This Day in Country History: October 7
Saturday Night Live pulled Morgan Wallen as a musical guest on Oct. 7, 2020 due to disregarding COVID-19 protocols. This day also saw Naomi Judd receive a high honor and…
Saturday Night Live pulled Morgan Wallen as a musical guest on Oct. 7, 2020 due to disregarding COVID-19 protocols. This day also saw Naomi Judd receive a high honor and two country music superstars achieve certifications.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton scored significant achievements on Oct. 7:
- 2016: Luke Bryan received several certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America, including Gold and Platinum recognition for "Roller Coaster" and "I See You," respectively. "Huntin', Fishin', Lovin' Every Day" and "Home Alone Tonight" also earned Gold status.
- 2016: Blake Shelton's songs "Ol' Red" and "Doin' What She Likes" achieved Platinum certifications, while "Footloose" and "Kiss My Country A**" earned Gold status. Shelton's albums Barn and Grill, "Bringing Back the Sunshine," "Red River Blue," and "Based on a True Story..." all received Platinum certifications.
Cultural Milestones
Honors and tributes on Oct. 7 included:
- 2016: Naomi Judd received the Humanitarian of the Year Award at the 5th Annual Pet Hero Awards. Judd was honored with this award by the Pet Philanthropy Circle for her work lobbying to ensure the safe return of military service dogs.
- 2017: Jason Aldean was the musical guest on SNL. He performed Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down" as a defiant message about the recent mass shooting in Las Vegas. Aldean was headlining the Route 91 Harvest music festival during the shooting.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Oct. 7 saw these memorable events:
- 2017: Rex Allen Jr., known as the "Arizona Cowboy," performed his final concert in Willcox, Arizona. This was part of Allen's Sunrise to Sunset Tour, his final tour.
- 2022: Fans were excited to see bands and performers such as Asleep at the Wheel, Arlo Parks, and Zach Bryan at the annual Austin City Limits Fest. Other performers at this genre-blending music festival included Cassandra Jenkins, Billy Strings, and Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats.
Industry Changes and Challenges
From a death to a TV cancellation, these were industry changes and challenges for Oct. 7:
- 2020: The legendary songwriter and record producer Ray Pennington died in a house fire. Pennington wrote "I'm a Ramblin' Man" and "Don't Cheat in Our Hometown." He was also the founder of Step One Records, which signed artists such as Ray Price, Charlie McCoy, and Western Flyer.
- 2020: The National Broadcasting Company announced that it was pulling country singer Morgan Wallen as the musical guest on SNL for the Oct. 10 showing. Wallen was filmed violating COVID-19 protocols earlier in the year, and NBC did not want that type of representation on the show.
Jason Aldean was at the Route 91 Harvest music festival during the horrific mass shootings in Las Vegas, and he paid tribute to the victims on Oct. 7. Rex Allen Jr. stopped touring on this day. Still, he continued writing songs, and the passing of Ray Pennington was a loss to the music industry.
