This Day in Country History: January 27
The Chicks had their debut album release on Jan. 27, 1998, and Lauren Alaina got the “Golden Ticket” from American Idol. Buck Owens and Merle Haggard were inducted into the Bakersfield Music…
The Chicks had their debut album release on Jan. 27, 1998, and Lauren Alaina got the "Golden Ticket" from American Idol. Buck Owens and Merle Haggard were inducted into the Bakersfield Music Hall of Fame, and Tyler Farr and his wife had a baby on Jan. 27.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
From the Dixie Chicks to Lauren Alaina, these were milestones for Jan. 27:
- 1998: The Chicks, formerly known as The Dixie Chicks, launched their debut album, Wide Open Spaces . This album featured the new singer for the group, Natalie Maines, who replaced Laura Lynch. Wide Open Spaces won Best Country Album at the 41st Annual GRAMMY Awards.
- 2011: At the age of 15, Lauren Alaina auditioned for the TV show American Idol, where the judges gave her a golden ticket to perform later in Hollywood, California. In 2018, Alaina won New Female Artist of the Year at the Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association Awards.
Cultural Milestones
Honors to country music stars who have made an impact on society include:
- 2017: For the inaugural induction into the Bakersfield Music Hall of Fame, Merle Haggard and Buck Owens were in the class. These two legendary country music stars helped create the distinctive Bakersfield Sound style of music.
- 2017: PBS aired Landmarks Live in Concert with Brad Paisley. As part of PBS's Great Performances, Paisley played at West Virginia University in the Appalachian Mountains, close to where Paisley grew up. Brad Paisley is a three-time GRAMMY Award winner with 18 nominations, and he regularly donates to charitable causes through his Brad Paisley Foundation.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Record certifications and an appearance on Saturday Night Live made for notable events.
- 1999: Shania Twain's album Come On Over received an 8x Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). By Nov. 15, 2004, this album had gotten a 2x Diamond certification from the RIAA. In addition, Toby Keith's Greatest Hits, Volume 1 received a Gold certification on this same date.
- 2018: Chris Stapleton and Sturgill Simpson were musical guests on Saturday Night Live. The duo sang Stapleton's "Midnight Train to Memphis" with host Will Ferrell adding his voice to the song.
Industry Changes and Challenges
A death and a new baby were industry changes for this day.
- 2020: The prolific songwriter Eddie Setser died at the age of 77. He is known for songs for Faith Hill, the Oak Ridge Boys, and Reba McEntire. Setser's song "Seven Spanish Angels" was made famous when Willie Nelson recorded it.
- 2021: The "Redneck Crazy" singer, Tyler Farr, and his wife, Hannah, welcomed a baby girl, Hollis Caroline Farr. Little Hollis was born six weeks early at Williamson Medical Center in Franklin, Tennessee, but she and her mom were healthy and happy.
Shania Twain is undoubtedly one of the top female country music artists of all time, and her album certification from the RIAA was well deserved. Brad Paisley is another top artist who had a PBS special about him, which aired on this day in 2017.
