This Day in Country History: November 18
On this day in music history, country artists were well represented at the 2012 American Music Awards. Brad Paisley’s exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum opened,…
On this day in music history, country artists were well represented at the 2012 American Music Awards. Brad Paisley's exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum opened, and Dan Smyer from Dan + Shay got engaged in Hawaii on Nov. 18.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Awards and exhibits were the highlight milestones for Nov. 18, including:
- 2012: Country music winners at the American Music Awards included Luke Bryan as Male Artist of the Year and Taylor Swift as Female Artist of the Year. American Idol winner Carrie Underwood won Album of the Year for Blown Away.
- 2016: The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum opened a new exhibit titled Brad Paisley: Diary of a Player. The exhibit showcased a collection of artifacts, including one of Paisley's first guitars, awards he's received, and photos from various phases of his career.
Cultural Milestones
Benefit concerts held on Nov. 18 included:
- 2020: This year's Stand Up for Heroes benefit event for the Bob Woodruff Foundation was held virtually on Nov. 18, with country artist Brad Paisley performing along with several rock and pop stars. The event was streamed live to service personnel in 168 countries and raised millions of dollars to help support veterans and their families.
- 2024: Florida Georgia Line, Brothers Osborne, and Sheryl Crow were among the performers at the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation benefit held on this date at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The event, raising funds for cancer research, was a musical and ice skating extravaganza featuring nationally recognized and medal-winning ice skaters, as well as award-winning musical artists.
Notable Recordings and Performances
From a country music festival to a record certification, these were notable events for Nov. 18:
- 2013: Thomas Rhett's single "It Goes Like This" earned a Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America on Nov. 18. The song first received a Gold certification earlier in 2013, and on July 21, 2025, "It Goes Like This" received a 4x Platinum certification.
- 2023: On Nov. 18, the final day of Tailgate n' Tallboys Rockingham in Rockingham, North Carolina, Bailey Zimmerman and Chase Matthew were the headliners. Jon Langston and Josh Ross also entertained the audience.
Industry Changes and Challenges
An engagement and a Food Network show happened on Nov. 18:
- 2016: On Nov. 18, Dan Smyers from the country music duo Dan + Shay announced his engagement to his girlfriend, Abby Law, while on vacation in Hawaii. Smyers and Law found time in their busy schedules to get married on May 13, 2017.
- 2018: Martina McBride's Food Network show, Martina's Table, debuted on Nov. 18. During the show, McBride showcased some of her favorite meals, from Thanksgiving dinners to Mexican dishes. Martina hinted that she would have special guests appear on her show, preparing party-ready snacks and appetizers.
It's always interesting to see country music artists branch out with other projects, such as Martina McBride launching her cooking show on this day in 2018. It's also heartwarming to see artists raise money at benefit concerts, and Nov. 18 certainly has seen notable contributions by country artists over the years.
