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On This Day in Country Music: May 21

Your daily look at this day in country history, from classic Opry nights to the newest No. 1 hits.

What happened on May 21 in country music history?

On May 21, 2003, Toby Keith won Entertainer of the Year at the 38th Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire in Las Vegas. In 1988, Country music took over Madison Square Garden in New York City. It’s also Cody Johnson’s birthday.

THE BIG MOMENT2003

Toby Keith won Entertainer of the Year at the 38th Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire in Las Vegas

Toby Keith won Entertainer of the Year at the 38th Academy of Country Music Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire in Las Vegas. Kenny Chesney and Martina McBride won the top vocalist awards, and Alan Jackson's "Drive (For Daddy Gene)" won Video of the Year.

Country Stars Born on May 21

1987

Cody Johnson

Cody Johnson was born in Sebastopol, Texas. His album Ain't Nothin' to It went to No. 1 on the Billboard country albums chart.

No. 1 Songs on This Date

1964

Buck Owens was at No. 1 on the country chart with "My Heart Skips a Beat." It spent seven weeks on top in two runs. Its flip side, "Together Again," also hit No. 1 and briefly took its place.

1977

Waylon Jennings hit No. 1 on the country chart with "Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)." The song stayed on top for six weeks.

2014

Luke Bryan's Crash My Party was the No. 1 album on the Billboard country chart. His fourth studio album had sold more than 2 million copies in the U.S. by that summer.

Concerts and Shows

1988

Country music took over Madison Square Garden in New York City. Alabama, The Judds, George Strait and Randy Travis all played the big show.

Love, Family and Life Events

1951

Hank Williams checked into the North Louisiana Sanitarium in Shreveport for help with his back pain and his drinking. He went home three days later.

1994

Trisha Yearwood married Robert Reynolds, the bass player for The Mavericks.

Source: wikipedia2007.classicistranieri.com

Remembering the Ones We Lost

2006

Billy Walker died at 77 in a highway accident in Alabama while heading home to Nashville after a show. He is best known for his 1962 No. 1 hit "Charlie's Shoes."

2017

Jimmy LaFave died of cancer at 61 at his home in Austin, Texas. He helped shape the Red Dirt sound in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and was a lifelong champion of Woody Guthrie's songs.

Quick Answers

Which country singers were born on May 21?

Cody Johnson (1987) was born on this date.

What was the No. 1 country song on this date?

It depends on the year. In 1964, Buck Owens was at No. 1 on the country chart with "My Heart Skips a Beat." In 1977, Waylon Jennings hit No. 1 on the country chart with "Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)."

This Week in Country Music History

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