UK Country Music show presented by CMA member Ben Atkinson and broadcast on stations around the world since 2008. We feature the best in country, roots, americana and bluegrass, plus news from Nashville and Billboard charts.

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Today In Country Music History

Today in Country Music History is one of the most popular features on the programme and we’ve been delivering back into the history books and give you not only a day but a week of country music trivia. On this page, you can discover important events from country music history for each day of the year. Be sure to check back regularly to update your country trivia!

Each week on the show we feature the biggest events of that week in years gone by, so tune in live or catch up right here on our website to find out more about the history of country music and the biggest events that shaped the music you love!

Saturday 23rd January 2021

Choose a date:

Jan 23, 2020
People reports that Tanya Tucker is engaged to fellow singer Craig Dillingham
Jan 23, 2020
Carrie Underwood receives 12 awards from the RIAA, including five multi-platinum singles. "Just A Dream" and "Undo It" go double-platinum, "Cowboy Casanova" rises to triple-platinum, "Blown Away" is certified quadruple-platinum, and "Before He Cheats" hits six-times platinum
Jan 23, 2019
Blake Shelton delivers a surprise pop-up show at Ole Red in Nashville. His set includes the songs "Ol' Red," "Some Beach" and "Turnin' Me On," plus bonus appearances by two former contestants on "The Voice": Pryor Baird joins Shelton on "Workin' Man Blues" and RaeLynn helps out on "Boys 'Round Here"
Jan 23, 2018
Lari White dies of cancer in Nashville. Married to songwriter Chuck Cannon, she earned three Top 10 hits in 1994-1995, had a role in the Tom Hanks movie "Cast Away" and co-produced hits for Billy Dean and Toby Keith
Jan 23, 2014
The Tennessean reports Kenny Chesney filed a copyright infringement suit in Nashville against a T-shirt manufacturer for using his name and a guitar-and-palm tree logo without obtaining permission
Jan 23, 2014
Willie Nelson's version of "Hello Walls" plays on NBC's "Parks And Recreation" as sitcom character Ron Swanson gets acquainted with his iPod
Jan 23, 2014
Contestant Lauren Ogburn, wearing a stars-and-stripes bandana, is sent on to Hollywood after auditioning with "Fancy" on FOX's "American Idol" for a judges panel that includes Keith Urban
Jan 23, 2014
Country fashionista Manuel marries Maria Salinas Del Carmen at the Davidson County Courthouse in Nashville
Jan 23, 2010
Jason Aldean takes a personal tour of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in Macon
Jan 23, 2010
LeAnn Rimes and boyfriend Eddie Cibrian surprise guests at Tail Feathers in Henderson, Colorado, when Rimes takes the stage to do a karaoke version of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face"
Jan 23, 2009
Dailey & Vincent are named Kentucky Colonels by the governor of the Bluegrass State when they perform at the Shepherdsville Music Palace
Jan 23, 2008
Carrie Underwood picks up four nods to lead all artists as the nominees are announced for the second annual CMT Online Awards
Jan 23, 2001
Congresswoman Mary Bono, widow of Sonny Bono, has a benign, grapefruit-sized tumor removed from her abdomen at the Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs. She is romantically linked to Diamond Rio drummer Brian Prout
Jan 23, 2001
Pre-teen Billy Gilman makes the cover of Country Weekly magazine, braces and all
Jan 23, 2001
Razor & Tie releases the album "Goin' South," with The Charlie Daniels Band's "The Devil Went Down To Georgia," Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" and B.W. Stevenson's "My Maria," plus The Allman Brothers Band, The Band and Joe Walsh
Jan 23, 2001
Hollywood releases the soundtrack to "The Wedding Planner." Among its tracks are Olivia Newton-John's "I Honestly Love You" and John Denver's "Annie's Song"
Jan 23, 1982
Ray Charles sings "You Don't Know Me" on the NBC variety series "Barbara Mandrell & The Mandrell Sisters." Also on the show are Merle Travis and new country artist Sylvia, who delivers "Sweet Yesterday" and "You Light Up My Life"
Jan 23, 1982
Conway Twitty's "Red Neckin' Love Makin' Night" arrives at the top of the Billboard country singles chart
Jan 23, 1981
RCA releases Alabama's "Old Flame"
Jan 23, 1981
Slim Whitman performs his recent hit "When" on "The Midnight Special." He also graces the NBC series with a version of the Gene Autry classic "That Silver-Haired Daddy Of Mine"
Jan 23, 1963
Gene Vincent marries Margie Russell at the Dartford Registry Office in England
Jan 23, 1961
Decca releases Lewis Pruitt's "Crazy Bullfrog"
Jan 23, 1960
The Everly Brothers perform "Let It Be Me" and "('Til) I Kissed You" on ABC's weekly music series "The Dick Clark Saturday Night Beechnut Show." Also featured is Jack Scott performing "What In The World's Come Over You"
Jan 23, 1959
Flatt & Scruggs record "Crying My Heart Out Over You" at the Bradley Film & Recording Studio in Nashville. It later becomes a hit for Ricky Skaggs

This ‘Today in Country Music History’ feature is presented with thanks to Roland Note.