This Day in Country History: February 7
It was heart-warming to see Darius Rucker have recognition by being inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame on Feb. 7, 1996, while John Conlee and Gene Watson got…
It was heart-warming to see Darius Rucker have recognition by being inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame on Feb. 7, 1996, while John Conlee and Gene Watson got respect by becoming members of the Grand Ole Opry on this day in 1981. Several major country music stars received record certifications and the band members of Florida Georgia Line launched their new bourbon company, Wolf Moon Bourbon, on this day.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Darius Rucker and John Conlee had well-deserved milestones on Feb. 7.
- 1981: Singer/songwriter John Conlee becomes a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Conlee is known for country hits like "Rose Colored Glasses" and "Friday Night Blues."
- 1981: Hank Williams Jr. released "Texas Woman" as his first single from the album Rowdy.
- 1995: Canadian country music fan favorite, Shania Twain, releases her second album, The Woman in Me. This album became Twain's biggest-selling album with over 20 million copies sold worldwide.
- 1996: Former pop/rocker Darius Rucker is inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame. Rucker has three GRAMMY Awards, including Best Country Solo Performance for "Wagon Wheel." This country music artist is known for his philanthropic work through charity events and performances.
- 2020: John Anderson and Blake Shelton sing a duet, "Tuesday I'll Be Gone." This song was about the uncertainty of life with riffs similar to crossover rock songs performed by the Eagles.
Cultural Milestones
Certain Feb. 7 performances and recordings have a lasting influential impact on future musicians, including:
- 1962: Garth Brooks was born on Feb. 7. He later became one of the top country stars with his 1991 album Ropin' the Wind, which became the first country album on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart to hit No. 1, where it was 70 weeks on the charts.
- 1962: Patsy Cline appeared on the Pet Milk Opry TV broadcast. This was Cline's first appearance as part of the Opry family, and her song "Crazy" became an instant hit and is played on the radio and streaming services to this day.
- 2020: Gene Watson is inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. Watson is a well-known country performer with several No. 1 hits who influenced future country artists.
Notable Recordings and Performances
From several impressive record certifications to a star-studded concert, these were notable events for February 7:
- 1981: Singer/songwriter John Conlee becomes a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Conlee is known for country hits like "Rose Colored Glasses" and "Friday Night Blues."
- 1995: Bluegrass and country songstress Alison Krauss released her album Now That I've Found You. This album is a compilation of her early recordings.
- 2018: Tyler Farr's single "Whiskey in My Water" received a Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), up from the Gold certification this song had received in 2014. In addition, Kane Brown's "Heaven" received a Gold certification that later climbed to an 11x Platinum in 2024, while his "Used to Love You Sober" got a Platinum on this date.
- 2019: Stars turned out for The 32nd Annual Tibet House US Benefit Concert held at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Sturgill Simpson, Margo Price, and Jason Isbell were the top performers at this event.
- 2021: Dolly Parton has an ad during the Super Bowl where she parodies her song "9 to 5" to "5 to 9" as a salute to football odds.
Industry Changes and Challenges
From a band starting a bourbon brand to the death of a performer, Feb. 7 was a notable day in country history.
- 2020: Jason Aldean and Florida Georgia Line launch their bourbon company, Wolf Moon Bourbon. From legendary country stars to owners of a liquor brand, performers branch out from their primary industry.
- 2024: Musician Mojo Nixon, who mixed country/Americana roots with rock and roll, died of a cardiac event while on an Outlaw Country Cruise. Nixon was a controversial performer and radio personality with wild ways and controversial subject lines.
The country music industry continues to honor artists with record certifications and awards, as we saw on Feb. 7. From new artists getting record certifications to legendary country music artists being inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, as we saw with Gene Watson and John Conlee, this industry continues to evolve.
