This Day in Country History: December 28
Dec. 28 has witnessed several significant events in the country music industry. Merle Haggard was a recipient at the annual Kennedy Center Honors, there was a funeral for the late…
Dec. 28 has witnessed several significant events in the country music industry. Merle Haggard was a recipient at the annual Kennedy Center Honors, there was a funeral for the late Ray Price, and the world welcomed two babies on this day, one for Keith Urban in 2010 and the other for Craig Wayne Boyd in 2017.
Cultural Milestones
From a funeral to a book release and the Kennedy Center Honors, these were the cultural milestones of Dec. 28:
- 2010: Merle Haggard was one of the honorees at the annual Kennedy Center Honors, which aired on this date. Willie Nelson, Vince Gill, and Miranda Lambert paid tribute with performances of his songs.
- 2012: Authors Don Davis and Ruth B. White released their book, Nashville Steeler: My Life in Country Music. It tells stories of music business executive Don Davis's interactions with country music and Grand Ole Opry stars, including the Carter family, Waylon Jennings, and Minnie Pearl.
- 2013: Ray Price died on Dec. 16, 2013, and a funeral was held in Mount Pleasant, Texas, on Dec. 28 for this pioneer of country music. Price was considered an innovator of modern country music with his blend of honky-tonk and rhythm, often heard in songs today.
Notable Recordings and Performances
There was a variety of notable performances and album certifications on this day, including:
- 1994: The "Pickup Man" singer Joe Diffie's album, Regular Joe, received a Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. Doug Stone's album, I Thought It Was You, snagged a Platinum certification on this day.
- 2018: The legendary Oak Ridge Boys sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the Music City Bowl NCAA college football game held at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
- 2024: Miranda Lambert performed at the WinStar World Casino & Resort in Thackerville, Oklahoma. Lambert is a three-time GRAMMY Award winner.
Industry Changes and Challenges
An engagement and a couple of births marked notable industry changes on Dec. 28:
- 2010: Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman welcomed a baby girl, Faith Margaret Urban. The couple has an older daughter, Sunday Rose, born in 2008, and Kidman has two children from her previous marriage with actor Tom Cruise.
- 2017: Season 7 winner of The Voice, Craig Wayne Boyd, and his wife, Taylor, welcomed a baby boy, Graydon Scott. The couple also has a daughter, Dakota Lynne, and Craig has a son, Jaxon, from a previous marriage.
- 2020: The Runaway June and Stealing Angels performer, Jennifer Wayne, got engaged to her sweetheart, Austin Moody. Wayne is the granddaughter of the legendary actor John Wayne, and Moody is a country singer and songwriter who writes and performs traditional-style country music.
Babies and engagements always bring smiles to people's faces, and Dec. 28 had both. Don Davis's book, Nashville Steeler: My Life in Country Music, was released on this day, giving behind-the-scenes looks at several country music artists.
