This Day in Country History: December 31
The last day of the calendar year, Dec. 31, had significant events in the country music world. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum honored artists, there were several…
The last day of the calendar year, Dec. 31, had significant events in the country music world. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum honored artists, there were several New Year's Eve specials on television, and a couple of industry changes rounded out the year.
Cultural Milestones
Ralph Peer, Brett Young, and others had cultural milestones on this day:
- 2010: The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's "A Song for America: Twenty-Five Years of Farm Aid" closed on this day. This exhibit, which started on June 25, 2010, highlighted key moments from 25 years of the charitable Farm Aid event started by Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and John Mellencamp in 1985.
- 2011: The long-running Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum exhibit "Family Tradition: The Williams Family Legacy" closed on this day. The closing of this exhibit was celebrated with a performance by Hank Williams Jr. earlier in the month, which raised money for the country music preservation organization.
- 2014: The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum closed the special exhibit "Ralph Peer: Record Man" on Dec. 31. Peer was a record executive who helped discover the famous Carter Family, and he also founded Southern Music Publishing Company. Artifacts at this exhibit included handwritten letters, a bronze plaque, and other memorabilia from his remarkable career.
- 2022: Brett Young was a country music performer at the diverse "United In Song: Ringing In The New Year Together," which aired on PBS on Dec. 31. This holiday special celebrated the nation's cultural diversity of music, including opera, bluegrass, pop, and country music.
Notable Recordings and Performances
New Year's Eve is always a fun time for musical specials, including:
- 2019: Keith Urban, Jason Isbell, Ashley McBryde, and rock legend Stevie Nicks were some of the superstars at "Jack Daniel's Music City Midnight: New Year's Eve in Nashville" held at the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park in Nashville.
- 2019: "NBC's New Year's Eve 2020" special aired on this day from Times Square in New York City, with hosts Julianne Hough and Carson Daly. Performers included Brett Eldredge, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, and The Struts.
Industry Changes and Challenges
A birth and a death happened on this day:
- 2015: Craig Wayne Boyd and his fiancée, Taylor Borland, welcomed a baby girl, Dakota Lynne, on Dec. 31. Dakota's big brother, Jaxon, was excited to have a baby sister on New Year's Eve.
- 2017: Long-term Grand Ole Opry announcer Charles Hairl Hensley passed away on Dec. 31. Hensley was inducted into the Country Music DJ Hall of Fame in 1995 for his work as a country music radio broadcaster.
New Year's Eve is a celebratory day for everyone, including those in the country music industry. Dec. 31 saw plenty of specials with artists sharing cheer and hope for the new year, exhibits at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, and the birth of a baby girl to Craig Wayne Boyd and Taylor Borland.
