2018 is almost over, so it feels like a good time to look back at some of the biggest things that happened in country music this year, in no particular order.
Like that time Reba showed up in a KFC commercial as Colonel Sanders. Yes, THAT Reba. She was the first woman to ever wear that costume, and yeah, it was a little weird, but a little awesome in its weirdness, no? BRB. I’m craving chicken now.
Or when Carrie Underwood came back after her end-of-2017 accident looking flawless at the ACM Awards in April, even as she had warned us on social media that she might look… different. In her defense, with a ton of stitches in her face when she said it, she really didn’t know what her face would look like, and it turns out she’s human and falters in self-confidence every once in a while, just like the rest of us. She also revealed this year that she’d suffered several miscarriages (unrelated to her accident) before announcing she was pregnant with her second son. She’s due in a few weeks. Hey Carrie – Jess is a good name. Hint, hint.
Not all the big stories were fun or happy. It was February 12th when we lost ‘90s country singer Daryle Singletary (“Too Much Fun,” “Amen Kind of Love”). He was only 46, and apparently he had a blood clot that was discovered too late.
Gretchen Wilson made the news in August when she was arrested for being “belligerent” after what was called a “minor disturbance” on a flight to Connecticut. I maintain that her so-called belligerence was probably Gretchen standing up for herself, and when a woman does THAT, well… she’s obviously a problem (I’ve got your belligerence right here). A few months later when she was able to talk about it, Gretchen said there was no disturbance on the plane, and at her court appearance in September, all charges against her were dropped.
Luke Bryan share with his fans that his mother’s house in Mexico Beach, Florida was destroyed by Hurricane Michael in October. There are photos of her walking through the rubble, obviously devastated. She moved into a trailer temporarily, and Luke said she’s leading efforts to rebuild, not just her own place, but her neighbors’ as well. He said, “every day I call her and it sounds like she’s the foreman of a construction site down there.”
Even Keith Urban was surprised when he was named CMA Entertainer of the Year in November. It had been 13 years since the only other time he won that trophy, and it’s not that he wasn’t deserving of it, it’s just that there were some other heavy hitters in the nominations, and he assumed it would go to one of them. Keeping it real, I think we were all a little surprised, but absolutely thrilled for Keith.
Carly Pearce and Michael Ray revealed over the summer that they were dating and had been for a few months, and then preceded to demonstrate their delirious happiness all over Instagram. Carly said she got advice on dating a fellow artist from her besties Kelsea Ballerini (who has married to Morgan Evans since last December) and Maren Morris (who married Ryan Hurd in March). Well, Michael liked it, so just before Christmas he put a ring on it.
Kane Brown made history in 2018 – in fact, several times. He was the only artist to top five different Billboard charts at once he was the most awarded debut country artist at the AMAs, and when he released his second album Experiment this year, it had the most first-day streams of any country album ever.
Jimmie Allen became the first black country artist to get a #1 with his debut single “Best Shot.” Technically, Darius Rucker did it too when he crossed over to country, but his actual debut single was years earlier with Hootie & The Blowfish, so Jimmie gets the crown.
I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to big things – and hopefully all good ones -- in 2019. And I’m wishing you a year of health, success and lots of live music!
--Jess