There have been several significant milestones on Dec. 13, including record certifications for top country music artists and the end of Shania Twain’s Las Vegas residency. Luke Combs had a successful show at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville in 2019.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Shania Twain and Luke Combs had milestones on this day:
- 2014: Shania Twain’s Shania: Still The One Las Vegas residency ended after a two-year run that started on Dec. 1, 2012. Twain and her team performed 105 shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
- 2019: Luke Combs wrapped up the Nashville portion of his Beer Never Broke My Heart Tour at the Bridgestone Arena, singing songs that included “Beer Never Broke My Heart” and “Beautiful Crazy.” Toward the end of his performance, Combs sang “Wagon Wheel,” which was a duet with Old Crow Medicine Show, with openers Morgan Wallen and Jameson Rodgers joining in.
Cultural Milestones
A Grand Ole Opry anniversary and holiday cheer happened on Dec. 13:
- 2013: The late Joe Diffie celebrated 20 years as a Grand Ole Opry member, with songs including “Pickup Man” and “John Deere Green.” Diffie was a GRAMMY Award winner who sang down-to-earth songs that appealed to many country music fans. He passed away on March 29, 2020.
- 2018: The band Old Dominion stopped by Sanford Children’s Hospital in Bismarck, North Dakota, along with Santa Claus (who was played by one of the band members) to bring the patients some holiday cheer. The band felt that spreading happiness to hospitalized children helped make their holiday extra special.
Notable Recordings and Performances
The Golden Globe nominations and several record certifications happened on this day:
- 2012: The Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song went to “For You” from the movie Act of Valor, which was written and performed by Keith Urban and Monty Powell. Connie Britton was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama for her role in Nashville.
- 2019: Kip Moore’s “Last Shot” received a Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America, and Carrie Underwood’s “Southbound” also got a Gold. Garth Brooks’ album Triple Live received a Platinum certification, while the album In Pieces got 9x Platinum.
Industry Changes and Challenges
Sadly, a death occurred on Dec. 13:
- 2012: Percussionist Willie Ackerman died at the age of 73. He was the drummer for the Grand Ole Opry house band and played on the show “Hee-Haw.” He also played with greats, such as Patsy Cline, Charlie Pride, Willie Nelson, and Johnny Cash.
- 2013: The “Findin’ a Good Man” singer, Danielle Peck, got engaged to her sweetheart, tour production manager, Josh Smith, on December 13. The couple married on June 12, 2014, at a castle in Ballina, Ireland.
What a sweet gesture Old Dominion made when they visited children in a hospital to spread holiday cheer. Sadly, the country music world also said goodbye to a legend when Willie Ackerman died on this day in 2012.
