's wife and pop superstar, Gwen Stefani.
Cultural Milestones
Sept. 30 has seen a couple of concerts for good causes:
- 2006: Farm Aid 2006 was held in Camden, New Jersey. This benefit concert, founded by Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, and Neil Young, has been held annually since its inception in 1985 and continues to raise funds for struggling farmers to this day.
- 2011: Jason Aldean performed to a sold-out show at the Roanoke Civic Center in Roanoke, Virginia, for his Concert for the Cure benefit. This annual concert raised $315,000 for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation to help raise awareness for breast cancer.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Country music festivals on Sept. 30 included:
- 2022: Blackberry Smoke, Old 97's, and Nikki Lane thrilled fans at the Firewater Music Festival in La Cygne, Kansas. Austin Meade, Them Dirty Roses, and 49 Winchester also took to the stage.
- 2022: Fans traveled to Bristol, Tennessee, for the much-anticipated Country Thunder Bristol Music Festival. Jason Aldean, Travis Tritt, and Kameron Marlowe performed.
Industry Changes and Challenges
There were a couple of record label changes on this day:
- 1954: The "Crazy" and "Walkin' After Midnight" singer Patsy Cline signed with Bill McCall of Four Star Records. This was the 22-year-old singer's first record contract. She left Four Star Records in 1960 to sign with Decca Records, where she stayed for the rest of her career.
- 1997: The legendary Randy Travis signed a deal with DreamWorks Records Nashville. Travis was the first artist to sign with this new country record label, instantly raising its stock. However, the label was discontinued in 2005.
The cooler days of early fall are a great time for country music festivals. Sept. 30 also saw Randy Travis become the first artist to sign with DreamWorks Nashville, and John Prine had a significant album release on this day in country music history.
