This Day in Country History: July 18
Impressive milestones, thrilling country music festivals, and heartfelt benefits dominated the country music scene on July 18. Names like Rascal Flatts, Lainey Wilson, and Little Big Town pop up on…
Impressive milestones, thrilling country music festivals, and heartfelt benefits dominated the country music scene on July 18. Names like Rascal Flatts, Lainey Wilson, and Little Big Town pop up on this day in country music history.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
There were significant milestones for the country music industry on July 18, including:
- 2009: For the first time, a country band performed at the famed Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. Rascal Flatts had the honor of playing there, and the show was sold out.
- 2014: While it wasn't the first time Kristian Bush from the band Sugarland had played at the Grand Ole Opry, it was the first time he had done it alone. He performed his solo songs "Trailer Hitch" and "Southern Gravity."
Cultural Milestones
From benefit concerts to a Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum exhibit, these were cultural milestones for July 18:
- 2010: The "Third Rate Romance" singer Sammy Kershaw headlined a benefit concert in Houma, Louisiana, to help victims of the oil spill. This was part of ProtectOurCoastline.org's Concert for the Coast, and all proceeds went to fishermen and shrimpers who make a living along the Louisiana coast.
- 2025: On this day, the exhibit Lainey Wilson: Tough as Nails opens at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. This exhibit honors Wilson's rise to stardom, her struggles as a young musician, and her hard-won accomplishments.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Fans had lots of fun at country music festivals across the U.S., including:
- 2021: On the last day of Country Thunder Wisconsin, in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, Blake Shelton thrilled fans as the main headliner of this country music festival. Additional performers included Russell Dickerson, Parker McCollum, and Neal McCoy.
- 2024: Fans headed to Cullman, Alabama, to catch the Rock the South music festival. Jelly Roll headlined the show with additional performers Warren Zeiders, Priscilla Block, and Wyatt Flores.
- 2024: Wisconsin country music fans went to Country Jam USA in Eau Claire to sing and dance to HARDY, Kip Moore, and Drew Parker as headliners. Fans also got to see Parmalee and Aidan Canfield perform at this fun music festival.
Industry Changes and Challenges
From the debut of a cooking show to a couple announcing they were dating, these were interesting industry changes for July 18:
- 2015: Little Big Town's Kimberly Schlapman debuted her cooking show, Kimberly's Simply Southern, on The Cooking Channel. During her first show, she announced that she would collaborate with other country music artists, including Lady A's Hillary Scott, Billy Currington, and Jewel, to share their cooking tips.
- 2018: "Show Me Around" singer Carly Pearce and "Whiskey and Rain" singer Michael Ray confirmed that they were dating via social media. Five months later, they were engaged, and on Oct 6, 2019, they got married. Unfortunately, they divorced a year later.
The July 18 Concert for the Coast was a heart-warming benefit concert to help the people hardest hit by the devastating oil spill. Fans of Little Big Town's Kimberly Schlapman were excited for her new cooking show, and folks kicked up their heels at the numerous country music festivals held on this day.
