This Day in Country History: July 8
Country music festivals made fans happy on July 8. There were also a couple of benefits, a memorial, and a big legal challenge with the group Lady A on this…
Country music festivals made fans happy on July 8. There were also a couple of benefits, a memorial, and a big legal challenge with the group Lady A on this day in country music history.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
From Blake Shelton to Garth Brooks and Brandi Carlisle, these were milestones for July 8:
- 2016: Garth Brooks held his first New York City concert on July 8 at the new Yankee Stadium. The "I'll Carry You Home" singer, Trisha Yearwood, opened the sold-out show.
- 2017: Blake Shelton headlined the Happy Valley Jam, which was the first concert held at Penn State's Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.
- 2022: The "You and Me On a Rock" singer, Brandi Carlisle, performed at the Ascend Amphitheater in Nashville, Tennessee, on July 8. She brought out a surprise guest, Wynonna Judd, to sing two songs together, "Girls Night Out" and "Love Is Alive."
Cultural Milestones
There was a memorial for one of country music's legends, and a concert for U.S. troops on July 8, including:
- 2004: Sean Hannity, a news commentator for Fox News, hosted the Freedom Concert at New Jersey's Six Flags Great Adventure to benefit U.S. troops. Martina McBride and Darryl Worley performed at this event.
- 2020: The legendary singer and Country Music Hall of Fame member, Charlie Daniels, who died on July 6, 2020, was celebrated at a public memorial service at Sellars Funeral Home in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Fun in the sun country music festivals were abundant on July 8, including:
- 2021: Ashley McBryde, Jon Pardi, and Luke Combs took the main stage as headliners at the Country Concert music festival in Fort Laramie, Ohio. On the smaller stage, fans got to see Jameson Rodgers and Ashland Craft perform.
- 2022: Country music fans traveled to West Salem, Wisconsin, on July 8 to the Country Boom music festival, where they saw their favorite performers like Russell Dickerson, Niko Moon, and Restless Road play.
- 2022: At the Cavendish Beach Music Festival in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, fans got to see Darius Rucker, Maddie & Tae, and the Washboard Union as headliners at this summer music festival.
Industry Changes and Challenges
With legal challenges and the death of an influential country music legend, these were changes in the country music industry for July 8:
- 2020: Lady Antebellum changed their name to Lady A, and were suing another singer, Anita White, who also went by the name of Lady A. The group had trademarked the name Lady A in 2011 and received the grant to legally use that name.
- 2020: The great singer/songwriter and record retailer, Gary Walker, died on July 8 at the age of 87. Walker was known for the record and comic book chain The Great Escape, as well as writing songs for legends like Kitty Wells, George Morgan, and Jim Reeves.
The memorial to Charlie Daniels was heart-warming for this legend in the country music world. Besides the passing of a star like Charlie Daniels, fans continued to enjoy live music at festivals across the U.S. on July 8.
