This Day in Country History: March 15

Lady A speak onstage during the 2021 CMT Artist of the Year

Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images

Early GRAMMY Awards, the Grand Ole Opry anniversary, and several record certifications dominated the country music scene on March 15. Many of the milestones, such as Carrie Underwood's invitation to the Grand Ole Opry, which we saw on March 15, had a profound impact on the culture of all genres of music.

Breakthrough Hits and Milestones

GRAMMY Awards, shows, and a venue anniversary were milestones for March 15.

1966: At the ninth Annual GRAMMY Awards, the Best Country & Western Vocal Performance, Female, went to Jeannie Seeley for "Don't Touch Me." The Best Country & Western Vocal Performance, Male, went to David Houston for "Almost Persuaded," which is also the Best Country & Western Song.
2012: Jason Aldean's show at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo broke attendance records. Nearly 75,000 fans were at the show held at Reliant Stadium in Houston, the biggest the venue had seen.
2014: The Grand Ole Opry House celebrated its 40th anniversary with a star-studded lineup. Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Clint Black, and Josh Turner were among the performers.

Cultural Milestones

Artists who made a difference on March 15 included:

2018: During the Walk of Champions ceremony for the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Dierks Bentley received a star on the main floor of the hospital. Bentley is a long-time supporter of this hospital and the local community.
2018: At the Love Rocks benefit concert held at New York's Beacon Theater in New York City, Emmylou Harris, Norah Jones, and Keith Richards headlined. Other performers for this fundraiser that went to God's Love We Deliver included Lucinda Williams, Ann Wilson, and Billy Gibbs.
2008: Randy Travis invited Carrie Underwood to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Underwood made her Opry debut in 2005 and was officially inducted on May 10, 2008.

Notable Recordings and Performances

Record certifications and a song release happened on March 15.

2007: Randy Atkins received a Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for "If You're Going Through Hell."
2019: Kane Brown's "Lose It" received a Platinum certification from the RIAA. In addition, Kelsea Ballerini's "Miss Me More" received a Gold certification on this same date.
2021: Big Machine Label Group released Lady A's "Like a Lady" to country radio.

Industry Changes and Challenges

There were significant changes and challenges on March 15, including:

2020: The COVID-19 pandemic upended the world, including the country music industry. Shania Twain announced she was postponing her Las Vegas residency show, the Academy of Country Music announced it was postponing its awards show, and several bars in Nashville were ordered closed.
2003: The "Mud on the Tires" singer Brad Paisley married his girlfriend Kimberly Williams at Pepperdine University's campus in Malibu, California. The couple met when Kimberly was part of Paisley's music video in 2001.
2023: Miranda Lambert announced she would no longer be with Sony Music Nashville after 18 years with the label. Today, Lambert is signed with Republic Records in partnership with Big Loud and her imprint label, Big Loud Texas.

From artists raising money for others in need to shows and venues closing due to the coronavirus pandemic, March 15 helped shape the future of country music.

Kane Brown Kelsea Ballerini Lady A This Day In History

kristina hallWriter