Check Your Country Music History: What Happened in Country Music on July 4th?

The only genre in music that greets the United States of America a big fat “Happy Birthday” is country music. Nothing beats the country folks when it comes to patriotism and we have nothing but proud on having that kind of attitude towards this country. Insert Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” here.

Today, we pay tribute to the events that took place during the 4^th of July in the country music arena while drinking some chilled beer from the fridge. So here it is folks, what happened today:

2015

Dierks Bentley performs “Drunk On A Plane” and “Riser” during the “Macy’s Fourth Of July Fireworks Spectacular” on NBC. The annual holiday special also features Kelly Clarkson, Meghan Trainor, James Taylor and Brad Paisley’s renditions of “River Bank” and “Crushin’ It”

2012

Brad Paisley performs a USO show for the military, and for president Barack Obama, on the south lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., closing his set with “Welcome To The Future”

2010

Toby Keith performs “God Love Her,” “How Do You Like Me Now?!” and “American Soldier” from the Charles River Esplanade in Boston on the CBS special “Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular

2006

Johnny Cash released American V – A Hundred Highways his 93rd overall album and a posthumous album by Johnny Cash. As the title implies, it is the fifth entry in Cash’s American series. Like its predecessors, American V: A Hundred Highways was produced by Rick Rubin and released on Rubin’s American Recordings record.

1992

Wynonna’s “I Saw The Light” tops the Billboard country chart

1986

Lee Greenwood performs “God Bless The U.S.A.” in the New York Harbor as the Queen Elizabeth II arrives from England to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty

1985

Willie Nelson’s Fourth of July Picnic in Austin features the first live assembly of the Highwaymen: Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson. Also in the lineup are Neil Young, Hank Snow and June Carter Cash

1981

Barbara Mandrell’s “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool,” featuring a guest appearance by George Jones, goes to #1 on the Billboard country chart

1976

Johnny Cash celebrates the Bicentennial by ringing a replica of the Liberty Bell 200 times in Washington, D.C. Also participating in the event are vice president Nelson Rockefeller and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

1973

Willie Nelson holds his first Fourth of July Picnic in Dripping Springs, Texas

1949

Drummer/record producer James Stroud is born in Shreveport, Louisiana. He plays on hits by Eddie Rabbitt, Conway Twitty and Eddy Raven, and produces Clint Black, Chris Young, Clay Walker, Toby Keith and Tim McGraw, among others

So where were you during these moments? Do you remember some of these? Share us your thoughts on the comments below!

H/T: ThisDayInCountryMusic & CMT