This Day in Country History: April 18

Neil Perry, Kimberly Perry, and Reid Perry of The Band Perry attend the 48th annual CMA Awards at the Bridgestone Arena

Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images

April 18 was a momentous day in country music history with the 56th Annual Country Music Awards, inductions into the Grand Ole Opry, and country stars performing public service announcements about getting vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

On April 18, 2021, the 56th ACM Awards were held at The Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, with major stars winning big, including:

2010: Carrie Underwood won Entertainer of the Year, Brad Paisley won Top Male Vocalist of the Year, and Miranda Lambert took home Top Female Vocalist of the Year at the ACM Awards. Top Vocal Group went to Lady Antebellum (Lady A), Top New Artist of the Year went to Luke Bryan, and Album of the Year went to Miranda Lambert's Revolution.
2019: Kelsea Ballerini headlined for the first time at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum in Knoxville, Tennessee. Ballerini went to Central High School in Knoxville before moving to Nashville at the age of 15 to pursue her music career.
2021: Luke Bryan, known for his role as a judge on the TV show American Idol and songs such as "That's My Kind of Night" and "Love You, Miss You, Mean It," won Entertainer of the Year. Maren Morris won Female Artist of the Year, and Thomas Rhett won Male Artist of the Year.
2021: Group of the Year winner went to Old Dominion, Duo of the Year went to Dan + Shay, and Album of the Year went to Chris Stapleton for Starting Over.
2021: Carly Pearce and Lee Brice won Single of the Year for "I Hope You're Happy Now," Maren Morris won Song of the Year for "The Bones," and Kane Brown won Video of the Year for "Worldwide Beautiful."

Cultural Milestones

The ACMs continued to dominate on April 18, including:

1998: Country band Diamond Rio was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry and performed its hit song "Meet in the Middle." After 30 years, this Grammy-winning band continues to record and perform.
2010: Mega superstars performed at the 45th ACM Awards in Las Vegas, including Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, and Charlie Daniels. The legendary Reba McEntire hosted the show.
2010: Carrie Underwood won Entertainer of the Year at the ACMs and was the first woman to ever win this category at this awards show.
2015: Before the ACM Awards show, the annual ACM Party for a Cause Festival is hosted by ACM's Lifting Lives. Performers at the 2015 benefit show included Tyler Farr, Brothers Osborne, The Gatlin Brothers, and Old Dominion. In addition, the audience got to see Maddie & Tae, Dylan Scott, Chase Bryant, and Brett Eldridge.
2017: Kelsea Ballerini performed at the 12th Annual Nashville Symphony Fashion Show held at Nashville's Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Allison DeMarcus, the wife of Rascal Flatts Jay DeMarcus, emceed the event, which helped raise money for the Nashville Symphony's artistic education and community involvement.
2017: At the Stars Salute St. Bernard Academy benefit concert held at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Rodney Crowell, the SteelDrivers, and Aberdeen Green performed. Proceeds from this charity event went to MusiCares and to honor the work of the St. Bernard Academy.

Notable Recordings and Performances

April 18 saw these performances and chart toppers:

1998: Garth Brooks played at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, as part of his Garth Brooks World Tour II. Hit songs he performed included "Ain't Goin' Down (Till the Sun Comes Up), and "Rodeo."
2009: Taylor Swift's "Love Story" peaked at No. 4 with 30 weeks on the charts.
2014: Taylor Swift's single "White Horse" received a 2x Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In addition, her song "Teardrops on My Guitar" received a 3x Platinum certification.
2014: The Band Perry's hit song "If I Die Young" received a 5x Platinum certification from the RIAA, and "All Your Life" received a Platinum certification.
2020: During the televised concert of One World: Together at Home, Keith Urban performed Steve Winwood's "Higher Love."
2025: Brooks & Dunn headlined the Two Step Inn Festival in Georgetown, Texas. Additional performers included Muscadine Bloodline, Shenandoah, and Tracy Lawrence.

Industry Changes and Challenges

The COVID-19 pandemic saw musical artists promoting vaccinations and the premiere of Glen Campbell's documentary about Alzheimer's disease:

2014: Glen Campbell premiered his documentary, Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me, about his struggle with Alzheimer's disease. Campbell died in 2017 at the age of 81.
2018: One of the founding members of the Southern rock/country band, The Allman Brothers, Dickey Betts, died at the age of 80. This band had a slew of hits, including the country-inspired "Ramblin' Man" with plenty of steel guitar.
2020: Cameron Buddy, bassist for the band Midland, and his wife, Harper Smith, welcomed a baby girl, Billie Pierre Duddy. Billie has an older sister, Kitt.
2020: Country stars Eric Church, Darius Rucker, and Ashley McBryde made a public service announcement encouraging fans to learn more about getting a COVID-19 vaccination. The message was to get through the pandemic so everyone could get back to seeing live music again.
2020: The NBC television show Roll Up Your Sleeves, with guests such as Faith Hill and Jennifer Lopez, premiered on April 18. This special announcement was made in collaboration with Walgreens to educate the public on the importance of getting COVID-19 vaccinations to help beat the pandemic.

While the pandemic still raged across the world, country music artists came together to share songs of hope and encourage people to get vaccinated. April 18 saw big winners at the ACM awards, which helped validate the cultural importance of country music.

Brooks & Dunn Taylor Swift The Band Perry This Day In History

Kristina HallWriter