This Day in Country History: May 7

Carrie Underwood accepts an award onstage at the 2019 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena

Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

The country music industry continually evolves with legendary performances, honorary awards, marriages, and losses. May 7 has seen the announcement of Country Music Television award nominations, the passing of two influential performers, and the recognition of an artist for his outstanding humanitarian efforts benefiting children.

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

There have been significant milestones on May 7 across the years, including:

2010: Carrie Underwood debuted the exclusive premiere of her new video "Undo It." In this video, you can see some of her live performances from Play on Tour. The video was shown on the special CMT Premieres: Carrie Underwood - Undo It.
2016: Even though there was a rainstorm, Lady Antebellum (Lady A) performed the national anthem at the start of the 142nd Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The horse Nyquist, ridden by jockey Mario Gutierrez, won the race.
2019: The CMT awards announced its nominees on May 7, with Miranda Lambert, Brothers Osborne, Maren Morris, and Zac Brown Band all tying for the most nominations at three each. Carrie Underwood won Video of the Year for "Cry Pretty."
2022: The legendary Garth Brooks performed at the Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana, for the second time. His first performance at this stadium was on October 20, 2018, and the show sold out in a couple of hours, just like the May 7 show.
2019: Former rocker turned country star Darius Rucker was awarded the Harry Chapin Memorial Humanitarian Award by the Music Business Association. The award honored Rucker's lifelong philanthropic efforts and commitment to supporting the youth community, including raising money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Cultural Milestones:

Dolly Parton had a cultural milestone on May 7, and the culturally significant The Marfa Tapes album was released on this day.

2018: Dolly Parton surprised residents at the renamed My People Senior Activity Center in Sevierville, Tennessee. Parton participated in a ceremony dedicated to the new center in honor of her parents, Lee and Alvie Lee Parton. Before the ceremony, Parton toured the facility, partook in a senior exercise class, and attended a quiltmaking class.
2021: Vanner Records/RCA Nashville released the album, The Marfa Tapes. This collection of songs was written and recorded by Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, and Jon Randall. The trio traveled to the small town of Marfa, Texas, with minimal recording equipment, and most of the recording was done outdoors, giving the songs a raw, intimate sound.

Notable Recordings and Performances

These performances by major influencers in the country music industry were beyond notable:

1997: Tracy Lawrence's album The Coast is Clear received a Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
2013: The album The Music of Nashville: Original Soundtrack - Season 1 Volume 2 was released by Big Machine Records. This album featured songs from the hit TV show Nashville, sung by the singer/actors in the show, including Charles Esten, Claire Bowen, Sam Palladio, Connie Britton, and Hayden Panettiere.
2015: Superstar Luke Bryan performed at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. This concert was part of Bryan's Kick the Dust Up Tour, where he sang fan favorites such as "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" and "Country Girl (Shake It for Me)."
2016: Sturgill Simpson's A Sailor's Guide to Earth hit No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart. Notable songs from this album included "All Around You," "Keep It Between the Lines," and "Breakers Roar."
2019: Kane Brown's "Good As You" received a Gold certification from the RIAA. On November 22, 2024, this song received a 4x Platinum certification.
2022: Kenny Chesney played Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, for his Here and Now 2022 tour. Chesney's feel-good music includes hits such as "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem" and "Summertime."
2022: Eric Church performed at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, as part of his The Gather Again Tour. Key songs from this concert included "Drink in My Hand," "Smoke a Little Smoke," and "Springsteen."
2024: Country star Dierks Bentley appeared on Good Morning America, where he did an outstanding rendition of the late rock star Tom Petty's "American Girl." This performance promoted the tribute album Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty, released by Big Machine Label Group.

Industry Changes and Challenges

A country artist married a model who was in one of his music videos, and two country music greats passed away on May 7:

1998: Eddie Rabbitt died of lung cancer at the age of 56. He's known for his pop/country songs such as "I Love a Rainy Night" and ”Drivin' My Life Away.”
2019: The "Follow Your Arrow" singer Kacey Musgraves announced that she was signing a modeling contract with IMG Models. This modeling agency represents high-end models like Gigi Hadid and Hailey Bieber.
2012: Country singer Jake Owen, known for his song "Barefoot Blue Jean Night," married his model girlfriend Lacey Buchanan in Vero Beach, Florida. The two met while she was part of Owen's "8 Second Ride" music video.
2022: Legendary country superstar Mickey Gilley died on May 7 in Branson, Missouri, at the age of 86. Gilley opened the self-proclaimed world's largest honky-tonk in Pasadena, Texas, which inspired the 1980 movie, Urban Cowboy.

It's always interesting to watch the direction of the country music industry, from former rock artists transitioning into successful country careers to top honors being awarded to some of the genre's most iconic performers.

Carrie Underwood Darius Rucker Garth Brooks This Day In History

Kristina HallWriter