1956 in country music
Encyclopedia
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1956.
)
^ No. 1 song of the year, as determined by Billboard
.A ^ First Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist.
B ^ Only Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist.
Events
- January 30 -- Despite a 4-inch snowstorm, 17,000 fans attend a Coliseum concert in Denver, ColoradoDenver, ColoradoThe City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. On the bill are Webb PierceWebb PierceWebb Michael Pierce was one of the most popular American honky tonk vocalists of the 1950s, charting more number one hits than any other country artist during the decade. His biggest hit was "In The Jailhouse Now," which charted for 37 weeks in 1955, 21 of them at number one...
, Red FoleyRed FoleyClyde Julian Foley , better known as Red Foley, was an American singer, musician, and radio and TV personality who made a major contribution to the growth of country music after World War II....
, the Foggy River Boys, Ray PriceRay Price (musician)Ray Price is an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. His wide-ranging baritone has often been praised as among the best male voices of country music...
, Floyd CramerFloyd CramerFloyd Cramer was an American Hall of Fame pianist who was one of the architects of the "Nashville sound." He popularized the "slip note" piano style where an out-of-tune note slides effortlessly into the correct note...
, Roy Hill, the Echo Valley Boys and others. - March 15 -- Colonel Tom ParkerColonel Tom Parker"Colonel" Thomas Andrew "Tom" Parker born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk, was a Dutch-born entertainment impresario known best as the manager of Elvis Presley...
becomes manager of Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
. - March 22 -- Carl PerkinsCarl PerkinsCarl Lee Perkins was an American rockabilly musician who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning during 1954...
is seriously injured in a car accident near Wilmington, DelawareWilmington, DelawareWilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
, while en route to perform on The Perry ComoPerry ComoPierino Ronald "Perry" Como was an American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with them in 1943. "Mr...
Show. - November 10 -- George JonesGeorge JonesGeorge Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette....
is named the most promising country and western artist, according to Billboard magazine's annual nationwide disc jockey poll. Elvis Presley is the most played C&W artist.
No dates
- Although he already has had one No. 1 hit (with "I Forgot to Remember to ForgetI Forgot to Remember to Forget"I Forgot to Remember to Forget" is a country song written by Stan Kesler and Charlie Feathers. It was recorded at Sun Studio on July 11, 1955, by Elvis Presley, Scotty Moore, Bill Black, and Johnny Bernero on drums, and released on August 20, 1955, along with "Mystery Train"...
") and several other smaller-scale hits, Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
's national star power explodes when "Heartbreak HotelHeartbreak Hotel"Heartbreak Hotel" is a song recorded by American rock and roll musician Elvis Presley. It was released as a single on January 27, 1956, Presley's first on his new record label RCA Victor. His first number-one pop record, "Heartbreak Hotel" topped Billboards Top 100 chart, became his first...
" soars to the top of all three of BillboardBillboard (magazine)Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s country charts by the end of March. The song also completes a rare feat by topping each of the Billboard pop and Rhythm & Blues RecordsHot R&B/Hip-Hop SongsHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
charts. - With release of Ray PriceRay Price (musician)Ray Price is an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. His wide-ranging baritone has often been praised as among the best male voices of country music...
's "Crazy ArmsCrazy Arms"Crazy Arms" is an American country song recorded by Ray Price. The song, released in May 1956, went on to become a hit that year and a honky-tonk standard. It was Price's first number one hit. The song was written by Ralph Mooney and Charles Seals...
", the 4/4 shuffle is established and would transform country music, especially honky tonkHonky tonkA honky-tonk is a type of bar that provides musical entertainment to its patrons...
.
United States
(as certified by BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
)
| Date | Single Name | Artist | Wks. No.1 | Spec. Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 11 | Why Baby Why Why Baby Why "Why Baby Why" is the title of a country music song co-written and originally recorded by George Jones. Released in late 1955 on Starday Records, and produced by Starday co-founder and Jones manager Pappy Daily, it peaked at #4 on the Billboard country charts that year... |
Red Sovine Red Sovine Woodrow Wilson Sovine , better known as Red Sovine, was an American country music singer associated with truck driving songs, particularly those recited as narratives but set to music... and Webb Pierce Webb Pierce Webb Michael Pierce was one of the most popular American honky tonk vocalists of the 1950s, charting more number one hits than any other country artist during the decade. His biggest hit was "In The Jailhouse Now," which charted for 37 weeks in 1955, 21 of them at number one... |
4 | [2] |
| February 25 | I Forgot to Remember to Forget | Elvis Presley Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".... |
5 | [A] |
| March 17 | Heartbreak Hotel Heartbreak Hotel "Heartbreak Hotel" is a song recorded by American rock and roll musician Elvis Presley. It was released as a single on January 27, 1956, Presley's first on his new record label RCA Victor. His first number-one pop record, "Heartbreak Hotel" topped Billboards Top 100 chart, became his first... |
Elvis Presley | 17 |
|
| March 17 | I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby | The Louvin Brothers | 2 | [B] |
| April 7 | Blue Suede Shoes Blue Suede Shoes "Blue Suede Shoes" is a rock and roll standard written and first recorded by Carl Perkins in 1955 and is considered one of the first rockabilly records and incorporated elements of blues, country and pop music of the time... |
Carl Perkins Carl Perkins Carl Lee Perkins was an American rockabilly musician who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning during 1954... |
3 | [B] |
| June 23 | Crazy Arms Crazy Arms "Crazy Arms" is an American country song recorded by Ray Price. The song, released in May 1956, went on to become a hit that year and a honky-tonk standard. It was Price's first number one hit. The song was written by Ralph Mooney and Charles Seals... |
Ray Price Ray Price (musician) Ray Price is an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. His wide-ranging baritone has often been praised as among the best male voices of country music... |
20 | [1], [2], [A] |
| July 14 | I Want You, I Need You, I Love You I Want You, I Need You, I Love You "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" is a popular song written by Maurice Mysels and Ira Kosloff. It is known best for being Elvis Presley's second RCA single album release... |
Elvis Presley | 2 |
|
| July 21 | I Walk the Line I Walk the Line "I Walk the Line" is a song written by Johnny Cash and recorded in 1956. It was performed with the help of Marshall Grant and Luther Perkins, two mechanics that his brother introduced him to following his discharge from the Air Force. Cash and his wife, Vivian, were living in Memphis, Tennessee,... |
Johnny Cash Johnny Cash John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century... |
6 | [2], [A] |
| September 15 | Don't Be Cruel Don't Be Cruel -Legacy:"Don't Be Cruel" went on to become Presley's biggest selling single recorded in 1956, with sales over six million by 1961. It became a regular feature of his live sets until his death in 1977, and was often coupled with "Jailhouse Rock" or "Teddy Bear" during performances from 1969.Many... /Hound Dog Hound Dog (song) "Hound Dog" is a twelve-bar blues written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and originally recorded by Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton in 1952. Other early versions illustrate the differences among blues, country, and rock and roll in the mid-1950s. The 1956 remake by Elvis Presley is the best-known... |
Elvis Presley | 10 |
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... chart. |
| November 10 | Singing the Blues Singing the Blues "Singing the Blues" is a popular song written by Melvin Endsley and published in 1956. The best-known recording was released in October 1956 by Guy Mitchell and spent nine weeks at #1 on the U.S... |
Marty Robbins Marty Robbins Martin David Robinson , known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist... |
13 |
^ No. 1 song of the year, as determined by Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
.
- 2
- Note: Several songs were simultaneous No. 1 hits on the separate "Most Played C&W in Juke Boxes," "Most Played C&W by Jockeys" and "C&W Best Sellers in Stores" charts.
Other major hits
| US | Single | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | According to My Heart | Jim Reeves Jim Reeves James Travis Reeves , better known as Jim Reeves, was an American country and popular music singer-songwriter. With records charting from the 1950s to the 1980s, he became well-known for being a practitioner of the Nashville sound... |
| 7 | Any Old Time | Webb Pierce Webb Pierce Webb Michael Pierce was one of the most popular American honky tonk vocalists of the 1950s, charting more number one hits than any other country artist during the decade. His biggest hit was "In The Jailhouse Now," which charted for 37 weeks in 1955, 21 of them at number one... |
| 5 | Be-Bop-A-Lula Be-Bop-A-Lula "Be-Bop-A-Lula" is a rockabilly song first recorded in 1956 by Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps.-Origins of the song:The writing of the song is credited to Gene Vincent and his manager, Bill "Sheriff Tex" Davis. There is evidence that the song was started in 1955, when Vincent was recuperating from... |
Gene Vincent Gene Vincent Vincent Eugene Craddock , known as Gene Vincent, was an American musician who pioneered the styles of rock and roll and rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-A-Lula", is considered a significant early example of rockabilly... |
| 6 | Before I Met You | Carl Smith Carl Smith (country musician) Carl Milton Smith was an American country music singer. Known as "Mister Country," Smith was the husband of June Carter and Goldie Hill, the drinking companion of Johnny Cash, and the father of Carlene Carter... |
| 4 | The Blackboard of My Heart | Hank Thompson |
| 7 | Boppin' the Blues | Carl Perkins Carl Perkins Carl Lee Perkins was an American rockabilly musician who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning during 1954... |
| 15 | Casey Jones (The Brave Engineer) | Eddy Arnold Eddy Arnold Richard Edward Arnold , known professionally as Eddy Arnold, was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a so-called Nashville sound innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the Billboard country music charts, second only to George Jones. He sold more... |
| 7 | Cash on the Barrelhead Cash on the Barrelhead "Cash on the Barrelhead" is a song written by Charlie and Ira Louvin, known professionally as the Louvin Brothers, which was first recorded and released in 1956 as the B-side of "You're Running Wild"... |
The Louvin Brothers |
| 12 | The Cat Came Back | Sonny James Sonny James James Loden , known professionally as Sonny James, is an American country music singer and songwriter best known for his 1957 hit, "Young Love". Dubbed the Southern Gentleman, James had 72 country and pop chart hits from 1953 to 1983, including a five-year streak of 16 straight among his 23 No. 1... |
| 3 | 'Cause I Love You | Webb Pierce |
| 14 | Cheated Too | Wilma Lee Cooper Wilma Lee Cooper Wilma Lee Leary , known professionally as Wilma Lee Cooper, was an American bluegrass-based country music entertainer.-Biography:... and Stoney Cooper Stoney Cooper Dale Troy Cooper , known professionally as Stoney Cooper, was an American country star and member of the Grand Ole Opry. He was a master of the fiddle and the guitar.-Biography:... |
| 13 | Come Back to Me | Jimmy C. Newman Jimmy C. Newman Jimmy Yves Newman , better known as Jimmy C. Newman , is an American singer and a long time star of the Grand Ole Opry.-Biography:Newman was born near Big Mamou, Louisiana... |
| 4 | Conscience I'm Guilty | Hank Snow Hank Snow Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow was a Canadian-American country music artist. He charted more than 70 singles on the Billboard country charts from 1950 until 1980... |
| 10 | Dixie Fried | Carl Perkins |
| 6 | Doorstep to Heaven | Carl Smith |
| 3 | Eat, Drink, and Be Merry (Tomorrow You'll Cry) | Porter Wagoner Porter Wagoner Porter Wayne Wagoner was a popular American country music singer known for his flashy Nudie and Manuel suits and blond pompadour. He introduced the young Dolly Parton near the beginning of her career on his long-running television show, and they were a well-known duet throughout the late 1960s and... |
| 4 | Folsom Prison Blues Folsom Prison Blues "Folsom Prison Blues" is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music artist Johnny Cash. The song combines elements from two popular folk genres, the train song and the prison song, both of which Cash would continue to use for the rest of his career... |
Johnny Cash Johnny Cash John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century... |
| 14 | The Fool | Sanford Clark Sanford Clark Sanford Clark is an American country-rockabilly singer and guitarist best known for his 1956 hit "The Fool".-Biography:... |
| 6 | Go Away with Me | The Wilburn Brothers The Wilburn Brothers The Wilburn Brothers were a popular American country music duo from the 1950s to the 1970s consisting of brothers Doyle Wilburn and Teddy Wilburn .-Biography:... |
| 9 | God Was So Good | Jimmy C. Newman |
| 5 | Hold Everything (Till I Get Home) | Red Sovine Red Sovine Woodrow Wilson Sovine , better known as Red Sovine, was an American country music singer associated with truck driving songs, particularly those recited as narratives but set to music... |
| 9 | Honky-Tonk Man Honky Tonk Man (song) "Honky Tonk Man" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Johnny Horton. It was released in March 1956 as his debut single, reaching #9 on the U.S. country singles charts... |
Johnny Horton Johnny Horton John Gale "Johnny" Horton was an American country music and rockabilly singer most famous for his semi-folk, so-called "saga songs" which began the "historical ballad" craze of the late 1950s and early 1960s... |
| 7 | Hoping That You're Hoping | The Louvin Brothers |
| 11 | How Far Is Heaven | Kitty Wells Kitty Wells Ellen Muriel Deason , known professionally as Kitty Wells, is an American country music singer. Her 1952 hit recording, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels", made her the first female country singer to top the U.S. country charts, and turned her into the first female country star... |
| 5 | Hula Rock | Hank Snow |
| 7 | I Feel Like Cryin' | Carl Smith |
| 15 | I Gotta Know I Gotta Know (Wanda Jackson single) "I Gotta Know" is a rockabilly song recorded by Wanda Jackson in 1956, and released as a single by Capital Records as 45-15586. It was written by Thelma Blackmon. Jackson's version of the song reached #15 on the Billboard Country Singles chart... |
Wanda Jackson Wanda Jackson Wanda Lavonne Jackson is an American singer, songwriter, pianist and guitarist who had success in the mid-1950s and 60s as one of the first popular female rockabilly singers and a pioneering rock and roll artist... |
| 2 | I Take the Chance | The Browns The Browns The Browns were an American country and folk music vocal trio best known for their 1959 Grammy-nominated hit, "The Three Bells". The group, composed of Jim Ed Brown and his sisters Maxine and Bonnie Brown, had a close, smooth harmony characteristic of the Nashville sound, though their music also... |
| 13 | I Want to Be Loved | Johnnie & Jack Johnnie & Jack Johnnie & Jack was an American country music duo composed of Johnnie Wright and Jack Anglin . Between 1951 and 1962, the duo released several singles on the RCA Victor Records label, including their version of "Goodnite, Sweetheart, Goodnite" which peaked at number four on the Best Seller charts,... |
| 8 | I Was the One | Elvis Presley Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".... |
| 13 | I'd Rather Stay Home | Kitty Wells |
| 7 | I'm a One-Woman Man I'm a One-Woman Man "I'm a One-Woman Man" is a song co-written by American country music artist Johnny Horton and Tillman Franks. It was originally released as a single by Horton in 1956, whose version peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.... |
Johnny Horton |
| 11 | I'm Moving In | Hank Snow |
| 14 | I'm Not Mad, Just Hurt | Hank Thompson |
| 10 | I'm So in Love with You | The Wilburn Brothers |
| 11 | I've Changed | Carl Smith |
| 2 | I've Got a New Heartache I've Got a New Heartache "I've Got a New Heartache" is a single by American country music artist Ray Price. Released in 1956, it was the first new single from his Greatest Hits album. The song reached #2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.-Chart performance:... |
Ray Price Ray Price (musician) Ray Price is an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. His wide-ranging baritone has often been praised as among the best male voices of country music... |
| 4 | I've Got Five Dollars and It's Saturday Night | Faron Young Faron Young Faron Young was an American country music singer and songwriter from the early 1950s into the mid-1980s and one of its most successful and colorful stars... |
| 5 | It's a Great Life (If You Don't Weaken) | Faron Young |
| 11 | Just as Long as You Love Me | The Browns |
| 3 | Just One More | George Jones George Jones George Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette.... |
| 5 | Little Rosa | Red Sovine and Webb Pierce |
| 7 | The Lonely Side of Town | Kitty Wells |
| 10 | Love Me Love Me (Leiber/Stoller song) "Love Me" is a sentimental song composed by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and popularized by Elvis Presley in 1956. Conceived as a parody of a country western music, it was initially interpreted by R&B duo Willy and Ruth in 1954 , then by Georgia Gibbs the same year... |
Elvis Presley |
| 3 | Love Me Tender Love Me Tender (song) "Love Me Tender" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley and published by Elvis Presley Music, adapted from the tune of "Aura Lee" , a sentimental Civil War ballad.- History :... |
Elvis Presley |
| 13 | My Baby Left Me My Baby Left Me My Baby Left Me is a rhythm and blues song written by blues singer Arthur Crudup in the late 1940s.It gained further exposure in covers by Elvis Presley, who placed his version on the b-side to his 1956 single "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You"; by Creedence Clearwater Revival, who recorded it as... |
Elvis Presley |
| 8 | My Lips Are Sealed | Jim Reeves |
| 11 | Mystery Train Mystery Train "Mystery Train" is a song written by Junior Parker and Sam Phillips. It was first recorded in Phillip's Memphis Recording Service and Sun Records at 706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee in 1953. Raymond Hill plays tenor sax and Matt Murphy plays lead guitar with Bill Johnson on piano, Pat Hare on... |
Elvis Presley |
| 9 | Only You, Only You | Charlie Walker Charlie Walker (musician) Charlie Walker was an American country musician born in Copeville, Texas. He held membership in the Grand Ole Opry from 1967, and was inducted into the Country Radio DJ Hall of Fame in 1981.- Career :... |
| 2 | Poor Man's Riches | Benny Barnes |
| 5 | Run Boy | Ray Price |
| 3 | Searching (For Someone Like You) | Kitty Wells |
| 9 | Seasons of My Heart | Jimmy C. Newman |
| 4 | So Doggone Lonesome So Doggone Lonesome "So Doggone Lonesome" is a song written by country singer Johnny Cash. He and his band recorded the song in a studio session at Sun Records studios at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee; the session took place on July 30, 1955, when the trio also recorded "Luther Played The Boogie" and "Mean... |
Johnny Cash |
| 2 | Sweet Dreams | Faron Young |
| 9 | Sweet Dreams | Don Gibson Don Gibson Donald Eugene "Don" Gibson was an American songwriter and country musician. A Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, Gibson penned such country standards as "Sweet Dreams" and "I Can't Stop Loving You", and enjoyed a string of country hits from 1957 into the early 1970s.-Biography:Don Gibson was... |
| 10 | Teenage Boogie | Webb Pierce |
| 12 | That's All | Tennessee Ernie Ford Tennessee Ernie Ford Ernest Jennings Ford , better known as Tennessee Ernie Ford, was an American recording artist and television host who enjoyed success in the country and Western, pop, and gospel musical genres... |
| 5 | These Hands | Hank Snow |
| 7 | Trouble in Mind Trouble in Mind (song) "Trouble in Mind" is a slow eight-bar blues song written by jazz pianist Richard M. Jones. The song was recorded in 1924 by singer Thelma La Vizzo with Jones providing the piano accompaniment... |
Eddy Arnold |
| 11 | Tryin' to Forget the Blues | Porter Wagoner |
| 9 | Turn Her Down | Faron Young |
| 11 | Twenty Feet of Muddy Water | Sonny James |
| 14 | Uncle Pen Uncle Pen (song) "Uncle Pen" is a song written by Bill Monroe about his uncle and musical mentor, Pendleton Vandiver. Besides Monroe, the song was recorded by Porter Wagoner in 1956 and Ricky Skaggs in 1984. "Uncle Pen" was Ricky Skaggs ninth number one single on the country chart... |
Porter Wagoner |
| 14 | Waltz of the Angels | Wynn Stewart Wynn Stewart Winford Lindsey Stewart , better known as Wynn Stewart, was an American country music performer. He was one of the progenitors of the Bakersfield sound... |
| 4 | Wasted Words | Ray Price |
| 7 | What Am I Worth | George Jones |
| 8 | What Would You Do? (If Jesus Came to Your House) | Porter Wagoner |
| 15 | What Would You Do? (If Jesus Came to Your House) | Red Sovine |
| 9 | Why Baby Why Why Baby Why "Why Baby Why" is the title of a country music song co-written and originally recorded by George Jones. Released in late 1955 on Starday Records, and produced by Starday co-founder and Jones manager Pappy Daily, it peaked at #4 on the Billboard country charts that year... |
Hank Locklin Hank Locklin Lawrence Hankins Locklin , better known as Hank Locklin, was an American country music singer-songwriter... |
| 9 | Wicked Lies | Carl Smith |
| 10 | Without Your Love | Bobby Lord Bobby Lord Robert L. Lord , better known as Bobby Lord, was an American country music artist popular in the 1950s and 60s.-Biography:... |
| 2 | Yes I Know Why | Webb Pierce |
| 3 | You and Me | Kitty Wells and Red Foley Red Foley Clyde Julian Foley , better known as Red Foley, was an American singer, musician, and radio and TV personality who made a major contribution to the growth of country music after World War II.... |
| 4 | You Are the One | Carl Smith |
| 10 | You Don't Know Me | Eddy Arnold |
| 7 | You Gotta Be My Baby | George Jones |
| 6 | You're Free to Go | Carl Smith |
| 13 | You're Not Play Love | The Wilburn Brothers |
| 7 | You're Running Wild | The Louvin Brothers |
| 3 | You're Still Mine | Faron Young |
Births
- January 18 — Mark CollieMark CollieGeorge Mark Collie is an American country music artist and occasional actor. He has released eight albums, and has charted 16 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. His highest peaking singles are "Even the Man in the Moon Is Cryin'" at #5, and "Born to Love You" at #6, from 1992 and...
, country artist of the early 1990s. - March 26 — Charly McClainCharly McClainCharlotte Denise McClain is an American country music singer, best-known for series of Country hits during the 1980s....
, country vocalist of the early-to-mid-1980s. - June 19 — Doug Stone, popular country vocalist during the early- to mid-1990s.
- July 6 — John JorgensonJohn JorgensonJohn Jorgenson is a US musician. Although best known for his guitar work with bands such as the Desert Rose Band and The Hellecasters, Jorgenson is also proficient in the mandolin, mandocello, Dobro, pedal steel, piano, upright bass, clarinet, bassoon and saxophone...
, member of The Desert Rose Band. - September 22 — Debby BooneDebby BooneDeborah Anne Boone is an American singer and stage actress. She is best known for her 1977 hit, "You Light Up My Life," which spent a then record ten weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and led to her winning the Grammy Award for Best New Artist the following year...
, granddaughter of Red FoleyRed FoleyClyde Julian Foley , better known as Red Foley, was an American singer, musician, and radio and TV personality who made a major contribution to the growth of country music after World War II....
who enjoyed country success of her own in the late 1970s and early 1980s. - October 23 — Dwight YoakamDwight YoakamDwight David Yoakam is an American singer-songwriter, actor and film director, most famous for his pioneering country music...
, neotraditionalist since the mid-1980s who helped revitalize interest in the Bakersfield SoundBakersfield soundThe Bakersfield sound was a genre of country music developed in the mid- to late 1950s in and around Bakersfield, California. The many hit singles were largely produced by Capitol Records country music head, Ken Nelson. Bakersfield country was a reaction against the slickly produced, string...
. - December 9 — Sylvia KirbySylvia (singer)Sylvia Jane Kirby is an American country music and country pop singer and songwriter. More commonly known by the singular name Sylvia, she enjoyed crossover music success with the song "Nobody" in 1982....
, pop-styled female vocalist of the early-1980s who became best known as "Sylvia." - December 21 — Lee Roy ParnellLee Roy ParnellLee Roy Parnell is an American country music artist. Active since 1990, he has recorded eight studio albums, and has charted more than twenty singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts...
, alternative country star who enjoyed mainstream country success during the mid-1990s. - December 30 — Suzy BoggussSuzy BoggussSusan Kay "Suzy" Bogguss is an American country music singer. In the 1980s and 90s she released one platinum and three gold albums and charted six top ten singles, winning the Academy of Country Music's award for Top New Female Vocalist and the Country Music Association's Horizon Award.After...
, folk-styled country artist who rose to fame in the early 1990s.
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. "Top Country Songs 1944-2005 - 6th Edition." 2005.