1925 in country music
Encyclopedia
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1925.
Events
- November 28 – Nashville radio station WSMWSM (AM)WSM is the callsign of a 50,000 watt AM radio station located in Nashville, Tennessee. Operating at 650 kHz, its clear channel signal can reach much of North America and various countries, especially late at night...
begins a national institution with its first broadcast of the "WSM Barn Dance" - the weekly program that would go on to be known as the Grand Ole OpryGrand Ole OpryThe Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
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No dates
- Radio station WSMWSM (AM)WSM is the callsign of a 50,000 watt AM radio station located in Nashville, Tennessee. Operating at 650 kHz, its clear channel signal can reach much of North America and various countries, especially late at night...
signs on the air, and is credited for helping spread the popularity of the fledgling country music genre. - "The Prisoner's Song" by Vernon DalhartVernon DalhartVernon Dalhart , born Marion Try Slaughter, was a popular American singer and songwriter of the early decades of the 20th century. He is a major influence in the field of country music.-Early life:...
becomes country music's first-ever million-seller, and has two waves of popularity — during the early summer months and again at the end of the year. The song goes on to sell 7 million copies. - Beginning of "Old Familiar Melodies" series on Columbia RecordsColumbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. - Bradley Kincaid joins the cast of WLSWLS (AM)WLS is a Chicago clear-channel AM station on 890 kHz. It uses C-QUAM AM stereo and transmits with 50,000 watts from transmitter and towers on the south edge of Tinley Park, Illinois....
Barn Dance.
Top hits of the year
- "The Death of Floyd Collins" - Vernon DalhartVernon DalhartVernon Dalhart , born Marion Try Slaughter, was a popular American singer and songwriter of the early decades of the 20th century. He is a major influence in the field of country music.-Early life:...
- "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down" - Charlie PooleCharlie PooleCharlie Poole was an American old time banjo player and country musician and the leader of the North Carolina Ramblers, an American old-time string band that recorded many popular songs between 1925 to 1930.-Biography:...
- "In the Baggage Coach Ahead" - Vernon DalhartVernon DalhartVernon Dalhart , born Marion Try Slaughter, was a popular American singer and songwriter of the early decades of the 20th century. He is a major influence in the field of country music.-Early life:...
- "Letter Edged in Black" - Vernon DalhartVernon DalhartVernon Dalhart , born Marion Try Slaughter, was a popular American singer and songwriter of the early decades of the 20th century. He is a major influence in the field of country music.-Early life:...
- "Old Dan TuckerOld Dan Tucker"Old Dan Tucker", also known as "Ole Dan Tucker", "Dan Tucker", and other variants, is a popular American song. Its origins remain obscure; the tune may have come from oral tradition, and the words may have been written by songwriter and performer Dan Emmett...
" - Fiddlin' John CarsonFiddlin' John CarsonFiddlin' John Carson was an American old time fiddler and an early-recorded country musician.-Early life:... - "Roving Gambler" - Kelly HarrellKelly HarrellKelly Harrell was a country music singer in the 1920s. He recorded more than a dozen songs for OKeh and Victor Records and wrote songs which were recorded by other artists, including Jimmie Rodgers and Ernest Stoneman, in his own lifetime.-Biography:Harrell was born in Draper's Valley, Wythe...
- "Way Down Home" - Gene AustinGene AustinGene Austin was an American singer and songwriter, one of the first "crooners". His 1920s compositions "When My Sugar Walks Down the Street" and "The Lonesome Road" became pop and jazz standards.-Career:...
and Carson RobisonCarson RobisonCarson Jay Robison was an American country music singer and songwriter. Although his impact is generally forgotten today, he played a major role in promoting country music in its early years through numerous recordings and radio appearances. He was also known as Charles Robison and sometimes... - "When the Work's All Done This Fall" Carl T. SpragueCarl T. SpragueCarl T. "Doc" Sprague was an American country musician. He was often dubbed "The Original Singing Cowboy". Sprague was one of the first country musicians on record, recording in the early 1920s.-Biography:...
Births
- February 16 - Jo Walker-Meador, music executive.
- August 7 - Felice BryantFelice and Boudleaux BryantFelice Bryant and Boudleaux Bryant were an American husband-and-wife country music and pop songwriting team best known for songs such as "Rocky Top," "Love Hurts" and numerous Everly Brothers hits, including "All I Have to Do Is Dream" and "Bye Bye Love".-Beginnings:Boudleaux was born Diadorius...
, songwriter (with husband Boudleaux) of many 1950s and 1960s hits (d. 20032003 in country musicThis is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 2003.-Events:*March 10 — During a concert in London, England, Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines said that the band was "ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas"...
). - August 15 - Rose MaddoxRose MaddoxRoselea Maddox , better known as Rose Maddox, was an American country singer-songwriter and fiddle player.Born in Boaz, Alabama, Maddox was the singer in the Maddox Brothers and Rose....
, fiddle player, leader of the Maddox Brothers and RoseMaddox Brothers and RoseThe Maddox Brothers and Rose, known as America’s Most Colorful Hillbilly Band from the 1930s to the 1950s, consisted of four brothers, Fred, Cal, Cliff and Don Maddox, along with their sister Rose. Cliff died in 1949 and was replaced by brother Henry...
, and early innovator of rockabilly (d. 19981998 in country musicThis is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1998.-Events:*January 10 — "Retro Country USA," a weekly two-hour syndicated radio program spotlighting major country hits of the 1980s , premieres...
). - August 28 - Billy Grammer, Grand Ole Opry member best known for his hit "Gotta Travel On." (d. 20112011 in country musicThis is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 2011.-Events:*January 1 — Shania Twain marries Swiss businessman Frédéric Thiébaud in Puerto Rico, less than two weeks after announcing the two were engaged...
) - September 3 - Hank ThompsonHank Thompson (music)Henry William Thompson , known professionally as Hank Thompson, was an American country music entertainer whose career spanned seven decades...
, singer who fused western swing and honky tonk for a series of successful records from the 1940s through 1970s (d. 20072007 in country musicThis is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 2007.-Events:* February 11 — It was a big night for country music artists at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, as they swept the awards in four top categories...
). - September 26 - Marty RobbinsMarty RobbinsMartin David Robinson , known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist...
, multi-genre singer-songwriter and television host (d. 19821982 in country musicThis is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1982.-Events:* October 30 — Hank Williams, Jr. has nine albums simultaneously on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.-United States:...
). - December 3 - Ferlin HuskyFerlin HuskyFerlin Eugene Husky was an early American country music singer who was equally adept at the genres of traditional honky honk, ballads, spoken recitations, and rockabilly pop tunes...
, honky-tonk styled singer of the 1950s through early 1970s, best known for "GoneGone (Ferlin Husky song)"Gone" is a 1957 single by Ferlin Husky written by Smokey Rogers. The song was Ferlin Husky's second #1 on the country chart where it stayed at the top for ten weeks with a total of twenty-seven weeks on the charts...
" and "Wings of a DoveWings of a Dove (Bob Ferguson song)"Wings of a Dove is a gospel song written by Bob Ferguson. "Wings of a Dove" was most popular when it was recorded by Ferlin Husky in 1960. The Ferlin Husky recording went to number one on the country charts for ten non consecutive weeks. It became Ferlin Husky's third and final number one on the...
," and hits under his comic alias "Simon Crum" ("Country Music is Here to Stay")(d. 2011).
Further reading
- Kingsbury, Paul, "Vinyl Hayride: Country Music Album Covers 1947-1989," Country Music Foundation, 2003 (ISBN 0-8118-3572-3)
- Millard, Bob, "Country Music: 70 Years of America's Favorite Music," HarperCollins, New York, 1993 (ISBN 0-06-273244-7)
- Whitburn, Joel. "Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954: The History of American Popular Music", Record Research Inc., Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, 1986 (ISBN 0-89820-083-0).