This Day in Country History: February 1
The Academy of Country Music Awards were generous to Eric Church and Chris Stapleton on Feb. 1, 2016, and Crystal Gayle’s long-running exhibit closed on this day in 2015. There…
The Academy of Country Music Awards were generous to Eric Church and Chris Stapleton on Feb. 1, 2016, and Crystal Gayle's long-running exhibit closed on this day in 2015. There were benefit shows and record certifications on this day, as well as Luke Combs' debut appearance on Saturday Night Live (SNL) on Feb. 1, 2020.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Crystal Gayle had an exhibit, and Eric Church and Chris Stapleton won awards on Feb. 1, including:
- 2015: Crystal Gayle's Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's exhibit, Crystal Gayle: When I Dream, closed. Artifacts exhibited included stage costumes, guitars, photographs, and awards she accumulated over the decades of her singing career.
- 2016: Eric Church and Chris Stapleton had nominations from the Academy of Country Music Awards. Church had a nomination for Entertainer of the Year and Video of the Year for "Mr. Misunderstood." Stapleton was nominated for Album of the Year for Traveller.
Cultural Milestones
Benefit shows with country music stars that occurred on Feb. 1 included:
- 2019: Travis Tritt was part of the Stars and Guitars benefit concert held at the Gretchen Scott Nelson Fine Arts Center in Lynn Haven, Florida. This show helped to raise funds for the Gulf Coast Children's Advocacy Center.
- 2025: During a free concert held at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California, Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson performed to help raise money for first responders who helped the community during the January 2025 wildfires. The concert, called Jelly Roll & Friends: A Concert for All First Responders, also featured the singer Marshmellow and the band Public Enemy.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Record certifications and an appearance on SNL happened on Feb. 1.
- 2016: Miranda Lambert's album Platinum received a Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In addition, Jason Aldean's "She's Country" had gotten a 3x Platinum certification on this date, while Sam Hunt's album Montevallo received a Platinum and 2x Platinum certification on the same date.
- 2020: Luke Combs made his first appearance on SNL. He performed “Beer Never Broke My Heart," much to the delight of the SNL audience.
Industry Changes and Challenges
A prolific songwriter died on this day, and Miranda Lambert announced she had to reschedule shows on Feb. 1.
- 2003: Singer/songwriter John Jarrad died at the age of 47. Jarred penned songs such as Alabama's "We Can't Love Like This Anymore" and Collin Raye's "My Kind of Girl."
- 2020: Miranda Lambert had to cancel her show in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Denver, Colorado, due to vocal issues. She wanted to be present for the audience, but she just couldn't perform up to her standards.
The beginning of February started strong with Crystal Gayle's exhibit and nominations for the Academy of Country Music Awards. The music industry said goodbye to John Jarred on this day, and Miranda Lambert had to cancel shows on Feb. 1 due to vocal problems, highlighting some of the challenges of touring as a musical artist.
