This Day in Country History: September 18
Dustin Lynch and Eric Church enjoyed high honors on Sep. 18, while Miranda Lambert hosted a MuttNation Foundation fundraiser, Willie Nelson headed the Farm Aid benefit, and Old Dominion helped…
Dustin Lynch and Eric Church enjoyed high honors on Sep. 18, while Miranda Lambert hosted a MuttNation Foundation fundraiser, Willie Nelson headed the Farm Aid benefit, and Old Dominion helped raise funds for two worthy organizations. Also on this day, Tim McGraw and Garth Brooks had to cancel shows for unavoidable reasons.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Country music milestones for Sep. 18 have included big personal successes:
- 2015: The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum opened a new exhibit titled Eric Church: Inside the Outsider. This exhibit represented Church's career with items such as stage wear, song lyrics, and guitars he's played over the years.
- 2018: "Stars Like Confetti" singer Dustin Lynch was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. Lynch was already scheduled to play the venue on this date when, at a show the previous month, Trace Adkins surprised him with the invitation to become a member of the prestigious organization.
Cultural Milestones
Two significant charity benefits held on Sep. 18 raised money for animals and children in need:
- 2015: Miranda Lambert held the second of two days of her annual Cause for the Paws fundraiser, which raises funds for her MuttNation Foundation. Money from this benefit goes to help animals in various ways, including educating owners on spaying and neutering, hosting adoption events, and opening shelters for abandoned animals.
- 2018: Old Dominion headlined a benefit concert titled An Evening With Friends at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, raising funds for the Opry Trust Fund and the Ryan Seacrest Foundation. The Opry Trust Fund provides financial help to those struggling in the music industry, while the Ryan Seacrest Foundation builds multimedia studios in pediatric hospitals to help entertain and inspire sick and injured children.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Farm Aid and a Reba McEntire appearance happened on this day:
- 2002: Reba McEntire sang a duet with American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson for the taping of the American Idol in Vegas show. The two sang McEntire's hit song "Does He Love You?"
- 2005: Led by Willie Nelson, Farm Aid was held at the Tweeter Center in Tinley Park, Illinois. Emmylou Harris, John Mayer, Neil Young, and Jeff Tweedy of Wilco were among the performers at this benefit to help farmers in need.
Industry Changes and Challenges
Challenges in the country music industry can be personal or affect us all, as these examples on Sep. 18 show:
- 2015: Tim McGraw had to cancel the final leg of his Shotgun Rider tour after his doctors ordered him to rest his voice. McGraw announced via his Facebook page that he was canceling his Sep. 18 show at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California, and his Sep. 19 performance at Meadows Amphitheatre in Irvine, California.
- 2021: Garth Brooks had to cancel his Sep. 18 show due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His next four dates were also canceled as the pandemic raged across the country, affecting people and shows and causing venue closures.
As we saw with Tim McGraw having to cancel his shows, touring can take its toll on performers. The pandemic also wreaked havoc on acts who had to cancel shows, but for the sake of fans' safety, performers did what they had to do. And with so many artists coming together to raise funds for worthy causes on Sep. 18, this day shows us just how important community is to country music stars.
