This Day in Country History: April 3

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 2011: At the 46th Academy of Country Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, former country singer turned pop star Taylor Swift won Entertainer of the Year.
• 2011: Standout artists who performed at the Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Blake Shelton and Reba McEntire, included Shawna Thompson and Kimberly Perry. 
• 2015: The Southern country/rock band Blackberry Smoke headlined for the first time at the iconic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Two of their previous albums, Like an Arrow and Holiday All the Roses, hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
• 2016: Husky-voiced singer Chris Stapleton won big at the  Academy of Country Music Awards, winning Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year for Traveller, and Song of the Year with "Nobody to Blame."
• 2016: At the same ceremony, Jason Aldean won Entertainer of the Year, Miranda Lambert won Female Vocalist of the Year, and Thomas Rhett won Single Record of the Year with the song "Die a Happy Man."

Cultural Milestones

• 1989: Reba McEntire recorded her only live album, Reba Live, at the  McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert, California. Songs on this live album included "Sunday Kind of Love" and "One Promise Too Late."
• 2012: Vince Gill performed at the benefit for the Revlon Concert for the Rainforest held at the iconic Carnegie Hall in New York City. Other celebrities at this charity included Rita Wilson, Bruno Mars, Jennifer Hudson, and Roseanne Cash.
• 2017: Mega country star Blake Shelton was honored at the Oklahoma Creativity Ambassadors Gala. The nonprofit Creative Oklahoma is a statewide initiative that promotes creativity in education, commerce, and culture.
• 2022: Brothers Osborne received a GRAMMY Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for the song "Younger Me." This was the duo's first GRAMMY Award win, and today, they have 13 GRAMMY nominations.
• 2023: Vince Gill announced the inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the highest honor in country music. Honored artists included Tanya Tucker for Veteran Era Artist, Patti Loveless for Modern Era Artist, and Don McDill for Songwriter.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 2012: Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton were surprise guests at Kelly Clarkson's 2012 Stronger tour stop at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, California.
• 2016: Carrie Underwood released her single "Church Bells," which she performed for the televised showing of the 51st Academy of Country Music Awards. This song, which received a 3x Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), was a track on her Storyteller album.
• 2020: Country singer Ashley McBryde released her album Never Will, featuring songs such as "One Night Standards" and "Hang In There Girl."
• 2024: Superstar Miranda Lambert performed at the Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 3. This was part of her Velvet Rodeo: The Las Vegas Residency.
• 2025: Kane Brown made a stop at the Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. This was a stop on his High Road Tour, with special guests Scotty McCreery and Dasha.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 2014: The "Sing Me Back Home" singer Merle Haggard had to cancel his performance at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma, due to a bad case of pneumonia.
• 2020: Country singer Kelsea Ballerini posted a video on her Instagram account of herself singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" to bring a sense of calm to her fans during the early, chaotic days of the pandemic.
• 2020: Miranda Lambert announced she was postponing the rest of her Wildcard Tour due to COVID-19 restrictions.
• 2023: The Country Music Awards (CMA) livestreamed the 2023 inductee awards ceremony, which fans were able to watch on CMA's YouTube channel. This gave fans another channel to watch this important and honorary awards show.