1966 in country music

none May 2015 May 2015 This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in 1966. 1966 1966 country music Events March 15 — Roger Miller wins six Grammy Awards, five of them related to his hit "King of the Road". The Statler Brothers take two awards for "Flowers on the Wall". April — One of the last broadcasts of The Jimmy Dean Show features the first-ever Academy of Country Music awards. Big winners include Male Vocalist of the Year Buck Owens, Female Vocalist Bonnie Owens, and New Male Vocalist Merle Haggard; Haggard also shared the Vocal Duet/Group award with Bonnie Owens. Taped for later broadcast that year, the ACM Awards would in time become among the most anticipated events of the year by country fans. September – Buck Owens' first nationally syndicated program, Buck Owens Ranch Show, debuts in syndication, running primarily in the rural South. The show eventually lasts six years, the final three years overlapping with Owens' stint as co-host of Hee Haw. October 15 — Billboard increases the length of its Hot Country Singles chart to 75 positions, up from 50. October 22 — At age 48, Eddy Arnold becomes the youngest (to that time) living inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame. No dates The single "The Snakes Crawl at Night", by a then-unknown singer named "Country" Charley Pride, is released in the spring but does not chart. After the follow-up single "Before I Met You" also does not chart, a third single, "Just Between You and Me" is released in December and early in 1967 becomes the singer's first major hit, and the first top 10 country hit by an African-American singer in more than 20 years. Pride, who will later drop the "Country" moniker from his name (although disc jockeys will continue using it to this day), goes on to become the most successful black singer in country music history. Top hits of the year Billboard Top Country Singles 1966 1 David Houston "Almost Persuaded" Epic 10025 January 1966 June 1966 237 2.00 US Billboard 1966 #216, Hot100 #24 for 1 weeks, 15 total weeks, Top Country Singles 1966 #1, Country Singles #1 for 9 weeks, 25 total weeks, 368 points 2 Jack Greene "There Goes My Everything" Decca 32023 August 6, 1966 October 1966 179 1.00 US Billboard 1968 #155, Hot100 #19 for 1 week, 16 total weeks, 4 points, Top Country Singles 1966 #2, Country Singles #1 for 7 weeks, 23 total weeks, 353 points, Grammy Hall of Fame 1999, National Recording Registry 2010 3 Red Sovine "Giddyup Go" Starday 737 August 1965 October 1965 187 1.00 US Billboard 1968 #230, Hot100 #32 for 3 weeks, 12 total weeks, Top Country Singles 1966 #4, Country Singles #1 for 6 weeks, 22 total weeks, 349 points, National Recording Registry 2003 4 Buck Owens & The Buckaroos "Waitin' in Your Welfare Line" Capitol 5566 August 24, 1965 January 3, 1966 179 1.00 US Billboard 1968 #427, Hot100 #63 for 1 week, 6 total weeks, Top Country Singles 1966 #3, Country Singles #1 for 7 weeks, 19 total weeks, 316 points 5 Buck Owens & The Buckaroos "Think Of Me" Capitol 5647 February 15, 1966 May 2, 1966 226 2.00 US Billboard 1966 #229, Hot100 #26 for 1 week, 11 total weeks, Top Country Singles 1966 #5, Country Singles #1 for 6 weeks, 21 total weeks, 313 points, Grammy Hall of Fame 2004 Number-one hits United States (as certified by Billboard) DateSingle NameArtistWks. No.1Spec. NoteJanuary 8Giddyup GoRed Sovine6Sovine's first Number One hit in ten years since 1955's "Why Baby Why."February 19Waitin' in Your Welfare Line/In the Palm of Your HandBuck Owens and the Buckaroos7April 9I Want to Go with YouEddy Arnold6May 21Distant DrumsJim Reeves4June 18Take Good Care of HerSonny James2July 2Think of MeBuck Owens and the Buckaroos6August 13Almost PersuadedDavid Houston9ref_1[1], ref_A[A] The longest-running Number One country song by a male artist until Lonestar's single, "Amazed" in 1999.October 15Blue Side of LonesomeJim Reeves1October 22Open Up Your HeartBuck Owens and the Buckaroos4November 19I Get the FeverBill Anderson1November 26Somebody Like MeEddy Arnold4December 24There Goes My EverythingJack Greene8ref_A[A] Notes 1endnote_1^ No. 1 song of the year, as determined by Billboard. 2endnote_2^ Song dropped from No. 1 and later returned to top spot. Aendnote_A^ First Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist. Canada (as certified by RPM) DateSingle NameArtistWks. No.1Spec. NoteJanuary 3Shadows of Your HeartDianne Leigh2ref_A[A]January 17Iron TownRhythm Pals5ref_A[A]February 21Don’t Knock on My DoorThe Canadian Sweethearts1ref_C[C]February 28This They Say Is MeRhythm Pals2ref_B[B]March 14The AuctioneerIrwin Prescott1ref_C[C]December 5Whistling on the RiverMercey Brothers7ref_A[A], ref_2[2] Fell to #2 on the week of January 21, 1967. Notes 2endnote_2^ Song dropped from No. 1 and later returned to top spot. Aendnote_A^ First RPM No. 1 hit for that artist. Bendnote_B^ Last RPM No. 1 hit for that artist. Cendnote_C^ Only RPM No. 1 hit for that artist. Other major hits Singles released by American artists USSingleArtist2Ain't Had No Lovin'Connie Smith6Almost Persuaded No. 2Ben Colder17Anita, You're DreamingWaylon Jennings16Another StoryErnest Tubb13At Ease HeartErnest Ashworth7BabyWilma Burgess15Baby Ain't That FineGene Pitney and Melba Montgomery10Back Pocket MoneyJimmy C. Newman10Bad SeedJan Howard2The Ballad of the Green BeretsStaff Sgt. Barry Sadler12Blues Plus Booze (Means I Lose)Stonewall Jackson12A Born LoserDon Gibson3The Bottle Let Me DownMerle Haggard18Bottom of a MountainTex Williams18The Box It Came InWanda Jackson13Catch a Little RaindropClaude King19Coming Back to YouThe Browns8The Company You KeepBill Phillips14Count Me OutMarty Robbins14Day for DecisionJohnny Sea4Dear Uncle SamLoretta Lynn2Don't Touch MeJeannie Seely12Don't Touch MeWilma Burgess11Don't You Ever Get Tired (Of Hurting Me)Ray Price9Early Morning RainGeorge Hamilton IV3England SwingsRoger Miller17Everybody Loves a NutJohnny Cash5Evil on Your MindJan Howard2Flowers on the WallThe Statler Brothers5Four-O-Thirty-ThreeGeorge Jones5The Game of TrianglesBobby Bare, Norma Jean and Liz Anderson14Get Your Lie the Way You Want ItBonnie Guitar10Giddyup Go – AnswerMinnie Pearl11Golden GuitarBill Anderson18Guess My Eyes Were Bigger Than My HeartConway Twitty9Happy to Be with YouJohnny Cash2History Repeats ItselfBuddy Starcher6How Long Has It BeenBobby Lewis3The Hurtin's All OverConnie Smith5Husbands and WivesRoger Miller13I Can't Keep Away from YouThe Wilburn Brothers17I Hear Little Rock CallingFerlin Husky4I Love You DropsBill Anderson16I'd Just Be Fool EnoughThe Browns9I'll Take the DogJean Shepard and Ray Pillow18I'm a NutLeroy Pullins6I’m a PeopleGeorge Jones9I'm Living in Two WorldsBonnie Guitar13I've Been a Long Time Leavin' (But I'll Be a Long Time Gone)Roger Miller10If Teardrops Were SilverJean Shepard7If You Can't Bite, Don't GrowlTommy Collins4It Takes a Lot of MoneyWarner Mack14It's All Over (But the Crying)Kitty Wells15It's Only LoveJeannie Seely2Last Word in Lonesome Is MeEddy Arnold17Little BuddyClaude King13LonelyvilleDave Dudley15Long Time GoneDave Dudley8The Lovin' MachineJohnny Paycheck13Many Happy Hangovers to YouJean Shepard16The Men in My Little Girl's LifeArchie Campbell2A Million and OneBilly Walker4Misty BlueWilma Burgess14My DreamsFaron Young4Nobody But a Fool (Would Love You)Connie Smith19One in a RowWillie Nelson2The One on the Right Is on the LeftJohnny Cash6Put It Off Until TomorrowBill Phillips20Rainbows and RosesRoy Drusky2Room in Your HeartSonny James3The Shoe Goes On the Other Foot TonightMarty Robbins3Sittin' On a Rock (Crying in a Creek)Warner Mack3Skid Row JoePorter Wagoner2SnowflakeJim Reeves8Someone Before MeThe Wilburn Brothers10Stand Beside MeJimmy Dean5Standing in the ShadowsHank Williams, Jr.17StatesideMel Tillis15Steel Rail BluesGeorge Hamilton IV15Stop the Start (Of Tears in My Heart)Johnny Dollar5Streets of BaltimoreBobby Bare4Sweet ThangNat Stuckey5Swinging DoorsMerle Haggard8Take MeGeorge Jones3Talkin' to the WallWarner Mack17Thank You Ma'amRay Pillow9(That's What You Get) For Lovin' MeWaylon Jennings17Time to Bum AgainWaylon Jennings3The Tip of My FingersEddy Arnold2Tippy ToeingThe Harden Trio3Touch My HeartRay Price3True Love's a BlessingSonny James17The Twelfth of NeverSlim Whitman7Unmitigated GallFaron Young12Viet Nam BluesDave Dudley7Walking on New GrassKenny Price7A Way to SurviveRay Price4What Kinda Deal Is ThisBill Carlisle4What We're Fighting ForDave Dudley15Where Is the CircusHank Thompson14Where'd Ya Stay Last NightWebb Pierce15A Woman Half My AgeKitty Wells9Women Do Funny Things to MeDel Reeves10The World Is RoundRoy Drusky5Would You Hold It Against MeDottie West16Write Me a PictureGeorge Hamilton IV6(Yes) I'm HurtingDon Gibson2You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My Man)Loretta Lynn15You Finally Said Something Good (When You Said Goodbye)Charlie Louvin Singles released by Canadian artists USCANSingleArtist—3Come Home NewfoundlanderTom Jim Garth—2Goodbye My FriendBob King—10I Don't NeverOdie Workman18—I've Cried a MileHank Snow—7Ice on the RoadGraham Townsend—2Lost LoveArtie MacLaren—4Loving You AgainJohnny Burke—6Muddy WaterBert Cuff—8Play Me One More Country SongRon McMunn—4Rambling ShoesBob King—3Three Plays for a QuarterRalph Carlson—2Working on the Country RoadBob King Top new album releases AlbumArtistRecord LabelBad SeedJan HowardDeccaThe Best of Bobby BareBobby BareRCABorn to SingConnie SmithRCAConfessions of a Broken ManPorter WagonerRCAConway Twitty SingsConway TwittyDeccaDistant DrumsJim ReevesRCADon't Touch MeWilma BurgessDeccaFolk-CountryWaylon JenningsRCAThe Girls Get PrettierHank LocklinRCAI Love You DropsBill AndersonDeccaI Want to Go with YouEddy ArnoldRCAI'm a PeopleGeorge JonesMusicorJan Howard Sings Evil on Your MindJan HowardDeccaJimmy Dean's Greatest HitsJimmy DeanColumbiaLook Into My TeardropsConway TwittyDeccaMany Happy HangoversJean ShepardCapitolPlease Don't Hurt MeNorma JeanRCAThe Seely StyleJeannie SeelyMonumentSomebody Like MeEddy ArnoldRCAThe Streets of BaltimoreBobby BareRCASuffer TimeDottie WestRCAThere Goes My EverythingJack GreeneDeccaWanda Jackson Salutes the Country Music Hall of FameWanda JacksonCapitol Births January 4 — Deana Carter, singer-songwriter who enjoyed a string of hits in the mid-to-late 1990s. May 13 — Darius Rucker, African-American singer and Hootie & the Blowfish lead vocalist who became a rising country star in the late 2000s (decade). July 29 — Martina McBride, crossover-styled female vocalist who rose to fame in the 1990s. August 19 — Lee Ann Womack, new traditionalist-styled singer of the 1990s and 2000s (decade) most famous for her crossover hit "I Hope You Dance." October 6 - Tim Rushlow, lead singer of Little Texas from 1988 to 1997. December 17 — Tracy Byrd, male honky tonk-styled vocalist since the 1990s. Deaths July 1 — Slim Willet, 46, disc jockey and singer-songwriter (heart attack). Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees Eddy Arnold (1918–2008) James R. Denny (1911–1963) George D. Hay (1895–1968) Uncle Dave Macon (1870–1952) Major awards Grammy Awards Best Country and Western Vocal Performance, Female — "Don't Touch Me", Jeannie Seely Best Country and Western Vocal Performance, Male — "Almost Persuaded", David Houston Best Country and Western Recording — "Almost Persuaded", David Houston Best Country and Western Song — "Almost Persuaded", Billy Sherrill and Glenn Sutton (Performer: David Houston) Academy of Country Music Top Male Vocalist — Merle Haggard Top Female Vocalist — Bonnie Guitar Top New Male Vocalist — Billy Mize Top New Female Vocalist — Cathie Taylor See also Country Music Association Inductees of the Country Music Hall of Fame Further reading Kingsbury, Paul, "The Grand Ole Opry: History of Country Music. 70 Years of the Songs, the Stars and the Stories," Villard Books, Random House; Opryland USA, 1995 Kingsbury, Paul, "Vinyl Hayride: Country Music Album Covers 1947–1989," Country Music Foundation, 2003 (0-8118-3572-3) Millard, Bob, "Country Music: 70 Years of America's Favorite Music," HarperCollins, New York, 1993 (0-06-273244-7) Whitburn, Joel, "Top Country Songs 1944–2005 – 6th Edition." 2005. External links Country Music Hall of Fame Country Category:Country music by year