# 1978 in country music

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1978.

## Events

* March 4 — The Public Broadcasting System (PBS) telecasts the first complete Grand Ole Opry show from the new Grand Ole Opry House as it happened from 6–9 pm. The show featured Del Reeves, The Willis Brothers, Billy Grammer, Lonzo and Oscar, Bill Monroe, Porter Wagoner, Roy Acuff, The Crook Brothers, The Fruit Jar Drinkers, Ronnie Milsap, Grandpa Jones, George Hamilton IV and others. The show would run over about 18 minutes the first night. The telecast would repeat from 1979 to 1981.
* March 25 — "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson becomes the last song for 12 years to spend four weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart. There wouldn't be another four-week No. 1 until "Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart" by Randy Travis in April 1990. The trend of fewer (and shorter) multi-week runs at No. 1 on Billboard, even for the year's biggest hits, is the result of changes in radio programming and the magazine's reporting methods.
* May 6 — Bob Kingsley takes over hosting duties of "American Country Countdown," a stint that will last 27 years. He had been a producer of the radio countdown show since 1974.
* May 24 — The United States Postal Service issues a 13-cent commemorative stamp honoring Jimmie Rodgers, one of the genre's pioneers. The Rodgers stamp, designed by artist Jim Sharpe, is the first in the Postal Service's long-running Performing Arts Series.
* September — The Donna Fargo Show premieres in television syndication. The new show's debut comes around the same time Fargo was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She receives successful medical treatment and with her husband's help, makes it back to excellent health.
* October 4 — One of Nashville's most mysterious crimes involves the reported abduction and beating of Tammy Wynette. Media reports said that Wynette had been abducted by a masked man at a shopping center before the beating. No suspects were ever named or arrested. While Wynette would insist the story was true, her daughter raised doubts, claiming the incident was fabricated to cover physical abuse from her newlywed husband, songwriter/producer George Richey.
* October 21 — Fans of Mel Street are saddened when the honky tonk-styled singer, who had long battled clinical depression and alcoholism, committed suicide on his 43rd birthday. He had signed a recording contract with Mercury Records earlier in the year.

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

(as certified by Billboard)
| Date | Single Name | Artist | Wks. No.1 | CAN peak |
| January 7 | Take This Job and Shove It | Johnny Paycheck | 2 | |
| January 21 | What a Difference You've Made in My Life | Ronnie Milsap | 1 | |
| January 28 | Out of My Head and Back in My Bed | Loretta Lynn | 2 | |
| February 11 | I Just Wish You Were Someone I Love | Larry Gatlin | 1 | 3 |
| February 18 | Don't Break the Heart That Loves You | Margo Smith | 2 | 5 |
| March 4 | Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys | Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson | 4 | |
| April 1 | Ready for the Times to Get Better | Crystal Gayle | 1 | |
| April 8 | Someone Loves You Honey | Charley Pride | 2 | |
| April 22 | Every Time Two Fools Collide | Kenny Rogers and Dottie West | 2 | |
| May 6 | It's All Wrong, But It's All Right | Dolly Parton | 2 | |
| May 20 | She Can Put Her Shoes Under My Bed (Anytime) | Johnny Duncan | 1 | |
| May 27 | Do You Know You Are My Sunshine | The Statler Brothers | 2 | 5 |
| June 10 | Georgia on My Mind | Willie Nelson | 1 | |
| June 17 | Two More Bottles of Wine | Emmylou Harris | 1 | |
| June 24 | I'll Be True to You | The Oak Ridge Boys | 1 | 8 |
| July 1 | It Only Hurts for a Little While | Margo Smith | 1 | |
| July 8 | I Believe in You | Mel Tillis | 1 | |
| July 15 | Only One Love in My Life | Ronnie Milsap | 3 | |
| August 5 | Love or Something Like It | Kenny Rogers | 1 | |
| August 12 | You Don't Love Me Anymore | Eddie Rabbitt | 1 | 3 |
| August 19 | Talking in Your Sleep | Crystal Gayle | 2 | |
| September 2 | Blue Skies | Willie Nelson | 1 | |
| September 9 | I've Always Been Crazy | Waylon Jennings | 3 | |
| September 30 | Heartbreaker | Dolly Parton | 3 | |
| October 21 | Tear Time | Dave & Sugar | 1 | 3 |
| October 28 | Let's Take the Long Way Around the World | Ronnie Milsap | 1 | |
| November 4 | Sleeping Single In a Double Bed | Barbara Mandrell | 3 | |
| November 25 | Sweet Desire/Old Fashioned Love | The Kendalls | 1 | 2 |
| December 2 | I Just Want to Love You | Eddie Rabbitt | 1 | 2 |
| December 9 | On My Knees | Charlie Rich and Janie Fricke | 1 | 2 |
| December 16 | The Gambler | Kenny Rogers | 3 | 2 |

##### Notes

* 1^ No. 1 song of the year, as determined by Billboard.
* 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 | U.S. peak | Spec. Note |
| January 14 | Take This Job and Shove It | Johnny Paycheck | 1 | | |
| January 21 | My Way | Elvis Presley | 2 | 2 | |
| February 4 | What a Difference You've Made in My Life | Ronnie Milsap | 2 | | |
| February 18 | Out of My Head and Back in My Bed | Loretta Lynn | 1 | | |
| February 25 | You're the One | The Oak Ridge Boys | 2 | 2 | |
| March 11 | To Daddy | Emmylou Harris | 1 | 3 | |
| March 18 | Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys | Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson | 3 | | |
| April 8 | I Might as Well Believe (I'll Live Forever) | Carroll Baker | 1 | — | |
| April 15 | Do I Love You (Yes in Every Way) | Donna Fargo | 1 | 2 | |
| April 22 | Ready for the Times to Get Better | Crystal Gayle | 1 | | |
| April 29 | Someone Loves You Honey | Charley Pride | 2 | | |
| May 13 | Every Time Two Fools Collide | Kenny Rogers and Dottie West | 1 | | |
| May 20 | It's All Wrong, But It's All Right | Dolly Parton | 1 | | |
| May 27 | She Can Put Her Shoes Under my Bed (Anytime) | Johnny Duncan | 1 | | |
| June 3 | Georgia on My Mind | Willie Nelson | 2 | | |
| June 17 | Night Time Magic | Larry Gatlin | 1 | 2 | |
| June 24 | Two More Bottles of Wine | Emmylou Harris | 1 | | |
| July 1 | I Can't Wait Any Longer | Bill Anderson | 2 | 4 | |
| July 15 | Portrait in the Window | Carroll Baker | 1 | — | |
| July 22 | It Only Hurts for a Little While | Margo Smith | 1 | | |
| July 29 | I Believe in You | Mel Tillis | 1 | | |
| August 5 | You Needed Me | Anne Murray | 1 | 4 | |
| August 12 | Homefolks | Bob Murphy & Big Buffalo | 1 | — | |
| August 19 | Love or Something Like It | Kenny Rogers | 1 | | |
| August 26 | Only One Love in My Life | Ronnie Milsap | 1 | | |
| September 2 | Talking in Your Sleep | Crystal Gayle | 1 | | |
| September 9 | When I Stop Leaving (I'll Be Gone) | Charley Pride | 1 | 3 | |
| September 16 | Boogie Grass Band | Conway Twitty | 1 | 2 | |
| September 23 | Blue Skies | Willie Nelson | 1 | | |
| September 30 | I've Always Been Crazy | Waylon Jennings | 1 | | |
| October 7 | Heartbreaker | Dolly Parton | 3 | | |
| October 28 | It's Been a Great Afternoon | Merle Haggard | 1 | 2 | RPM didn't publish on November 4 or November 11. |
| November 18 | Let's Take the Long Way Around the World | Ronnie Milsap | 1 | | |
| November 25 | Cryin' Again | The Oak Ridge Boys | 1 | 3 | |
| December 2 | Sleeping Single In a Double Bed | Barbara Mandrell | 2 | | |
| December 16 | That's What You Do to Me | Charly McClain | 1 | 8 | |
| December 23 | Hooked on a Feeling | Carroll Baker | 2 | — | |

##### Notes

* 1^ No. 1 song of the year, as determined by RPM.
* 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 | CAN | Single | Artist |
| 16 | 12 | '57 Chevrolet | Billie Jo Spears |
| 4 | 2 | Ain't No California | Mel Tillis |
| 3 | 4 | All of Me | Willie Nelson |
| 21 | 10 | Another Fine Mess | Glen Campbell |
| 10 | 8 | Another Goodbye | Donna Fargo |
| 2 | 10 | Anyone Who Isn't Me Tonight | Kenny Rogers and Dottie West |
| 21 | 19 | Baby It's You | Janie Fricke |
| 20 | — | Baby, Last Night Made My Day | Susie Allanson |
| 17 | 13 | Back to the Love | Susie Allanson |
| 6 | 8 | Bartender's Blues | George Jones |
| 36 | 16 | Be Your Own Best Friend | Ray Stevens |
| 10 | 2 | Beautiful Woman | Charlie Rich |
| 18 | — | Bedroom Eyes | Don Drumm |
| 20 | 34 | Better Me | Tommy Overstreet |
| 13 | 17 | Break My Mind | Vern Gosdin |
| 13 | 12 | Bucket to the South | Ava Barber |
| 8 | 25 | The Bull and the Beaver | Merle Haggard and Leona Williams |
| 16 | 18 | Can You Fool | Glen Campbell |
| 18 | 20 | Caribbean | Sonny James |
| 4 | 2 | Come a Little Bit Closer | Johnny Duncan and Janie Fricke |
| 10 | 44 | Come on In | Jerry Lee Lewis |
| 17 | 28 | Come See Me and Come Lonely | Dottie West |
| 16 | 9 | Come to Me | Roy Head |
| 23 | 16 | Country Lovin' | Eddy Arnold |
| 11 | 14 | Cowboys Don't Get Lucky All the Time | Gene Watson |
| 20 | 16 | Danger Heartbreak Ahead | Zella Lehr |
| 7 | 9 | Daylight | T. G. Sheppard |
| 13 | 3 | Do It Again Tonight | Larry Gatlin |
| 13 | 18 | Don't Ever Say Goodbye | T. G. Sheppard |
| 12 | 5 | Easy From Now On | Emmylou Harris |
| 11 | 18 | Fadin' In, Fadin' Out | Tommy Overstreet |
| 20 | 36 | Four Little Letters | Stella Parton |
| 10 | 15 | The First Time | Billy "Crash" Craddock |
| 7 | 8 | Friend, Lover, Wife | Johnny Paycheck |
| 6 | 2 | From Seven Till Ten | Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty |
| 17 | 6 | Georgia in a Jug | Johnny Paycheck |
| 11 | 12 | God Made Love | Mel McDaniel |
| 4 | 9 | Gotta Quit Lookin' at You Baby | Dave & Sugar |
| 16 | 12 | Grandest Lady of Them All | Conway Twitty |
| 19 | — | Handcuffed to a Heartache | Mary K. Miller |
| 2 | 9 | Hearts on Fire | Eddie Rabbitt |
| 4 | 7 | Hello Mexico (And Adios Baby to You) | Johnny Duncan |
| 9 | 43 | Here Comes the Hurt Again | Mickey Gilley |
| 15 | 26 | Here Comes the Reason I Live | Ronnie McDowell |
| 20 | — | Here in Love | Dottsy |
| 20 | 33 | High and Dry | Joe Sun |
| 20 | 14 | Hopelessly Devoted to You | Olivia Newton-John |
| 22 | 6 | How Can I Leave You Again | John Denver |
| 14 | 14 | Hubba Hubba | Billy "Crash" Craddock |
| 4 | 4 | I Cheated on a Good Woman's Love | Billy "Crash" Craddock |
| 8 | 4 | I Don't Need a Thing at All | Gene Watson |
| 15 | 6 | I Fought the Law | Hank Williams, Jr. |
| 14 | 23 | I Just Want to Be Your Everything | Connie Smith |
| 5 | 5 | I Love You, I Love You, I Love You | Ronnie McDowell |
| 10 | 7 | I Love You (What Can I Say) | Jerry Reed |
| 18 | 17 | I Promised Her a Rainbow | Bobby Borchers |
| 8 | 16 | I Never Will Marry | Linda Ronstadt |
| 13 | 29 | I Wish I Loved Somebody Else | Tom T. Hall |
| 12 | 23 | I Would Like to See You Again | Johnny Cash |
| 10 | — | I'll Find It Where I Can | Jerry Lee Lewis |
| 11 | 41 | I'll Just Take It Out in Love | George Jones |
| 11 | 27 | I'll Never Be Free | Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius |
| 2 | 2 | I'm Always on a Mountain When I Fall | Merle Haggard |
| 10 | — | I'm Gonna Love You Anyway | Cristy Lane |
| 26 | 20 | I'm Leaving It All Up to You | Freddy Fender |
| 7 | 10 | I've Got a Winner in You | Don Williams |
| 17 | 26 | I've Got to Go | Billie Jo Spears |
| 9 | — | If I Had a Cheating Heart | Mel Street |
| 6 | 7 | If the World Ran Out of Love Tonight | Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius |
| 5 | 5 | If You Can Touch Her at All | Willie Nelson |
| 6 | 9 | If You've Got Ten Minutes (Let's Fall in Love) | Joe Stampley |
| 2 | 2 | It Don't Feel Like Sinnin' to Me | The Kendalls |
| 10 | 2 | It's a Heartache | Bonnie Tyler |
| 13 | 19 | Let Me Be Your Baby | Charly McClain |
| 9 | — | Let's Shake Hands and Come Out Lovin' | Kenny O'Dell |
| 3 | 6 | Little Things Mean a Lot | Margo Smith |
| 18 | 9 | Lonely Hearts Club | Billie Jo Spears |
| 8 | 14 | Lonely Street | Rex Allen, Jr. |
| 26 | 19 | Love, Love, Love | Sandy Posey |
| 7 | 13 | Love Me with All Your Heart (Cuando Caliente El Sol) | Johnny Rodriguez |
| 3 | 6 | A Lover's Question | Jacky Ward |
| 13 | 5 | May the Force Be with You Always | Tom T. Hall |
| 7 | 14 | Maybe Baby | Susie Allanson |
| 4 | 3 | Middle Age Crazy | Jerry Lee Lewis |
| 13 | 27 | Mister D.J. | T. G. Sheppard |
| 9 | 30 | Never My Love | Vern Gosdin |
| 8 | 4 | No, No, No (I'd Rather Be Free) | Rex Allen, Jr. |
| 10 | 18 | No Sleep Tonight | Randy Barlow |
| 19 | — | Now You See 'Em, Now You Don't | Roy Head |
| 14 | 29 | Old Flames Can't Hold a Candle to You | Joe Sun |
| 8 | 6 | One Sided Conversation | Gene Watson |
| 7 | 4 | Penny Arcade | Cristy Lane |
| 6 | 28 | Pittsburgh Stealers | The Kendalls |
| 17 | 17 | Please Don't Play a Love Song | Marty Robbins |
| 12 | 4 | Please Help Me, I'm Falling (in Love with You) | Janie Fricke |
| 8 | 7 | The Power of Positive Drinkin' | Mickey Gilley |
| 8 | 3 | Puttin' in Overtime at Home | Charlie Rich |
| 19 | 21 | Ragamuffin Man | Donna Fargo |
| 3 | 2 | Rake and Ramblin' Man | Don Williams |
| 17 | — | Red Hot Memory | Kenny Dale |
| 6 | 7 | Red Wine and Blue Memories | Joe Stampley |
| 6 | 8 | Return to Me | Marty Robbins |
| 11 | 9 | Rhythm of the Rain | Jacky Ward |
| 5 | 6 | Rose Colored Glasses | John Conlee |
| 12 | 10 | Running Kind | Merle Haggard |
| 16 | 28 | Shake Me I Rattle | Cristy Lane |
| 13 | 14 | Shine on Me (The Sun Still Shines When It Rains) | John Wesley Ryles |
| 11 | 8 | Sleep Tight Good Night Man | Bobby Bare |
| 19 | 75 | Slippin' Away | The Bellamy Brothers |
| 10 | — | Slow and Easy | Randy Barlow |
| 13 | 15 | Soft Lights and Hard Country Music | Moe Bandy |
| 17 | 45 | Some I Wrote | The Statler Brothers |
| 9 | 15 | Something to Brag About | Mary Kay Place and Willie Nelson |
| 12 | 10 | Spring Fever | Loretta Lynn |
| 14 | 20 | Standard Lie Number One | Stella Parton |
| 16 | — | Starting All Over Again | Don Gibson |
| 20 | 25 | Sweet Fantasy | Bobby Borchers |
| 8 | 6 | Sweet, Sweet Smile | The Carpenters |
| 13 | 10 | Talk to Me | Freddy Fender |
| 11 | 10 | That's What Makes the Juke Box Play | Moe Bandy |
| 2 | 5 | There Ain't No Good Chain Gang | Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings |
| 18 | — | Things I Do for You | Mundo Earwood |
| 18 | 10 | Think About Me | Freddy Fender |
| 16 | 37 | This Is the Love | Sonny James |
| 20 | — | Three Sheets in the Wind | Jacky Ward and Reba McEntire |
| 5 | 25 | Tonight | Barbara Mandrell |
| 28 | 17 | Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright) | Roy Head |
| 29 | 15 | Too Many Nights Alone | Bobby Bare |
| 7 | 5 | Two Doors Down | Zella Lehr |
| 18 | 31 | Two Hearts Tangled in Love | Kenny Dale |
| 7 | 4 | Two Lonely People | Moe Bandy |
| 6 | 6 | Unchained Melody | Elvis Presley |
| 7 | 12 | We Believe in Happy Endings | Johnny Rodriguez |
| 2 | 4 | We Belong Together | Susie Allanson |
| 26 | 17 | We Got Love | Lynn Anderson |
| 10 | 6 | We've Come a Long Way Baby | Loretta Lynn |
| 13 | 28 | Week-End Friend | Con Hunley |
| 4 | 2 | What Did I Promise Her Last Night | Mel Tillis |
| 9 | 14 | What Have You Got to Lose | Tom T. Hall |
| 9 | 20 | What Time Do You Have to Be Back to Heaven | Razzy Bailey |
| 5 | 29 | When Can We Do This Again | T. G. Sheppard |
| 16 | 5 | Whiskey Trip | Gary Stewart |
| 3 | 60 | Who Am I to Say | The Statler Brothers |
| 10 | 7 | With Love | Rex Allen, Jr. |
| 4 | 5 | Woman to Woman | Barbara Mandrell |
| 3 | 3 | Womanhood | Tammy Wynette |
| 12 | 15 | Yes Ma'am | Tommy Overstreet |
| 20 | 35 | You Know What | Jerry Reed and Seidina |
| 14 | 20 | You've Still Got a Place in My Heart | Con Hunley |

#### Singles released by Canadian artists

| US | CAN | Single | Artist |
| — | 11 | All Cried Out | Van Dyke |
| — | 19 | Caribou to Nashville | Gary Fjellgaard |
| 92 | 9 | The Circle Is Small (I Can See It in Your Eyes) | Gordon Lightfoot |
| — | 10 | Comin' on Stronger | Mercey Brothers |
| — | 12 | Does the Rain Only Fall on My Mansion | Jerry Palmer |
| — | 7 | Dream Maker | Sheila Ann |
| — | 9 | The Fastest Gun | Dallas Harms |
| — | 12 | George the Hermit | Jack Hennig |
| — | 14 | Goin' Home | Burton & Honeyman |
| — | 4 | Here's Your Watch John | Canadian Zephyr |
| — | 14 | Hold Me Like a Baby | Tim Daniels |
| — | 10 | Living in the Best of Two Worlds | Rondini |
| — | 6 | Love Is a Contact Sport | Family Brown |
| — | 18 | Master of the Classical Guitar | Dallas Harms |
| — | 18 | Mindy | Jack Hennig |
| — | 16 | My Good Woman | Dick Damron |
| — | 14 | Ol' Amos | Orval Prophet |
| — | 16 | Riding High | Van Dyke |
| — | 18 | Sun Always Shines | Laura Vinson |
| — | 14 | There's More Love Where That Came From | Joyce Seamone |
| — | 16 | Truck Driver's Girl | The Good Brothers |
| 4 | 2 | Walk Right Back | Anne Murray |
| — | 19 | Where Have All the Cowboy Songs Gone | Orval Prophet |
| — | 9 | Whiskey Jack | Dick Damron |
| — | 3 | You're the Light | Family Brown |

## Top new album releases

| Single | Artist | Record Label |
| Burgers and Fries/When I Stop Leaving (I'll Be Gone) | Charley Pride | RCA |
| Dark Eyed Lady | Donna Fargo | Warner Bros. |
| The Gambler | Kenny Rogers | United Artists |
| Heartbreaker | Dolly Parton | RCA |
| I've Always Been Crazy | Waylon Jennings | RCA |
| I've Cried the Blue Right Out of My Eyes | Crystal Gayle | MCA$^1$ |
| Night Time Magic | Larry Gatlin | Monument |
| Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town | Emmylou Harris | Warner/Reprise |
| Stardust | Willie Nelson | Columbia/CBS |
| Someone Loves You Honey | Charley Pride | RCA |
| TG | T. G. Sheppard | Warner Bros./Curb |
| TNT | Tanya Tucker | MCA |
| Waylon & Willie | Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson | RCA |
| When I Dream | Crystal Gayle | United Artists |
$^1$ A collection of Crystal Gayle's earliest recordings from the early 1970s.

### Other albums

| Single | Artist | Record Label |
| Ain't Living Long Like This | Rodney Crowell | Warner Bros. |
| Bartender's Blues | George Jones | Epic/CBS |
| Billy "Crash" Craddock | Billy "Crash" Craddock | Capitol |
| Country Soul | Mel Street | Polydor/Polygram |
| Don't Break the Heart That Loves You | Margo Smith | Warner Bros. |
| Entertainers On and Off the Record | Statler Brothers | Mercury/Polygram |
| Every Time Two Fools Collide | Kenny Rogers and Dottie West | United Artists |
| Expressions | Don Williams | ABC/Dot |
| I Still Believe in Love | Charlie Rich | United Artists |
| Lonely Hearts Club | Billie Jo Spears | United Artists |
| Love Lies | Cristy Lane | LS |
| Love's Ups and Downs | Barbara Mandrell | ABC/Dot |
| A Lover's Question | Jacky Ward | Mercury/Polygram |
| Only One Love in My Life | Ronnie Milsap | RCA |
| Oh Brother! | Larry Gatlin | Monument |
| Let's Keep It That Way | Anne Murray | Capitol |
| Love...& Other Sad Stories | Bill Anderson | MCA |
| Love or Something Like It | Kenny Rogers | United Artists |
| Room Service | Oak Ridge Boys | ABC/Dot |
| Rose Colored Glasses | John Conlee | ABC/Dot |
| She Can Put Her Shoes Under My Bed (Anytime) | Johnny Duncan | Columbia/CBS |
| Tear Time | Dave & Sugar | RCA |
| Variations | Eddie Rabbitt | Elektra |
| White Mansions | Waylon Jennings | RCA |

### Christmas albums

* Christmas Card – Statler Brothers (Mercury/Polygram)

## Births

* February 25 — Shawna Thompson, of Thompson Square.
* April 15 — Chris Stapleton, male vocalist who helped revive the blues-soul sound of country music in the 2010s, most notably with the album Traveller.
* June 13 – Jason Michael Carroll, late 2000s-to-early 2010s male vocalist best known for "Alyssa Lies."
* July 21 — Brad Mates, lead singer of Canadian band Emerson Drive.
* July 31 — Zac Brown, lead singer of his eponymously named band, who began having hits in the late 2000s.
* September 14 — Danielle Peck, up-and-coming country music star

## Deaths

* June 12 — Johnny Bond, 63, singer of the 1940s through 1960s, best known for his novelty songs about drunkenness (heart attack).
* October 21 — Mel Street, 43, honky tonk-styled artist and one of the most promising new artists of the 1970s (suicide).
* October 23 — Maybelle Carter, 69, singer and songwriter of the Carter Family and mother of Anita, Helen and June Carter Cash.
* December 16 — Jenny Lou Carson, 63, first female to write a #1 country hit ("You Two-Timed Me One Time Too Often").

## Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

* Grandpa Jones (1913–1998)

## Major awards
### Grammy Awards

* Best Female Country Vocal Performance — "Here You Come Again", Dolly Parton
* Best Male Country Vocal Performance — "Georgia on My Mind", Willie Nelson
* Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal — "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys", Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson
* Best Country Instrumental Performance — "One O'Clock Jump", Asleep at the Wheel
* Best Country Song — "The Gambler", Don Schlitz (Performer: Kenny Rogers)

### Juno Awards

* Country Male Vocalist of the Year — Ronnie Prophet
* Country Female Vocalist of the Year — Carroll Baker
* Country Group or Duo of the Year — The Good Brothers

### Academy of Country Music

* Entertainer of the Year — Kenny Rogers
* Song of the Year — "You Needed Me", Randy Goodrum (Performer: Anne Murray)
* Single of the Year — "Tulsa Time", Don Williams
* Album of the Year — Y'all Come Back Saloon, The Oak Ridge Boys
* Top Male Vocalist — Kenny Rogers
* Top Female Vocalist — Barbara Mandrell
* Top Vocal Group — The Oak Ridge Boys
* Top New Male Vocalist — John Conlee
* Top New Female Vocalist — Cristy Lane

### Country Music Association

* Entertainer of the Year — Dolly Parton
* Song of the Year — "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue", Richard Leigh (Performer: Crystal Gayle)
* Single of the Year — "Heaven's Just a Sin Away", The Kendalls
* Album of the Year — It Was Almost Like a Song, Ronnie Milsap
* Male Vocalist of the Year — Don Williams
* Female Vocalist of the Year — Crystal Gayle
* Vocal Duo of the Year — Kenny Rogers and Dottie West
* Vocal Group of the Year — The Oak Ridge Boys
* Instrumentalist of the Year — Roy Clark
* Instrumental Group of the Year — The Oak Ridge Boys Band