This Day in Country History: August 26
What a day for country music artists on Aug. 26. Sam Hunt received multipe certifications for his songs on this day, and rapper Lil Nas X crossed genre boundaries by…
What a day for country music artists on Aug. 26. Sam Hunt received multipe certifications for his songs on this day, and rapper Lil Nas X crossed genre boundaries by appearing on the cover of Time magazine in honor of his cross-genre country hit. In addition, Carrie Underwood's name came up a couple of times on Aug. 26.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Big milestones for Aug. 26 include:
- 2016: Sam Hunt had a milestone day with several certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America. "Take Your Time" received a 3x Platinum award, and Hunt also received 2x Platinum recognition for "Break Up in a Small Town," "House Party," and "Leave the Night On." He earned a Platinum nod for "Make You Miss Me" and a Gold for "Ex to See."
- 2019: Rapper Lil Nas X landed on the cover of Time magazine as the face of trap country for his song "Old Town Road." This song, with a remix featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, was one of the first songs of the new genre of country/rap, now made famous by Breland and other up-and-coming genre-blending artists.
Cultural Milestones
From a benefit concert to a country star performing at a rock concert, these were cultural milestones for Aug. 26:
- 2019: Jake Owen performed a concert at Wayzata Bay in Minnesota as part of a fundraiser for the nonprofit Folds of Honor. This organization raises funds for scholarships provided to spouses and children of U.S. military personnel.
- 2023: Country singer Underwood joined rock and rollers Guns N' Roses at Geodis Park in Nashville, performing a duet of "Sweet Child O' Mine" with frontman Axl Rose. This was the third show Underwood played with the rockers.
Notable Recordings and Performances
A collaborative album release and Ashley McBryde's performance were notable on this day in country music history:
- 2008: Universal Music Distribution released an album, Now That's What I Call Country Music, on Aug. 26. The album featured an all-star lineup, including Underwood, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, Sugarland, and more.
- 2021: Ashley McBryde played the historic Ryman Auditorium for a two-night gig. This was part of McBryde's This Town Talks Tour, and she sang hit songs such as "Whiskey and Country Music" and "Home Sweet Highway."
Industry Changes and Challenges
A death and an online feud happened on Aug. 26:
- 2021: Nashville session drummer Kenny Malone died on Aug. 26 at the age of 83 from complications due to COVID-19. Malone had a unique drumming style and was known to play with greats such as George Jones, Merle Haggard, Barbara Mandrell, and Dolly Parton.
- 2022: Cassadee Pope took to her Instagram and Twitter accounts to make a statement about Jason Aldean's wife, Brittany Aldean's, comment that many took to be discriminatory against the LGBTQ+ community. Brittany fired back at those who criticized her by saying she would always protect and support her children.
It's interesting to see how music genres are melding and attracting different audiences, such as Lil Nas X's country song and Underwood's Aug. 26 performance with Guns 'N Roses. Good job to Jake Owen for his fundraising concert, and how fun to have an album with so many country music artists.
