This Day in Country History: May 5

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

• 2001: Blake Shelton made his Grand Ole Opry debut. In 2010, Shelton was inducted into the Opry, and today, he has eight GRAMMY nominations with numerous No. 1 hit songs, including "God's Country," "Austin," and "Honey Bee."
• 2007: The first Stagecoach Country Music Festival was held on this date in Indio, California. Performers for the first day included George Strait, Alan Jackson, Willie Nelson, and Miranda Lambert. Sara Evans, Earl Scruggs, Eric Church, and Riders in the Sky also entertained the audiences.
• 2017: The "I Got a Truck" singer Devin Dawson had his Grand Ole Opry debut. Dawson performed in front of a sold-out house with songs like "All On Me" and "Dark Horse."

• 1999: Garth Brooks was named Artist of the Decade and Entertainer of the Year. Faith Hill won Top Female Vocalist, Single Record, and Video of the Year for "This Kiss."
• 1999: The Dixie Chicks (now The Chicks) won Best Album for Wide Open Spaces, and they also won Best New Vocal Duo or Group.
• 1999: Other notable winners at the ACM Awards included Jo Dee Messina for Top New Female Vocalist, Mark Wills for Top New Male Vocalist, and Steve Wariner for Song of the Year for "Holes in the Floor of Heaven."

Cultural Milestones

• 1942: The late country music queen Tammy Wynette was born on May 5 in Mississippi. Wynette was one of the first female artists to rise to fame in the country music genre, with hit songs such as "Stand by Your Man" and "I Don't Wanna Play House."
• 2007: The first Stagecoach Country Music Festival was held in Indio, California, with headliners George Strait, Alan Jackson, Willie Nelson, and Lucinda Williams. Other country music artists who performed included Miranda Lambert, Earl Scruggs, and Eric Church.
• 2009: Dolly Parton received a Tony nomination for Best Original Score for Broadway's production of 9 to 5: The Musical in New York City.
• 2017: Kacey Musgraves, Maren Morris, Kix Brooks, Montgomery Gentry, Travis Tritt, and more stars attended the annual Barnstable Brown Kentucky Derby Eve Gala on the day before the Kentucky Derby, held on Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Proceeds from this gala went to the Barnstable Brown Diabetes and Obesity Research Center at the University of Kentucky.
• 2018: As part of his Hell On A Highway Tour, Justin Moore had a performance at Hobart Arena in Troy, Ohio. This highly anticipated tour started on February 15 in Rockford, Illinois, and ended on August 5 in Davenport, Iowa.
• 2022: Country music legend Dolly Parton performed two livestream broadcasts to celebrate her Imagination Library in Delaware and Arkansas. Parton's Imagination Library helps young children up to 5 years old build their library at no cost to the parents.

Notable Recordings and Performances

• 2015: Chris Stapleton, who is famous for his deep voice, released his album Traveller on May 5 under Mercury Records. Memorable songs from this album include "Tennessee Whiskey" and "When the Stars Come Out." 
• 2017: Fan favorite Luke Bryan performed a sold-out show at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville as part of his Huntin' Fishin' and Lovin' Every Day Tour. The show included several opening acts, including Brett Eldridge and Adam Craig. 
• 2019: The country music group Midland headlined for the first time at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. This was for their Electric Rodeo Tour.
• 2020: Kelsea Ballerini's "Yeah Boy" received a Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). This song originally got a Gold certification on May 31, 2017.

Industry Changes and Challenges

• 2010: Willie Nelson had to reschedule several of his concerts after he tore his rotator cuff. Most of his May shows were rescheduled for July or August of the same year.
• 2013: Suddenly, Eddie Montgomery of the duo Montgomery Gentry closed his steakhouse, Eddie Montgomery's Steakhouse. There was no explanation of why the restaurant closed without warning, and it remains closed to this day. 
• 2013: The "Blue Tacoma" singer Russell Dickerson married his sweetheart, Kailey Seymour. Dickerson was inspired to write his hit song "Yours" after meeting Seymour.
• 2014: Zac Brown and his wife, Shelly, welcomed a baby boy, Alexander Frost. This is the fifth child the couple has together, and their first boy. 
• 2017: Josh Abbott from the Josh Abbott Band and his girlfriend, Taylor Parnell, welcomed a baby girl, Emery Farryn. Abbott proposed to Taylor when Emery was 11 weeks old, and the couple married on July 8, 2018, with little Emery as the flower girl.