This Day in Country History: July 12
July 12 was an impressive day in the country music world with Garth Brooks performing at the Calgary Stampede, Jason Aldean having a milestone concert, and a country music festival in the city of Chicago.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
These July 12 milestones are now legendary in the industry:
- 2012: The legendary Garth Brooks played the centennial celebration of the famed Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. At the time, Brooks had stopped touring, but came out to tour for this historic event.
- 2013: For the first time, a country music concert was held at Boston’s Fenway Park, home to the Red Sox. The headliner was none other than superstar Jason Aldean. Miranda Lambert and Jake Owen also took the stage at this historic event.
Cultural Milestones
From a famed banjo to a benefit concert, July 12 had a couple of significant cultural milestones, including:
- 2013: The banjo owned by Earl Scruggs is put on display at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Precious Jewels exhibit. This display was part of the museum’s core exhibition, Sing Me Back Home: A Journey Through Country Music, highlighting instruments that help create the sound of country and American music.
- 2017: Reba McEntire, Lee Ann Womack, and Brandy Clark performed at the City Winery in Nashville, Tennessee. This was a benefit to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, which provides support, education, and services to those who are affected or supporting someone going through the disease.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Hats off to Reba McEntire and the headliners at the Windy City Smokeout music festival for keeping fans entertained.
- 2008: The Queen of country music, Reba McEntire, sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the memorial service for former congressman Clem McSpadden. This is historic because McSpadden paid McEntire $10 in 1974 to sing the national anthem at the 1974 National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma, to help launch her career.
- 2024: Chicago, Illinois, saw an influx of cowboy boots on July 12 when fans went to the Windy City Smokeout music festival. Headliners on this day were Parker McCollum, Lee Brice, and Corey Kent, along with The Red Clay Strays and Jake Worthington.
Industry Changes and Challenges
From show cancellations to the passing of a legend to the wedding in Cabo San Lucas, these were notable events on July 12:
- 2017: On July 12, the legendary Loretta Lynn announced she was cancelling the rest of her tour as she continued to recover from the effects of a stroke she had. She also had to push back the release of her new album due to her illness.
- 2019: Singer/songwriter Russell Smith died on July 12 in Franklin, Tennessee, at the age of 70. Smith was part of the Amazing Rhythm Aces and wrote songs for the likes of Tanya Tucker with “Dancing the Night Away.”
- 2019: The “Hold That Thought” singer Chuck Wick married Kasi Williams, Jason Aldean’s sister, in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. They were engaged for four months before tying the knot in a star-studded wedding in the vacation resort town.
How fun for the city of Chicago to have a country music festival on July 12. It was also great to see Garth Brooks back on tour at the Calgary Stampede on this day in country music history.
