This Day in Country History: April 27
April 27 had several significant country music festivals, especially the 2024 and 2025 Stagecoach festivals. There was a tribute performance to the late George Jones, a new museum to a…
April 27 had several significant country music festivals, especially the 2024 and 2025 Stagecoach festivals. There was a tribute performance to the late George Jones, a new museum to a folk singer great, and Matt Stell had his Grand Ole Opry debut on April 27.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
From a Grand Ole Opry debut to a surprise concert appearance, these were music milestones for April 27:
- 2019: Matt Stell made his Grand Ole Opry debut. He thrilled the audience with "Prayed for You." This was Stell's breakthrough single that he co-wrote with Ash Bowers and Allison Veltz, which received a 2x Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on September 20, 2022.
- 2024: Kelsea Ballerini surprised the audience at Kenny Chesney's sold-out show at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. Ballerini came on stage in style and sang Chesney's "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" and "You & Tequila."
Cultural Milestones
Honors and tributes were cultural milestones for April 27, including:
- 2013: The Woody Guthrie Center opened in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This museum has artifacts and exhibits that honor and showcase the life's work of one of the most influential folk artists of all time, best known for his song "This Land Is Your Land."
- 2013: The Grand Ole Opry was the venue for a tribute to the late George Jones, who died on April 26, 2013. Brad Paisley, John Conlee, Jimmy C. Newman, and Rhonda Vincent performed and shared fond memories of working with Jones.
Notable Recordings and Performances
April 27 had several country music festivals, including:
- 2024: The Stagecoach music festival in Indio, California, was in full swing with Miranda Lambert, Post Malone, Willie Nelson, and Diplo headlining. ERNEST, Maddie & Tae, Luke Grimes, Asleep at the Wheel, and loads more also entertained the audience.
- 2024: Fans also traveled to Wilkesboro, North Carolina, on this day for the annual MerleFest music festival. Headliners included Sam Bush, The Teskey Brothers, and Brandy Clark. Donna the Buffalo, Sierra Hull, Peter Rowan, and more also took the stage.
- 2025: The lineup for the final day of Stagecoach included Luke Combs, Midland, Scotty McCreery, and Flatland Cavalry. Rocker Sammy Hagar joined the lineup, as did many others like Chayce Beckham and Tracy Lawrence.
- 2025: The MerleFest headliners included Leftover Salmon, Watchhouse, and Peter Rowan. Dale Ann Bradley, Andy May, and The Local Boys also performed at this music festival.
Industry Changes and Challenges
A wedding and a birth were industry changes for April 27.
- 2019: The daughter of Amy Grant and her ex-husband Gary Chapman, Millie Chapman, married her sweetheart, Ben Long. Amy Grant is a well-known singer who is also married to the Country Music Hall of Famer and Grand Ole Opry member Vince Gill.
- 2021: Ernest Keith Smith, best known as ERNEST, and his wife Delaney Royer, welcomed a baby boy, Ryman Saint Smith. This was the couple's first child together.
Spring is a wonderful time to go to country music festivals, and April 27 didn't disappoint with top-name performers like Miranda Lambert, Luke Combs, and ERNEST headlining at Stagecoach. A big congratulations to ERNEST for his new baby on April 27 and to Millie Chapman for her wedding on this day.
