# 1965 in country music

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in 1965.

## Events

* January — Leo Fender, founder of Fender Guitars, sells his company to a subsidiary of Columbia Records for $13 million.
* February 17 — "The Tennessee Waltz" is declared the state song of Tennessee.
* October — Country Music Association president Tex Ritter awards Leo Fender the President's Award for "outstanding contributions to the sound of country music."

### No dates

* The Vietnam War, which by now was making daily headlines, brings about the second wave of patriotic-themed songs. One of the first big songs was Johnnie Wright's "Hello Vietnam," a No. 1 hit in October. Late in the year, Dave Dudley records and releases "What We're Fighting For," an early response to the growing number of anti-Vietnam War protests. The trend continues through the rest of the 1960s and early 1970s, with songs such as "Distant Drums" by Jim Reeves; "The Ballad of the Green Berets" by Staff Sgt. Barry Sadler; "Dear Uncle Sam" by Loretta Lynn; and others. By the late 1960s, the tone of the songs became darker, most notably the Mel Tillis-penned "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town" (first a hit for Johnny Darrell, but more famously in 1969 by Kenny Rogers and the First Edition).
* Country singer Merle Haggard marries fellow country singer and former wife of Buck Owens, Bonnie Owens, they will stay married until their divorce in 1978 but go on to be great friends and Owens will continue to tour with Haggard until her death in 2006.
* Dolly Parton signs her first national recording contract with Monument Records. Initially pitched to the teen market as a bubblegum pop singer, she makes her first Billboard magazine chart appearance, peaking at No. 8 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart in October with a cover of The Tune Weavers' "Happy, Happy Birthday Baby." A second single, "Busy Signal", is released in December but does not reach any of the Billboard charts. Also during the year, she writes "Put It Off Until Tomorrow", recording both a solo version and backing Bill Phillips on his own version, the latter which became a hit in 1966 and would lead to her being allowed to change her style from pop to country (a reverse of what would happen a decade later, after she had become a superstar).
* Ernest Tubb debuts his new weekly TV show, which airs in syndication through 1969, mainly in southern U.S. markets. The show features his backing band the Texas Troubadours, and regular vocalists Jack Greene and Cal Smith.

## Top hits of the year
### Number one hits
#### United States

(as certified by Billboard)
| Date | Single Name | Artist | Wks. No.1 | Spec. Note |
| January 23 | You're the Only World I Know | Sonny James | 4 | Sonny's first Number One since "Young Love" in 1957. |
| February 20 | I've Got a Tiger By the Tail | Buck Owens | 5 | |
| March 27 | King of the Road | Roger Miller | 5 | Also reached Number Four on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and Number One on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks charts and in the United Kingdom. |
| May 1 | This Is It | Jim Reeves | 3 | Returns to Number One May 29. |
| May 15 | Girl on the Billboard | Del Reeves | 2 | |
| June 5 | What's He Doing in My World | Eddy Arnold | 2 | |
| June 19 | Ribbon of Darkness | Marty Robbins | 1 | Written by Gordon Lightfoot. |
| June 26 | Before You Go | Buck Owens | 6 | |
| August 7 | The First Thing Ev'ry Morning (And the Last Thing Ev'ry Night) | Jimmy Dean | 2 | |
| August 21 | Yes, Mr. Peters | Roy Drusky with Priscilla Mitchell | 2 | |
| September 4 | The Bridge Washed Out | Warner Mack | 1 | |
| September 11 | Is It Really Over? | Jim Reeves | 3 | |
| October 2 | Only You (Can Break My Heart) | Buck Owens | 1 | |
| October 9 | Behind the Tear | Sonny James | 3 | Returns to Number One November 13. |
| October 23 | Hello Vietnam | Johnnie Wright | 3 | Originally half member of the duo Johnnie & Jack, Wright went solo following Jack's death in 1963. This song marked a feat Wright could not do with Jack, reach Number One. This was one of the first country music songs to discuss the conflicts about the Vietnam War. |
| November 20 | May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose | Little Jimmy Dickens | 2 | |
| December 4 | Make the World Go Away | Eddy Arnold | 3 | |
| December 25 | Buckaroo | Buck Owens and the Buckaroos | 2 | |

##### Notes

* 1^ No. 1 song of the year, as determined by Billboard.
* 2^ Song dropped from No. 1 and later returned to top spot.
* A^ First Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist.
* B^ Last Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist.
* C^ Only Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist to date.

#### Canada

(as certified by RPM)
| Date | Single Name | Artist | Wks. No.1 | Spec. Note |
| January 18 | Hitch Hikin’ | Dick Damron | 2 | |
| February 1 | Bitty Baby | Howard Sisters | 3 | |
| February 22 | Afraid | Donn Reynolds | 2 | |
| March 8 | Texas Leather and Mexican Lace | Bob King | 8 | |
| April 26 | I Wish That I Could Fall | Sandy Selsie | 3 | Returned to Number One on June 14. |
| May 10 | Klondike Mike | Hal Willis | 3 | |
| June 7 | Skip, Hop and Wobble | Artie McLearen | 1 | |
| June 21 | Can't Live with Him | Myrna Lorrie | 1 | |
| June 28 | Picking Up My Hat | Debbie Lori Kaye | 9 | |
| August 30 | Cathy Keep Playing | Stu Phillips | 3 | |
| September 20 | My Good Life | Cy Anders | 3 | |
| October 18 | Break the News to Liza | Gary Buck | 2 | |
| November 1 | My Tennessee Baby | Danny Harrison | 3 | |
| November 22 | Marjolaina | Jimmy James | 6 | |

##### Notes

* 2^ Song dropped from No. 1 and later returned to top spot.
* A^ First RPM No. 1 hit for that artist.
* B^ Last RPM No. 1 hit for that artist.
* C^ Only RPM No. 1 hit for that artist.

### Other major hits
#### Singles released by American artists

| US | Single | Artist |
| 19 | Again | Don Gibson |
| 8 | Artificial Rose | Jimmy C. Newman |
| 13 | Back in Circulation | Jimmy C. Newman |
| 18 | Because I Cared | Ernest Ashworth |
| 4 | The Belles of Southern Bell | Del Reeves |
| 7 | Blue Kentucky Girl | Loretta Lynn |
| 11 | Bright Lights and Country Music | Bill Anderson |
| 12 | Certain | Bill Anderson |
| 17 | Close All the Honky Tonks | Charlie Walker |
| 16 | Country Guitar | Phil Baugh |
| 12 | Crystal Chandelier | Carl Belew |
| 8 | The DJ Cried | Ernest Ashworth |
| 11 | A Dear John Letter | Skeeter Davis and Bobby Bare |
| 15 | Do-Wacka-Do | Roger Miller |
| 7 | Do What You Do Do Well | Ned Miller |
| 46 | Endless Sleep | Hank Williams Jr. |
| 2 | Engine Engine Number 9 | Roger Miller |
| 3 | Four Strong Winds | Bobby Bare |
| 6 | All My Friends Are Gonna Be Strangers | Roy Drusky |
| 10 | Gonna Have Love | Buck Owens |
| 4 | Green, Green Grass of Home | Porter Wagoner |
| 3 | Happy Birthday | Loretta Lynn |
| 9 | Hicktown | Tennessee Ernie Ford |
| 10 | The Home You're Tearing Down | Loretta Lynn |
| 9 | I Can't Remember | Connie Smith |
| 8 | I Thank My Lucky Stars | Eddy Arnold |
| 8 | I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water | Stonewall Jackson |
| 3 | I Won't Forget You | Jim Reeves |
| 8 | I Wouldn't Buy a Used Car from Him | Norma Jean |
| 2 | I'll Keep Holding On (Just to Your Love) | Sonny James |
| 8 | I'll Repossess My Heart | Kitty Wells |
| 19 | I'm Gonna Tie One On Tonight | The Wilburn Brothers |
| 15 | I'm Letting You Go | Eddy Arnold |
| 16 | I've Got Five Dollars and It's Saturday Night | George Jones and Gene Pitney |
| 4 | If I Talk to Him | Connie Smith |
| 16 | If It Pleases You | Billy Walker |
| 4 | It Ain't Me Babe | Johnny Cash and June Carter |
| 7 | It's Alright | Bobby Bare |
| 5 | It's Another World | The Wilburn Brothers |
| 7 | Kansas City Star | Roger Miller |
| 15 | Least of All | George Jones |
| 3 | Livin' in a House Full of Love | David Houston |
| 6 | Love Bug | George Jones |
| 8 | Matamoros | Billy Walker |
| 9 | Meanwhile, Down at Joe's | Kitty Wells |
| 15 | Mister Garfield | Johnny Cash |
| 10 | (My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers | Merle Haggard |
| 8 | More Than Yesterday | Slim Whitman |
| 19 | My Old Faded Rose | Johnny Sea |
| 3 | Ode to the Little Brown Shack Out Back | Billy Edd Wheeler |
| 10 | One Dyin' and a Buryin' | Roger Miller |
| 3 | Orange Blossom Special | Johnny Cash |
| 2 | The Other Woman (In My Life) | Ray Price |
| 15 | Pass the Booze | Ernest Tubb |
| 11 | Pushed in a Corner | Ernest Ashworth |
| 5 | Queen of the House | Jody Miller |
| 7 | See the Big Man Cry | Charlie Louvin |
| 12 | She's Gone Gone Gone | Lefty Frizzell |
| 4 | Sittin' in an All Nite Cafe | Warner Mack |
| 12 | Six Times a Day (The Trains Come Down) | Dick Curless |
| 10 | The Sons of Katie Elder | Johnny Cash |
| 16 | Stop the World (And Let Me Off) | Waylon Jennings |
| 18 | Sweet, Sweet Judy | David Houston |
| 38 | A Tear Dropped By | Jean Shepard |
| 2 | 10 Little Bottles | Johnny Bond |
| 20 | That Ain't All | John D. Loudermilk |
| 4 | Then and Only Then | Connie Smith |
| 9 | Things Have Gone to Pieces | George Jones |
| 8 | Three A.M. | Bill Anderson |
| 15 | A Tiger in My Tank | Jim Nesbitt |
| 6 | Tiger Woman | Claude King |
| 5 | A Tombstone Every Mile | Dick Curless |
| 3 | Truck Drivin' Son-of-a-Gun | Dave Dudley |
| 11 | Truck Drivin' Man | George Hamilton IV |
| 15 | Two Six Packs Away | Dave Dudley |
| 10 | Walk Tall | Faron Young |
| 18 | Walking the Floor Over You | George Hamilton IV |
| 10 | Watch Where You're Going | Don Gibson |
| 21 | White Lightnin' Express | Roy Drusky |
| 13 | Who Do You Think I Am | Webb Pierce |
| 8 | Wild as a Wildcat | Charlie Walker |
| 14 | Wine | Mel Tillis |
| 14 | Wrong Number | George Jones |
| 4 | Yakety Axe | Chet Atkins |
| 4 | You Don't Hear | Kitty Wells |

#### Singles released by Canadian artists

| US | CAN | Single | Artist |
| — | 5 | Backstreets of Life | Gary Buck |
| — | 10 | Badger Bodine | Lennie Siebert |
| — | 6 | Big Treaty | Scotty Stevenson |
| — | 2 | Born to Love | Danny Coughlin |
| — | 5 | Bottoms Up | Jimmy James |
| — | 6 | Bring on My Love | Mac Wiseman |
| — | 2 | Cadillacin' Around | Angus Walker |
| — | 2 | Come on in Mr. Heartache | Lennie Siebert |
| — | 6 | Country Corn | Jimmy Doyle |
| — | 2 | Do You Wish You Were Free | Myrna Lorrie |
| — | 10 | Don't Lead Me On | Ray Griff |
| — | 2 | Everybody's Looking at My | Jimmy James |
| — | 4 | Freckles, Freckles | Skip Evans |
| — | 3 | Girl with the Sad Lonely Look | Bob King |
| — | 2 | Golden Rocket | Dick Nolan |
| — | 2 | Golden Years | Ray Griff |
| — | 10 | Heartache No. 5 | Sharon Strong |
| — | 3 | I'll Count Every Hour | Pat Hervey |
| — | 2 | I'm Not Sayin' | Gordon Lightfoot |
| — | 9 | If Loving You Did This | Ruthie McLean |
| — | 3 | Isle of Newfoundland | Bert Cuff |
| — | 6 | Just Look Behind You | Gary Buck |
| — | 4 | Little Tot | Art Young |
| — | 2 | Lookin' Back to See | The Canadian Sweethearts |
| — | 4 | Lorelei | Donn Reynolds |
| — | 3 | The Man | Lorne Greene |
| — | 7 | Nickel Piece of Candy | Wimmen |
| — | 6 | Nighthawk | Gary Buck |
| — | 7 | Nopper the Topper | Hal Willis |
| — | 4 | Saddle Shootin' Buddy | Johnny Rocker |
| — | 10 | Seven Days a Week | Bert Cuff |
| — | 2 | She Taught Me How to Yodel | Donn Reynolds |
| — | 4 | Sittin' and Thinkin' | Jerry Hatton |
| — | 6 | Spring Rains | Rita Curtis |
| — | 5 | Stand Upon the Mountain | The Canadian Sweethearts |
| — | 4 | A Taste of Love | Doug Hutton |
| — | 7 | That's the Way It Happens | Sandy Selsie |
| — | 6 | This Old Heart | Dusty King |
| — | 8 | Twisting the Pick | Roy Penney |
| — | 6 | Victim of Love | Jimmy James |
| — | 2 | What Will Tomorrow Bring | Danny Coughlin |
| — | 6 | Weeping Willow Tree | Ray Griff |
| 7 | — | The Wishing Well (Down in the Well) | Hank Snow |
| — | 6 | Wrapped Around Your Finger | MacKay Brothers |

## Top new album releases

| Album | Artist | Record Label |
| Before You Go | Buck Owens | Capitol |
| Behind the Tear | Sonny James | Capitol |
| Blues in My Heart | Wanda Jackson | Capitol |
| Breakin' in Another Heart | Hank Thompson | Capitol |
| Bright Lights and Country Music | Bill Anderson | Decca |
| Chet Atkins Picks on The Beatles | Chet Atkins | RCA |
| Connie Smith | Connie Smith | RCA |
| Country Willie: His Own Songs | Willie Nelson | RCA |
| Cute 'n' Country | Connie Smith | RCA |
| Doodle oo Doo Doo | Del Reeves | United Artists |
| The Easy Way | Eddy Arnold | RCA |
| From This Pen | Bill Anderson | Decca |
| Girl on The Billboard | Del Reeves | United Artists |
| Golden Hits | Roger Miller | Smash |
| Here Comes My Baby | Dottie West | RCA |
| Hot Rod Lincoln | Johnny Bond | Starday |
| I Heard the Bluebirds Sing | The Browns | RCA |
| I Want to Live and Love | Carl Smith | Columbia |
| It's a Man Every Time | Jean Shepard | Capitol |
| The Race Is On | George Jones | United Artists |

### Other Album Releases

| Album | Artist | Record Label |
| Hank Locklin Sings Eddy Arnold | Hank Locklin | RCA |
| I'll Keep Holding On | Sonny James | Capitol |
| I've Got a Tiger By the Tail | Buck Owens | Capitol |
| The Instrumental Hits of Buck Owens and His Buckaroos | Buck Owens and the Buckaroos | Capitol |
| Kisses Don't Lie | Carl Smith | Columbia |
| Luckiest Heartache in Town | Hank Thompson | Capitol |
| Many Happy Hangovers | Jean Shepard | Capitol |
| My Favorite Guitars | Chet Atkins | RCA |
| My Kind of Country Music | Hank Locklin | RCA |
| My World | Eddy Arnold | RCA |
| New Country Hits | George Jones | Musicor |
| Once Over Lightly | Hank Locklin | RCA Victor |
| Pretty Miss Norma Jean | Norma Jean | RCA |
| Queen of the House | Jody Miller | Capitol |
| Sings Jim Reeves | Del Reeves | United Artists |
| Skeeter Sings Standards | Skeeter Davis | RCA |
| Ten Little Bottles | Johnny Bond | Starday |
| The Thin Man from West Plains | Porter Wagoner | RCA |
| Three Shades of Brown | The Browns | RCA |
| When Love is Gone | The Browns | RCA |
| You're the Only World I Know | Sonny James | Capitol |
| Your Favorite Country Hits | Hank Snow | RCA |

## Births

* January 20 — John Michael Montgomery, honky tonk-styled singer of the 1990s and 2000s (decade); younger brother of Eddie Montgomery (of Montgomery Gentry).
* May 13 — Lari White, country singer of the 1990s (died 2018).
* July 16 — Craig Morgan, singer-songwriter since the 2000s (decade).
* August 7 — Raul Malo, lead singer of the alternative country band The Mavericks.
* August 28 — Shania Twain, mega country star since the latter half of the 1990s.

## Deaths

* June 20 — Ira Louvin, 41, tenor half of 2001 Country Music Hall of Fame inductees The Louvin Brothers.

## Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

* Ernest Tubb (1914–1984)

## Major awards
### Grammy Awards

* Best Country and Western Vocal Performance, Female — "Queen of the House", Jody Miller
* Best Country and Western Vocal Performance, Male — "King of the Road", Roger Miller
* Best Country and Western Single — "King of the Road", Roger Miller
* Best Country and Western Album — The Return of Roger Miller, Roger Miller
* Best Country and Western Artist — The Statler Brothers

### Academy of Country Music

* Top Male Vocalist — Buck Owens
* Top Female Vocalist — Bonnie Owens
* Top Vocal Duo — Merle Haggard and Bonnie Owens
* Top New Male Vocalist — Merle Haggard
* Top New Female Vocalist — Kay Adams