This Day in Country History: October 3
Oct. 3 was a busy day for Keith Urban: He received a distinguished award, performed at a tribute concert, and sang at a hockey game. Many other events marked Oct….
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Oct. 3 was a busy day for Keith Urban: He received a distinguished award, performed at a tribute concert, and sang at a hockey game. Many other events marked Oct. 3 in country music history, so read on to learn more.
Cultural Milestones
Significant cultural milestones for Oct. 3 included:
- 2020: The Grand Ole Opry celebrated its 95th anniversary with performances by Vince Gill, Lorrie Morgan, and Dierks Bentley. This was a socially distanced concert, held in accordance with restrictions set by the Nashville Public Health Department due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2021: Keith Urban returned home to accept the Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards Outstanding Achievement Award. Urban was born in New Zealand, raised in Australia, and moved to Nashville to become the mega superstar he is today.
- 2023: Country stars paid tribute to Ronnie Milsap at A Tribute To Ronnie Milsap: The Final Nashville Show at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Keith Urban, Trace Adkins, and BRELAND were among the 29 artists who performed at this historic show celebrating Milsap's 50 years of songs.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Fans enjoyed these performances on Oct. 3:
- 2016: Garth Brooks surprised fans at the famous Bluebird Café in Nashville with an impromptu performance. He performed a few acoustic versions of songs, and his wife, Trisha Yearwood, also took the stage that night.
- 2019: Keith Urban sang his hit song "Blue Ain't Your Color" and Eddie Rabbit's "Drivin' My Life Away" during the first intermission at a hockey game held at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
Industry Changes and Challenges
The industry lost a great artist on this day, along with other industry changes:
- 1967: Oklahoma native and Americana/folk singer Woody Guthrie died on Oct. 3 at the age of 55. Guthrie laid the groundwork for songs about the Great Depression with tunes such as "The Great Dust Storm," along with political protest songs such as "Vigilante Man," and his love for America, as shown in his hit song, "This Land Is Your Land."
- 2019: Attorneys for the victims of the deadly Route 91 Harvest Music Festival announced that MGM Resorts would pay up to $800 million to those who sued. The mass shooting that took place on Oct. 1, 2017, killed 58 people and injured hundreds of others, making it one of the largest in U.S. history.
- 2023: HARDY announced that he was cancelling two of his upcoming shows, one for Oct. 5 and one for Oct. 7. HARDY's tour bus was in a severe accident the year prior that injured him and his crew, and HARDY was still suffering panic attacks associated with the accident.
Woody Guthrie profoundly impacted American music, and his death on Oct. 3 was a significant loss for the industry. Keith Urban and the Grand Ole Opry celebrated, and Garth Brooks surprised fans in Nashville, making Oct. 3 an eventful day in country music history.
Kristina HallWriter
