This Day in Country History: August 19
The dog days of summer were over by Aug. 19, but there were still plenty of shows, concerts, and music festivals to keep country music fans happy, including the annual…
The dog days of summer were over by Aug. 19, but there were still plenty of shows, concerts, and music festivals to keep country music fans happy, including the annual Country Thunder Alberta festival. In addition, big names such as Trisha Yearwood, Blake Shelton, and Eric Church all had huge events on Aug. 19.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Megastars Trisha Yearwood and Luke Bryan had milestones on Aug. 19:
- 2014: GRAMMY Award-winning singer Trisha Yearwood announced on Aug. 19 that she was signing with Sony Music Nashville and launching her own imprint under this record label, Gwendolyn Records. She also announced the release of her 12th studio album, Prizefighter.
- 2016: A young Luke Bryan played his first concert at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis as part of his Kill the Lights tour. Little Big Town and Dustin Lynch were special guests on this milestone tour.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Live music filled the air at country music festivals held on Aug. 19, including:
- 2018: Eric Church paid a tribute to the late Queen of R&B, Aretha Franklin, days after her death. Church played an emotional rendition of Franklin's "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" at the beginning of his performance at the Country Thunder Alberta festival in Canada.
- 2018: Country music fans traveled to Cardwell, Montana, to enjoy the Headwaters Country Jam music festival. On the second day of this annual music festival, Chris Janson, Craig Morgan, and Casey Donahew headlined, while Tyler Rich and King Calaway also entertained the audience.
- 2023: Tim McGraw and Kip Moore fans were thrilled to see them perform as headliners at the Country Thunder Alberta festival on Aug. 19. Additional artists performing at this music festival on this day included Jo Dee Messina, Shane Profitt, and The New Law.
Industry Changes and Challenges
Industry changes and challenges for Aug. 19 included:
- 2019: Florida Georgia Line's Tyler Hubbard and his wife Hayley welcomed a baby boy, Lucca Reed, on Aug. 19. The couple already had a daughter, Olivia Rose, and with the addition of a second child, Hubbard had to adjust to balance the demands of touring, songwriting, and fatherhood.
- 2020: Country music fans were relieved when Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, a popular bar in Nashville, reopened as a full-service restaurant to comply with COVID-19 regulations. The old honky-tonk bar that hosted greats such as Dolly Parton, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson was considered a top venue; fans were very pleased to see it avoid closure.
COVID-19 impacted the country music industry with show cancellations, restructuring of bars into restaurants, and illness for some. However, since then, country music artists have demonstrated their resilience and determination to play live music at concerts and country music festivals, with many notable performances on Aug. 19 across the years.
