This Day in Country History: August 25
Taylor Swift welcomed surprise guests to the stage, and Tim McGraw’s name popped up several times on Aug. 25. Important figures of the country music industry also had exhibits open…
Taylor Swift welcomed surprise guests to the stage, and Tim McGraw's name popped up several times on Aug. 25. Important figures of the country music industry also had exhibits open at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on this day.
Cultural Milestones
Country music stars who've had a significant cultural impact had exhibits about their careers and lives opened on Aug. 25:
- 2016: The band Alabama, whose lyrics give voice to the values and struggles of southern life, had an exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum titled Alabama: Song of the South. This exhibit showcased memorabilia, photographs, musical instruments, and awards. It also featured a companion book, available for purchase.
- 2017: The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum opened its exhibit, Loretta Lynn: Blue Kentucky Girl, honoring this legendary singer, whose songs touched on social issues affecting women across the U.S. Fans of Lynn could see the microphone she used at her first recording session in 1960, a handwritten manuscript of her hit song "Coal Miner's Daughter," and the Presidential Medal of Freedom she received in 2013 from former president Barack Obama.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw put in several appearances on Aug. 25 through the years:
- 2011: Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw reunited for the Brothers of the Sun Tour and performed at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on this day. Additional guest performers for this 22-city tour of record-breaking attendance were Grace Potter and the Nocturnals and Jake Owen.
- 2018: As a wrap to his Trip Around the Sun Tour, Kenny Chesney played two nights at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Chesney has a special relationship with this stadium and always ends his tours there. It's also the only venue where he plays for more than one night.
- 2018: One of Taylor Swift's first country hits was "Tim McGraw," and to the delight of fans, she brought him and Faith Hill onstage with her at Nissan Stadium in Nashville for this song as part of her Reputation Stadium Tour. The two surprise guests sang the hit song with her.
Industry Changes and Challenges
A positive change and a challenge for the country music industry on Aug. 25 were:
- 1961: Billy Ray Cyrus, father of country/pop star Miley Cyrus, was born in Flatwoods, Kentucky. Cyrus became a household name with his megahit single "Achy Breaky Heart" released in 1992. The song brought country music to a wider audience and inspired a worldwide line-dance craze.
- 2016: Amy Bowen, a singer-songwriter known professionally as Lizza Connor, filed a copyright infringement suit against Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley, stating that their song "Remind Me" was similar to a song she had written with the same title. The court dismissed the case and ruled in favor of Underwood and Paisley.
Fans had various opportunities to see superstars Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney perform on Aug. 25, and it's always wonderful to see legends such as Loretta Lynn and Alabama honored with exhibits. Billy Ray Cyrus' birth on Aug. 25, 64 years ago, ended up having a huge impact on the 1990s music scene.
