# 1975 in country music

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1975.

## Events

* March 13 — The rocky marriage of George Jones and Tammy Wynette ends in divorce.
* July 17 — A Russian-language version of Conway Twitty's 1970 hit, "Hello Darlin'" is played and broadcast to a worldwide audience as part of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. The song, which in Russian was called "Privet Radost," is a "gesture of goodwill" from the Apollo crew to the Soviet Union's Soyuz crew. Twitty worked with a language professor from the University of Oklahoma to record the phonetic Russian version of the song.
* August 8 — While mountain climbing at Ajax Mountain, Montana, Hank Williams, Jr. is involved in a catastrophic accident. He tumbles nearly 500 feet and is critically injured, suffering numerous facial and head injuries. His recovery takes nearly two years, during which time he undergoes a major cosmetic — and musical — overhaul.
* October — The defining moment in the recent debate over what defines country music – and each side's vision of the genre – comes at the Country Music Association awards. Charlie Rich, the 1974 CMA Entertainer of the Year, was selected to name the new Entertainer of the Year. When he opened the envelope, he took out his cigarette lighter, lighted the piece of paper with the winner's name on fire, and disgustedly announced the winner: "My good friend John Denver!" Denver, who was not present, was humbled at his award (but didn't know until later about Rich's actions).

### No dates

* The deaths of three country music legends — Bob Wills, George Morgan and Lefty Frizzell — leave a huge void among fans.
* During a CBS documentary recorded and realised this year, Doolittle Lynn, husband of Loretta Lynn tells the world he “wants his wife to come home.”
* Six songs that reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart also reach the top of the Hot 100 chart: "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" by B. J. Thomas; "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" by Freddy Fender; "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" and "I'm Sorry," both by John Denver; "Rhinestone Cowboy" by Glen Campbell; and "Convoy" by C. W. McCall. In addition, several other songs that reach the top on one of the charts does very well on the other, including "Have You Never Been Mellow" and "Please Mr. Please" by Olivia Newton-John; "I'm Not Lisa" by Jessi Colter; Fender's "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights"; and "When Will I Be Loved" by Linda Ronstadt.

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

(as certified by Billboard)
| Date | Single Name | Artist | Wks. No.1 | CAN peak | Spec. Note |
| January 4 | The Door | George Jones | 1 | | |
| January 11 | Ruby Baby | Billy "Crash" Craddock | 1 | 2 | |
| January 18 | Kentucky Gambler | Merle Haggard | 1 | | |
| January 25 | (I'd Be) A Legend in My Time | Ronnie Milsap | 1 | | |
| February 1 | City Lights | Mickey Gilley | 1 | 2 | Cover of Ray Price's #1 song in 1958. |
| February 8 | Then Who Am I | Charley Pride | 1 | | |
| February 15 | Devil in the Bottle | T. G. Sheppard | 1 | | |
| February 22 | I Care | Tom T. Hall | 1 | 6 | |
| March 1 | It's Time to Pay the Fiddler | Cal Smith | 1 | | |
| March 8 | Linda on My Mind | Conway Twitty | 1 | | |
| March 15 | Before the Next Teardrop Falls | Freddy Fender | 2 | | |
| March 29 | The Bargain Store | Dolly Parton | 1 | 3 | |
| April 5 | I Just Can't Get Her Out of My Mind | Johnny Rodriguez | 1 | 3 | |
| April 12 | Always Wanting You | Merle Haggard | 2 | 3 | |
| April 26 | Blanket on the Ground | Billie Jo Spears | 1 | 2 | |
| May 3 | Roll On Big Mama | Joe Stampley | 1 | | |
| May 10 | She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles) | Gary Stewart | 1 | 4 | |
| May 17 | (Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song | B. J. Thomas | 1 | 2 | |
| May 24 | I'm Not Lisa | Jessi Colter | 1 | | |
| May 31 | Thank God I'm a Country Boy | John Denver | 1 | | |
| June 7 | Window Up Above | Mickey Gilley | 1 | | |
| June 14 | When Will I Be Loved | Linda Ronstadt | 1 | | |
| June 21 | You're My Best Friend | Don Williams | 1 | | |
| June 28 | Tryin' to Beat the Morning Home | T. G. Sheppard | 1 | 2 | |
| July 5 | Lizzie and the Rainman | Tanya Tucker | 1 | | |
| July 12 | Movin' On | Merle Haggard | 1 | 15 | |
| July 19 | Touch the Hand | Conway Twitty | 2 | 8 | |
| August 2 | Just Get Up and Close the Door | Johnny Rodriguez | 1 | 2 | |
| August 9 | Wasted Days and Wasted Nights | Freddy Fender | 2 | 2 | |
| August 23 | Rhinestone Cowboy | Glen Campbell | 3 | | Returned to Number One on September 13. |
| September 6 | Feelins' | Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn | 1 | 2 | |
| September 20 | Daydreams About Night Things | Ronnie Milsap | 2 | 2 | |
| October 4 | Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain | Willie Nelson | 2 | 2 | |
| October 18 | Hope You're Feelin' Me (Like I'm Feelin' You) | Charley Pride | 1 | 2 | |
| October 25 | San Antonio Stroll | Tanya Tucker | 1 | 2 | |
| November 1 | (Turn Out the Light And) Love Me Tonight | Don Williams | 1 | 5 | |
| November 8 | I'm Sorry | John Denver | 1 | 4 | |
| November 15 | Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way | Waylon Jennings | 1 | 21 | |
| November 22 | Rocky | Dickey Lee | 1 | 9 | |
| November 29 | It's All in the Movies | Merle Haggard | 1 | 11 | |
| December 6 | Secret Love | Freddy Fender | 1 | | |
| December 13 | Love Put a Song in My Heart | Johnny Rodriguez | 1 | 3 | |
| December 20 | Convoy | C. W. McCall | 6 | 4 | No. 1 song of 1976, as determined by Billboard. |

##### 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 | U.S. peak | Spec. Note |
| January 11 | We're Over | Johnny Rodriguez | 1 | 3 | |
| January 18 | What a Man My Man Is | Lynn Anderson | 1 | | |
| January 25 | The Door | George Jones | 1 | | |
| February 1 | Big Red Jimmy | Jerry Warren | 1 | — | |
| February 8 | Kentucky Gambler | Merle Haggard | 1 | | |
| February 15 | (I'd Be) A Legend in My Time | Ronnie Milsap | 1 | | |
| February 22 | Then Who Am I | Charley Pride | 1 | | |
| March 1 | Devil in the Bottle | T. G. Sheppard | 1 | | RPM didn't publish on March 8. |
| March 15 | It's Time to Pay the Fiddler | Cal Smith | 1 | | |
| March 22 | Linda on My Mind | Conway Twitty | 1 | | |
| March 29 | Before the Next Teardrop Falls | Freddy Fender | 1 | | |
| April 5 | Everybody's Going to the Country | Hank Smith | 1 | — | |
| April 12 | Have You Never Been Mellow | Olivia Newton-John | 1 | 3 | |
| April 19 | The Pill | Loretta Lynn | 2 | 5 | |
| May 3 | I've Never Been This Far Before | Carroll Baker | 1 | — | |
| May 10 | Still Thinkin' 'bout You | Billy "Crash" Craddock | 1 | 4 | |
| May 17 | Roll On Big Mama | Joe Stampley | 1 | | |
| May 24 | Thank God I'm a Country Boy | John Denver | 2 | | |
| June 7 | Window Up Above | Mickey Gilley | 1 | | |
| June 14 | I'm Not Lisa | Jessi Colter | 1 | | |
| June 21 | I Ain't All Bad | Charley Pride | 1 | 6 | |
| June 28 | You're My Best Friend | Don Williams | 1 | | |
| July 5 | Lizzie and the Rainman | Tanya Tucker | 1 | | |
| July 12 | Reconsider Me | Narvel Felts | 1 | 2 | |
| July 19 | When Will I Be Loved | Linda Ronstadt | 1 | | |
| July 26 | Yellow House of Love | Patti MacDonnell | 1 | — | |
| August 2 | The Hungry Fire of Love | Carroll Baker | 1 | — | |
| August 9 | Down by the Henry Moore | Murray McLauchlan | 1 | — | |
| August 16 | Every Time You Touch Me (I Get High) | Charlie Rich | 1 | 3 | |
| August 23 | The Seeker | Dolly Parton | 1 | 2 | |
| August 30 | Rhinestone Cowboy | Glen Campbell | 1 | | |
| September 6 | Please Mr. Please | Olivia Newton-John | 1 | 5 | |
| September 13 | The First Time | Freddie Hart | 1 | 2 | |
| September 20 | I'll Go to My Grave Loving You | The Statler Brothers | 1 | 3 | |
| September 27 | If I Could Only Win Your Love | Emmylou Harris | 1 | 4 | |
| October 4 | Say Forever You'll Be Mine | Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner | 3 | 5 | |
| October 25 | Third Rate Romance | Amazing Rhythm Aces | 1 | 11 | RPM didn't publish between November 1 and December 13. |
| December 20 | Secret Love | Freddy Fender | 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 |
| 19 | 30 | 41st Street Lonely Hearts Club | Buck Owens |
| 18 | 38 | Alimony | Bobby Bare |
| 4 | 33 | All Over Me | Charlie Rich |
| 14 | 17 | Another Woman | T. G. Sheppard |
| 23 | 14 | Back in Huntsville Again | Bobby Bare |
| — | 12 | Back to Down East Country | George Hamilton IV |
| — | 10 | Bad News | George Hamilton IV |
| 7 | 4 | Bandy the Rodeo Clown | Moe Bandy |
| 7 | 13 | The Best Way I Know How | Mel Tillis |
| 51 | 20 | The Biggest Parakeets in Town | Jud Strunk |
| 12 | 30 | Billy, Get Me a Woman | Joe Stampley |
| 11 | 16 | Bouquet of Roses | Mickey Gilley |
| 5 | 6 | Brass Buckles | Barbi Benton |
| 22 | 15 | The Busiest Memory in Town | Dickey Lee |
| 19 | — | Carolina Moonshiner | Porter Wagoner |
| 13 | 45 | Classified | C. W. McCall |
| 29 | 20 | Cowboys and Daddys | Bobby Bare |
| 8 | 8 | Deal | Tom T. Hall |
| 11 | 9 | Dear Woman | Joe Stampley |
| 13 | 24 | Don't Anyone Make Love at Home Anymore | Moe Bandy |
| 4 | 2 | Don't Cry Joni | Conway Twitty and Joni Lee |
| 15 | 14 | Don't Let the Good Times Fool You | Melba Montgomery |
| 10 | 4 | Dreaming My Dreams with You | Waylon Jennings |
| 17 | 17 | Even If I Have to Steal | Mel Street |
| 17 | 29 | Everything's the Same (Ain't Nothing Changed) | Billy Swan |
| 17 | 46 | The Farthest Thing from My Mind | Ray Price |
| 20 | 17 | Flat Natural Born Good-Timin' Man | Gary Stewart |
| 12 | 2 | For a Minute There | Johnny Paycheck |
| 16 | 47 | Forbidden Angel | Mel Street |
| 12 | 21 | Forgive and Forget | Eddie Rabbitt |
| 10 | 17 | Freda Comes, Freda Goes | Bobby G. Rice |
| 10 | 7 | From Barroom to Bedrooms | David Wills |
| 16 | 8 | From Woman to Woman | Tommy Overstreet |
| 12 | 45 | Funny How Time Slips Away | Narvel Felts |
| 8 | 41 | Great Expectations | Buck Owens |
| 10 | 21 | He Took Me for a Ride | LaCosta |
| 13 | 28 | He Turns It into Love Again | Lynn Anderson |
| 8 | 10 | He's My Rock | Brenda Lee |
| 16 | 8 | Heart to Heart | Roy Clark |
| 13 | 29 | Hello I Love You | Johnny Russell |
| 14 | 8 | Hello Little Bluebird | Donna Fargo |
| 16 | 49 | Here I Am in Dallas | Faron Young |
| 10 | 5 | Home | Loretta Lynn |
| 15 | 12 | Hoppy, Gene and Me | Roy Rogers |
| 14 | 19 | Hurt | Connie Cato |
| 18 | 10 | I Believe the South Is Gonna Rise Again | Tanya Tucker |
| 13 | 20 | I Can Still Hear the Music in the Restroom | Jerry Lee Lewis |
| 2 | 6 | I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You) | Linda Ronstadt |
| 4 | 12 | I Like Beer | Tom T. Hall |
| 10 | 6 | I Love the Blues and the Boogie Woogie | Billy "Crash" Craddock |
| 11 | 42 | I Should Have Married You | Eddie Rabbitt |
| 13 | — | I Still Believe in Fairy Tales | Tammy Wynette |
| 14 | 16 | I Still Feel the Same About You | Bill Anderson |
| 9 | — | I Want to Hold You in My Dreams Tonight | Stella Parton |
| 20 | 47 | I Wonder Whose Baby (You Are Now) | Jerry Wallace |
| 5 | 20 | I'd Like to Sleep Til I Get Over You | Freddie Hart |
| 9 | 23 | I'll Still Love You | Jim Weatherly |
| 9 | 9 | I'm a Believer | Tommy Overstreet |
| 13 | 31 | I've Got My Baby on My Mind | Connie Smith |
| 14 | 4 | I've Never Loved Anyone More | Lynn Anderson |
| 7 | 12 | It Do Feel Good | Donna Fargo |
| 7 | 7 | It Was Always So Easy (To Find an Unhappy Woman) | Moe Bandy |
| 16 | — | It's a Sin When You Love Somebody | Glen Campbell |
| 23 | 13 | It's All Over Now | Charlie Rich |
| 9 | 6 | It’s Midnight | Elvis Presley |
| 12 | 7 | Jason's Farm | Cal Smith |
| 14 | 11 | Lady Came from Baltimore | Johnny Cash |
| 18 | 21 | Let's Sing Our Song | Jerry Reed |
| 10 | 32 | The Letter That Johnny Walker Read | Asleep at the Wheel |
| 4 | 5 | Like Old Times Again | Ray Price |
| 5 | 4 | Little Band of Gold | Sonny James |
| 6 | 9 | A Little Bit South of Saskatoon | Sonny James |
| 17 | 17 | Look at Them Beans | Johnny Cash |
| 3 | 3 | Love in the Hot Afternoon | Gene Watson |
| 5 | 46 | Love Is a Rose | Linda Ronstadt |
| 20 | 47 | Love Is Strange | Buck Owens and Susan Raye |
| 6 | 10 | Loving You Will Never Grow Old | Lois Johnson |
| 8 | 20 | Lyin' Eyes | Eagles |
| 20 | 32 | Mathilda | Donny King |
| 21 | 20 | Memories of Us | George Jones |
| 20 | 17 | Mississippi You're on My Mind | Stoney Edwards |
| 3 | 2 | Misty | Ray Stevens |
| 19 | 7 | The Most Wanted Woman in Town | Roy Head |
| 14 | 27 | My Boy | Elvis Presley |
| 3 | 5 | My Elusive Dreams | Charlie Rich |
| 3 | 2 | My Woman's Man | Freddie Hart |
| 21 | 14 | Oh Boy | Diana Trask |
| 11 | 48 | One Monkey Don't Stop No Show | Little David Wilkins |
| 4 | 10 | Out of Hand | Gary Stewart |
| 8 | 7 | Penny | Joe Stampley |
| 17 | 18 | Pictures on Paper | Jeris Ross |
| 14 | 17 | Poor Sweet Baby | Jean Shepard |
| 2 | 18 | Rainy Day Woman | Waylon Jennings |
| 6 | 17 | Rock on Baby | Brenda Lee |
| 32 | 19 | Roll You Like a Wheel | Mickey Gilley and Barbi Benton |
| 3 | 2 | Roses and Other Love Songs | Ray Price |
| 15 | — | She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye | Ronnie Milsap |
| 13 | 5 | She Talked a Lot About Texas | Cal Smith |
| 10 | — | Since I Met You Baby | Freddy Fender |
| 13 | 43 | Smokey Mountain Memories | Mel Street |
| 17 | 17 | Someone Cares for You | Red Steagall |
| 19 | — | Something Better to Do | Olivia Newton-John |
| 18 | 36 | Soulful Woman | Kenny O'Dell |
| 18 | 11 | Spring | Tanya Tucker |
| 20 | 17 | Stay Away from the Apple Tree | Billie Jo Spears |
| 19 | 17 | Stoned at the Jukebox | Hank Williams, Jr. |
| 17 | 5 | Storms Never Last | Dottsy |
| 15 | 18 | Susan When She Tried | The Statler Brothers |
| 7 | 16 | Sweet Surrender | John Denver |
| 24 | 19 | Thanks | Bill Anderson |
| 6 | 4 | That's When My Woman Begins | Tommy Overstreet |
| 8 | 14 | There I Said It | Margo Smith |
| 10 | 5 | There's a Song on the Jukebox | David Wills |
| 10 | 9 | These Days (I Barely Get By) | George Jones |
| 19 | 15 | This House Runs on Sunshine | LaCosta |
| 4 | 2 | The Ties That Bind | Don Williams |
| 16 | 25 | The Tip of My Fingers | Jean Shepard |
| 9 | — | Today I Started Loving You Again | Sammi Smith |
| 6 | 3 | Too Late to Worry, Too Blue to Cry | Ronnie Milsap |
| 11 | 26 | T-R-O-U-B-L-E | Elvis Presley |
| 9 | — | U.S. of A. | Donna Fargo |
| 6 | 3 | Warm Side of You | Freddie Hart |
| 9 | 4 | We Used To | Dolly Parton |
| 11 | 10 | Western Man | LaCosta |
| 10 | 3 | What in the World's Come Over You | Sonny James |
| 5 | 11 | What's Happened to Blue Eyes | Jessi Colter |
| 9 | 8 | Whatcha Gonna Do with a Dog Like That | Susan Raye |
| 5 | 4 | Where Love Begins | Gene Watson |
| 14 | 8 | Whoever Turned You On, Forgot to Turn You Off | Little David Wilkins |
| 15 | 20 | Why Don't You Love Me | Connie Smith |
| 12 | 46 | Wolf Creek Pass | C. W. McCall |
| 4 | 5 | Woman in the Back of My Mind | Mel Tillis |
| 10 | 13 | Word Games | Billy Walker |
| 9 | 13 | Write Me a Letter | Bobby G. Rice |
| 6 | 17 | Wrong Road Again | Crystal Gayle |
| 14 | 46 | You Are the One | Mel Tillis and Sherry Bryce |
| 4 | 9 | (You Make Me Want to Be a) Mother | Tammy Wynette |
| 8 | 4 | You Never Even Called Me by My Name | David Allan Coe |
| 15 | 22 | You're Not the Woman You Used to Be | Gary Stewart |

#### Singles released by Canadian artists

| US | CAN | Single | Artist |
| — | 13 | Anna Marie | Susan Jacks |
| — | 14 | Any Dream Will Do | Carlton Showband |
| — | 6 | Born to Be a Gypsy | Tommy Hunter |
| — | 17 | The Bricklin | Charles Russell |
| — | 15 | Bright Side of Tomorrow | Black Creek |
| — | 20 | City of Tears | Marg Osburne |
| — | 9 | Country Pride | Rick Newfield |
| — | 9 | Did You Hear My Song | Mercey Brothers |
| — | 19 | Easy Listenin' | Tim Daniels |
| — | 3 | Fly Raven Fly | Bruce Miller |
| — | 10 | Follow Your Heart | Jim and Don Haggart |
| — | 4 | Give My Love to Lady Canada | Bobby G. Griffith |
| — | 7 | God's People Are One | Dianne Leigh |
| — | 9 | Goodbye Old Man | Christenson Brothers |
| — | 18 | I Am the Words | Family Brown |
| — | 14 | I Knew Her Then | Ray Francis |
| — | 20 | Knock on My Door | Darlene Madill |
| — | 12 | Life and Love and You | R. Harlan Smith |
| — | 19 | Lonely Willow | Lee Roy |
| — | 10 | Maybe Tonight | Murray McLauchlan |
| — | 5 | Mother, Love and Country | Dick Damron |
| — | 13 | One More for the Road | Country Edition |
| — | 4 | Ooo Mama | Jerry Palmer |
| — | 12 | Pasadena's on My Mind | Lynn Jones |
| — | 16 | Roll It on Homeward | Linda Brown |
| 26 | 20 | Sanctuary | Ronnie Prophet |
| — | 15 | She's My Greatest Blessing | Ian Tyson |
| — | 9 | Someone Special | Canadian Zephyr |
| — | 15 | Summer of Our Love | Bruce Miller |
| — | 20 | Sunshine Lady | Bob Ruzicka |
| — | 4 | Sure Feels Good | Tim Daniels |
| — | 16 | That's Why I'm in Love with Life | Roy Payne |
| — | 16 | A Touch of God | Family Brown |
| 16 | — | What Time of Day | Billy Thunderkloud & the Chieftones |
| — | 13 | What'll I Do | Gary Buck |

## Top new album releases

| Single | Artist | Record Label |
| The Bargain Store | Dolly Parton | RCA |
| Blanket on the Ground | Billie Jo Spears | United Artists |
| Charley | Charley Pride | RCA |
| Dreaming My Dreams | Waylon Jennings | RCA |
| The Happiness of Having You | Charley Pride | RCA |
| Have You Never Been Mellow | Olivia Newton-John | MCA |
| I'm Jessi Colter | Jessi Colter | Capitol |
| Pieces of the Sky | Emmylou Harris | Reprise |
| Prisoner in Disguise | Linda Ronstadt | Asylum |
| Red Headed Stranger | Willie Nelson | Columbia |
| Rhinestone Cowboy | Glen Campbell | Capitol |
| Dolly: The Seeker/We Used To | Dolly Parton | RCA |
| Somebody Loves You | Crystal Gayle | United Artists |
| Tanya Tucker | Tanya Tucker | MCA |

### Other new album releases

| Single | Artist | Record Label |
| Before the Next Teardrop Falls | Freddy Fender | ABC/Dot |
| Carolina Cousins | Dottie West | RCA |
| Country Girl | Jody Miller | Epic |
| Don't Let the Good Times Fool You | Melba Montgomery | Elektra |
| Dreaming My Dreams | Waylon Jennings | RCA |
| Every Time I Turn the Radio On/Talk to Me Ohio | Bill Anderson | MCA |
| Hank Williams Jr. and Friends | Hank Williams Jr. | MGM |
| High Priest of Country Music | Conway Twitty | MCA |
| Honey on His Hands | Jeanne Pruett | MCA |
| Legend in My Time | Ronnie Milsap | RCA |
| Margo Smith | Margo Smith | 20th Century Fox |
| Night Things | Ronnie Milsap | RCA |
| Old No. 1 | Guy Clark | RCA |
| Pieces of the Sky | Emmylou Harris | Reprise |
| Poor Sweet Baby...And Ten More Bill Anderson Songs | Jean Shepard | United Artists |
| Vocal Group of the Decade | Tompall Glaser and the Glaser Brothers | MGM |
| Out of Hand | Gary Stewart | RCA |

## Births

* June 15 — Rachel Proctor, singer-songwriter best known for her 2004 hit "Me and Emily"
* August 11 — Chris Cummings, Canadian country singer of 1990s and 2000s
* September 13 — Joe Don Rooney, member of Rascal Flatts
* November 20 — Dierks Bentley, new traditionalist-styled singer of the 2000s
* November 30 — Mindy McCready, popular country singer from the late 1990s (died 2013)
* December 18 — Randy Houser, late-2000s singer

## Deaths

* February 4 — Louis Jordan, 66, jazz and rhythm & blues pioneer who became the first African-American performer to have a No. 1 hit on the Billboard country charts (1944's "Ration Blues") (heart attack).
* February 17 — A.C. "Eck" Robertson, 88, pioneering American fiddle player, widely considered the first fiddler and country musician to record commercially.
* May 13 — Bob Wills, 70, leader of the Texas Playboys (complications from a stroke).
* July 7 — George Morgan, 51, country crooner of the late 1940s and early 1950s, Grand Ole Opry favorite and father of Lorrie Morgan (heart attack).
* July 19 — Lefty Frizzell, 47, honky-tonk pioneer of the 1950s (stroke).
* November 3 — Audrey Williams, 52, mother of Hank Williams Jr. (and ex-wife of Hank Williams Sr.)

## Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

* Minnie Pearl (1912–1996)

## Major awards
### Grammy Awards

* Best Female Country Vocal Performance — "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)", Linda Ronstadt
* Best Male Country Vocal Performance — "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain", Willie Nelson
* Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal — "Lover Please", Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge
* Best Country Instrumental Performance — "The Entertainer", Chet Atkins
* Best Country Song — "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song", Chips Moman and Larry Butler (Performer: B. J. Thomas)

### Juno Awards

* Country Male Vocalist of the Year — Stompin' Tom Connors
* Country Female Vocalist of the Year — Anne Murray
* Country Group or Duo of the Year — Carlton Showband

### Academy of Country Music

* Entertainer of the Year — Loretta Lynn
* Song of the Year — "Rhinestone Cowboy," Larry Weiss (Performer: Glen Campbell)
* Single of the Year — "Rhinestone Cowboy," Glen Campbell
* Album of the Year — Feelins', Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty
* Top Male Vocalist — Conway Twitty
* Top Female Vocalist — Loretta Lynn
* Top Vocal Duo — Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn
* Top New Male Vocalist — Freddy Fender
* Top New Female Vocalist — Crystal Gayle

### Country Music Association

* Entertainer of the Year — John Denver
* Song of the Year — "Back Home Again", John Denver (Performer: John Denver)
* Single of the Year — "Before the Next Teardrop Falls", Freddy Fender
* Album of the Year — A Legend in My Time, Ronnie Milsap
* Male Vocalist of the Year — Waylon Jennings
* Female Vocalist of the Year — Dolly Parton
* Vocal Duo of the Year — Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn
* Vocal Group of the Year — The Statler Brothers
* Instrumentalist of the Year — Johnny Gimble
* Instrumental Group of the Year — Roy Clark and Buck Trent