This Day in Country History: April 11

Jelly Roll performs onstage in Las Vegas, Nevada

Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Spring is in full bloom on April 11, marking a significant day in country music history. The Country Music Awards dominated this day, with winners including Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean, and Miranda Lambert. The state of Arkansas signed a law to honor country singer Johnny Cash and civil rights leader Daisy Bates with statues at the U.S. Capitol, while COVID-19 meant that Farm Aid had to go virtual in 2020.

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

The annual Country Music Awards never disappoint, and 2022 was no exception, with lots of winners, including:

2022: Carrie Underwood and Jason Aldean won the top award for Video of the Year and Collaborative Video of the Year with the song "If I Didn't Love You."
2022: Cody Johnson also brought home two awards, one for Male Video of the Year with "Til You Can't" and the CMT Digital-First Award for “Dear Rodeo" for his performance on CMT's Campfire Sessions.
2022: Additional awards won this night include Miranda Lambert for Female Video of the Year for "If I Was a Cowboy," while Breakthrough Video of the Year went to Parker McCollum for “To Be Loved by You."

Cultural Milestones

Cultural milestones with surprise appearances, statues, and exceptional performances on April 11 include:

2013: Granger Smith completed his 100-mile walk from South Austin to Fort Hood, Texas, to help raise awareness for military veterans returning to civilian life. Smith also encouraged people to donate to the Boot Campaign, which helps veterans.
2015: Award-winning country star Miranda Lambert performed at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, with guest stars Justin Moore, Ashley Monroe, and Jukebox Mafia. As well as being a famous country music star, Lambert has raised millions of dollars for pet shelters through her MuttNation foundation.
2017: Country great Blake Shelton made an unannounced performance at the Grand Ole Opry, delighting guests and fans. He sang "Honey Bee" and "Ol' Red."
2019: As an honor to the late Johnny Cash, the Cash family and Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson signed a bill to have statues of the Man in Black and civil rights leader Daisy Bates placed at the U.S. Capitol.

Notable Recordings and Performances

From record certifications to exciting concerts, these were notable events for April 11.

2013: Darius Rucker's "Wagon Wheel" was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). This popular song received an 11x Platinum certification on October 27, 2022.
2019: "Drowns the Whiskey" by Jason Aldean and featuring Miranda Lambert received a Gold certification from the RIAA. In addition, Brett Young's "In Case You Didn't Know" received a Gold certification on this date. This song received a Diamond certification on March 19, 2024.
2025: April 11 was the next-to-last day of Carrie Underwood's REFLECTION: Las Vegas Residency at the Resorts World Theatre at Resorts World Las Vegas. She sang hits like "Cowboy Casanova" and the Hillary Lindsey song, "Jesus, Take the Wheel."
2025: Kane Brown brought his The High Road Tour to the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Scotty McCreery and Dasha opened for the "Thank God" singer.
2025: Blake Shelton released his song "Stay Country or Die Tryin'." This song was released a month before his new album, For Recreational Use Only.

Industry Changes and Challenges

Country music has faced changes and challenges on April 11, including:

2003: Legendary music executive Tony Brown, who worked in Nashville and produced records and albums for Reba McEntire, Wynonna Judd, and Trisha Yearwood, was seriously injured after falling down a flight of stairs. He underwent brain surgery and made a full recovery.
2009: The "God Bless the U.S.A." singer Lee Greenwood married his fourth wife, actress and former Miss Tennessee USA Kimberly Payne. The couple has two children together.
2020: Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Farm Aid went virtual and was called At Home with Farm Aid. The founding members of Farm Aid — Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, and Dave Matthews — performed solo from their homes.
2021: The former Season 10 The Voice runner-up contestant, Adam Wakefield, married country music artist Jenny Leigh in Fairview, Tennessee.
2023: Country singer and songwriter Eddie Miller died on April 11. Miller was instrumental in forming the Academy of Country Music and the Nashville Songwriters Association. He also wrote songs for the likes of Eddy Arnold and Patsy Cline.
2023: The "In This House" singer Granger Smith announced he was retiring from the music industry after 24 years to pursue a career as a minister. He planned on getting his Master's degree at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
2025: Even though Jelly Roll had a small cameo role on the TV show Tulsa King, he had his first real acting gig on the TV show Fire Country. Now he can claim acting, along with his three GRAMMY Award wins and seven nominations.

It's always interesting to look at the events that shaped country music, such as the Country Music Awards. April 11 saw impacts from COVID-19 as well as awesome shows and performances we still talk about.

Blake Shelton Jelly Roll Kane Brown This Day In History

Kristina HallWriter