This Day in Country History: January 31
Taylor Swift won her first GRAMMY Award for her country album Fearless on Jan. 31, 2010, and Marty Stuart announced the opening of his new museum, the Country Music Museum, on this…
Taylor Swift won her first GRAMMY Award for her country album Fearless on Jan. 31, 2010, and Marty Stuart announced the opening of his new museum, the Country Music Museum, on this day in 2018. Jason Aldean and Zac Brown Band received significant record certifications, and Harold R. Bradley died in 2019.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Taylor Swift and Kelsea Ballerini had big milestones on January 31, including:
- 2010: Taylor Swift's country/pop album Fearless took home Album of the Year and Best Country Album at the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards held. This was Swift's first GRAMMY win, and at the age of 19, she was the youngest artist to win an award. Today, this pop star has 14 GRAMMY wins and 58 nominations.
- 2025: For the first time, Kelsea Ballerini headlined the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Sasha Alex Sloan and MaRynn Taylor were the openers for this sold-out show. In 2014, Ballerini rose to stardom with her hit song, "Love Me Like You Mean It."
Cultural Milestones
A canine benefit and a new country music museum announcement happened on Jan. 31.
- 2015: The Mandrell sisters, including Barbara Mandrell, hosted a benefit for the Nashville Humane Association called Unleashed: Dinner with Your Dog. This event was held at the Hutton Hotel in Nashville and included a silent auction, dinner, and a canine fashion show.
- 2018: The legendary Marty Stuart announced his plans to build an educational music-based museum in Philadelphia, Mississippi. His museum, which he called the Country Music Museum, was to be home to hundreds of significant country music artifacts.
Notable Recordings and Performances
There were notable record certifications on Jan. 31, including:
- 2017: Jason Aldean's album, My Kinda Party, received a 4x Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His album Wide Open also received a 2x Platinum certification on this same date, and Aldean's single "Lights Come On" had gotten a Gold certification.
- 2020: Zac Brown Band received a 2x Platinum certification from the RIAA for the song "Homegrown." In addition, the group had gotten a Platinum certification for "Beautiful Drug" and a Gold and Platinum certification for "Loving You Easy."
Industry Changes and Challenges
A death and a record label change were industry changes for this date.
- 2019: Harold R. Bradley, famed studio guitarist, died at the age of 93. Bradley played with numerous Nashville artists, including Elvis Presley, Hank Williams, Hank Snow, and Charley Pride. You can hear his guitar on tracks like "Crazy," "The Battle of New Orleans," and "Coal Miner's Daughter."
- 2020: After a nine-year run, Florida Georgia Line (FGL) split from Big Loud Management. FGL first signed with Big Loud in 2011 with the release of their hit song "Cruise," which earned an 11x Platinum certification from the RIAA.
FGL stated they had a great run with Big Loud Management before their Jan. 31, 2020, split, and Barbara Mandrell hosted a benefit to help adopt dogs in the Nashville area on this day. The last day of January was significant in country music history.
