This Day in Country History: October 8
Oct. 8 saw a couple of exciting country music festivals, surprise performances, and multiple big names play at a venue before it closed. The Gatlin Brothers came together to raise…
Oct. 8 saw a couple of exciting country music festivals, surprise performances, and multiple big names play at a venue before it closed. The Gatlin Brothers came together to raise money for victims of Hurricane Harvey, and Midland's lead vocalist got married.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Great music and milestone moments on Oct. 8 included:
- 2011: Keith Urban was performing at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, on his Get Closer 2011 World Tour when he brought out a couple of surprise guests. John Fogerty appeared on stage and sang "Proud Mary" with Urban, followed by Jack Black who sang a cover of Charlie Daniels' "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" with him.
- 2016: Florida Georgia Line, The Cadillac Three, Kane Brown, and Cole Swindell played at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre in Irvine, California. This was one of the last concerts at this venue, as it was replaced by FivePoint Amphitheatre, which closed in 2023.
Cultural Milestones
Some artists performed to help raise money for others on Oct. 8:
- 2017: The Gatlin Brothers performed a benefit concert to help support victims hit hard by Hurricane Harvey. This Category 4 hurricane caused massive devastation to areas of South Central Texas, with the city of Houston receiving over 50 inches of rain during the horrific storm.
- 2020: The From Nashville Zoo with Love fundraising special premiered on a local news station. Proceeds from this event helped support the Nashville Zoo and featured performers Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Sheryl Crow, Vince Gill, and Amy Grant.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Fall is a great time for music festivals, and fans enjoyed seeing live music on Oct. 8 at the following festivals:
- 2022: Country music fans traveled to North Charleston, South Carolina, for the Riverfront Revival music festival. Headliners for the first day included Darius Rucker, Jimmie Allen, Maggie Rose, Larry Fleet, and the Blue Dogs.
- 2022: The Austin City Limits Music Festival featured headliners Conan Gray, Flume, and Charlotte Sands. Cross-genre artists Diplo and Disko Cowboy also performed on this day.
Industry Changes and Challenges
From a prestigious award to a sweet wedding, some big events happened on Oct. 8:
- 1984: Anne Murray was the first female to win Album of the Year at the Country Music Awards. She won for her song and album A Little Good News, and set the standard for female country/pop artists to win a prestigious award from the CMA.
- 2019: Mark Wystrach from the band Midland married his sweetheart, Ty Haney. The couple had an intimate ceremony at The Contemporary Austin - Laguna Gloria, an Italian-style villa outside of Austin, Texas.
From Anne Murray's win at the CMA for Album of the Year to heartwarming benefit concerts, Oct. 8 saw some major milestones and significant events that country fans remember to this day.
