1989 in country music

none April 2015 April 2015 This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1989. 1989 1989 country music Events May 9 – Rising country star Keith Whitley is found dead at his home, a victim of alcohol poisoning. News of his death sent shockwaves through the industry, given that he had been hailed as a future superstar who helped bring neotraditionalism to the forefront during the 1980s. His widow, Lorrie Morgan, would become a major superstar after his death. October 28- Bill Monroe celebrates his 50th Grand Ole opry anniversary No dates 1989 was one of two years during the 1980s which sprouted the most prolific class of newcomers in country music history (1986 being the other), a trend that had not been seen since the mid-1950s (when artists such as Elvis Presley, George Jones and Johnny Cash first rose to fame). Clint Black was at the head of the class early on, given that he had two of the year's most memorable singles – "A Better Man" and "Killin' Time" – and one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year (Killin' Time), and was already selling out shows nationwide. Garth Brooks, however, proved to be the 1989 newcomer that stood head and shoulders above everyone else, eventually selling millions of albums, taking worldwide tours and creating some of the most influential music of the 1990s and beyond. Another newcomer, Alan Jackson, had a minor hit with his first release in the autumn of that year with "Blue Blooded Woman;" future singles – all featuring the neotraditional style, would do considerably better, to say the least. Travis Tritt contributed with his brand of rock-influenced country, while Lorrie Morgan (daughter of Grand Ole Opry legend George Morgan) became a star in her own right following the alcohol-poisoning death of her husband, Keith Whitley. Other top newcomers of the year were Suzy Bogguss, and Lionel Cartwright. Top hits of the year List of number-one country singles of 1989 (U.S.) List of number-one country hits of 1989 (Canada) Singles released by American artists USCANSingleArtist18145:01 BluesMerle Haggard11Above and BeyondRodney Crowell11Ace in the HoleGeorge Strait11After All This TimeRodney Crowell510All the FunPaul Overstreet52All the Reasons WhyHighway 101432An American FamilyThe Oak Ridge Boys1429And So It GoesJohn Denver/The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band45Any Way the Wind BlowsSouthern Pacific16Are You Ever Gonna Love MeHolly Dunn11Baby's Gotten Good at GoodbyeGeorge Strait2024Back in the FireGene Watson11Bayou BoysEddy Raven410A Better Love Next TimeMerle Haggard11A Better ManClint Black710Beyond Those YearsThe Oak Ridge Boys35Big Dreams in a Small TownRestless Heart58Big LoveThe Bellamy Brothers11Big Wheels in the MoonlightDan Seals47Blue Side of TownPatty Loveless1321BorderlineThe Shooters1542Breaking New GroundWild Rose1010Bridges and WallsThe Oak Ridge Boys35Burnin' a Hole in My HeartSkip Ewing14Burnin' Old MemoriesKathy Mattea45Call on MeTanya Tucker11Cathy's ClownReba McEntire11Change of HeartThe Judds11The Church on Cumberland RoadShenandoah1524The Coast of ColoradoSkip Ewing75Come as You WereT. Graham Brown11Come from the HeartKathy Mattea922Country ClubTravis Tritt1417Cross My Broken HeartSuzy Bogguss912Dear MeLorrie Morgan11Deeper Than the HollerRandy Travis55Don't Toss Us AwayPatty Loveless56Don't Waste It on the BluesGene Watson915Don't YouThe Forester Sisters12Don't You Ever Get Tired (Of Hurting Me)Ronnie Milsap67Down That Road TonightNitty Gritty Dirt Band1414Early in the Morning and Late at NightHank Williams Jr.55Fair ShakeFoster & Lloyd65Finders Are KeepersHank Williams Jr.11From a Jack to a KingRicky Van Shelton32From the Word GoMichael Martin Murphey37Give Me His Last ChanceLionel Cartwright1011The Gospel According to LukeSkip Ewing1325The HeartLacy J. Dalton83Heartbreak HillEmmylou Harris1616Heaven Only KnowsEmmylou Harris1111Hello TroubleThe Desert Rose Band21Hey BobbyK. T. Oslin11High CottonAlabama21Highway RobberyTanya Tucker11Hold MeK. T. Oslin64Hold On (A Little Longer)Steve Wariner41Hole in My PocketRicky Van Shelton53Honey I Dare YouSouthern Pacific65Honky Tonk HeartHighway 1011928House on Old Lonesome RoadConway Twitty412Houston SolutionRonnie Milsap1944How DoMary Chapin Carpenter11I Don't Want to Spoil the PartyRosanne Cash912I Feel FineSweethearts of the Rodeo13I Got DreamsSteve Wariner55I Got YouDwight Yoakam1637I Just Called to Say Goodbye AgainLarry Boone2112I Know What I've GotJ.C. Crowley11I Sang DixieDwight Yoakam11I Still Believe in YouThe Desert Rose Band44I Wish I Was Still in Your DreamsConway Twitty11I Wonder Do You Think of MeKeith Whitley1619I'll Be Lovin' YouLee Greenwood55(I'm A) One Woman ManGeorge Jones11I'm No Stranger to the RainKeith Whitley11I'm Still CrazyVern Gosdin411I've Been Loved by the BestDon Williams1721If I Ever Go CrazyThe Shooters11If I Had YouAlabama12If Tomorrow Never ComesGarth Brooks11In a Letter to YouEddy Raven11Is It Still Over?Randy Travis1113(It's Always Gonna Be) SomedayHolly Dunn11It's Just a Matter of TimeRandy Travis11Killin' TimeClint Black53Let It Be YouRicky Skaggs11Let Me Tell You About LoveThe Judds1224Let's Get Started If We're Gonna Break My HeartThe Statler Brothers49Life as We Knew ItKathy Mattea1421Like Father Like SonLionel Cartwright11Living ProofRicky Van Shelton65The Lonely Side of LovePatty Loveless53Long ShotBaillie & the Boys43Love Has No RightBilly Joe Royal12Love Out LoudEarl Thomas Conley720Love WillThe Forester Sisters11Lovin' Only MeRicky Skaggs613More Than a Name on a WallThe Statler Brothers89Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)Garth Brooks1915My Train of ThoughtBarbara Mandrell 921Never Givin' Up on LoveMichael Martin Murphey86Never Had It So GoodMary Chapin Carpenter11New Fool at an Old GameReba McEntire11Nothing I Can Do About It NowWillie Nelson52Old Coyote TownDon Williams43One Good WellDon Williams23Out of Your ShoesLorrie Morgan138Paint the Town and Hang the Moon TonightJ. C. Crowley3011Planet TexasKenny Rogers1712PromisesRandy Travis53The Race Is OnSawyer Brown41Say What's in Your HeartRestless Heart74Setting Me UpHighway 10185She Deserves YouBaillie & the Boys34She Don't Love NobodyThe Desert Rose Band2310She Reminded Me of YouMickey Gilley11She's Crazy for Leavin'Rodney Crowell624She's Gone, Gone, GoneGlen Campbell24She's Got a Single Thing in MindConway Twitty19—She's ThereDaniele Alexander811SincerelyThe Forester Sisters11Song of the SouthAlabama941Sowin' LovePaul Overstreet11Sunday in the SouthShenandoah22Tell It Like It IsBilly Joe Royal48There Goes My Heart AgainHolly Dunn79There's a Tear in My BeerHank Williams Jr. and Hank Williams54They Rage OnDan Seals52This WomanK. T. Oslin45'Til Love Comes AgainReba McEntire47'Til You CryEddy Raven11Timber, I'm Falling in LovePatty Loveless2034Trainwreck of EmotionLorrie Morgan11Two Dozen RosesShenandoah95Up and GoneJennifer McCarter & The McCarters826The Vows Go Unbroken (Always True to You)Kenny Rogers11What I'd SayEarl Thomas Conley12What's Going On in Your WorldGeorge Strait11Where Did I Go WrongSteve Wariner21Who You Gonna Blame It on This TimeVern Gosdin11Why'd You Come in Here Lookin' Like ThatDolly Parton1936Wine Me UpLarry Boone44(Wish I Had A) Heart of StoneBaillie & the Boys11A Woman in LoveRonnie Milsap11Yellow RosesDolly Parton19—You Ain't Down HomeJann Browne611You Ain't Goin' NowhereChris Hillman & Roger McGuinn73You Got ItRoy Orbison1415You Still DoT. G. Sheppard1014You'll Never Be SorryThe Bellamy Brothers11Young Love (Strong Love)The Judds Singles released by Canadian artists USCANSingleArtist—10As Long as We Both Shall LoveCarroll Baker—8Blue Jeans BoyJ. K. Gulley—15C-Luv RadioMike Terry—7Cowboy in Your HeartGary Fjellgaard—12The Cowboy Thing To DoBootleg—7Do Right by MeMichelle Wright—10Donna LeeGreg Paul—20Don't You Cry For MeThe Ellis Family Band—19Fiddle Texas StyleCindi Cain221Full Moon Full of Lovek.d. lang—9GoldmineGeorge Fox—20How LongBlue Rodeo—9I Didn't Know YouAudie Henry—10I Think That I'll Be Needing YouCindi Cain—7I Wish I Were Only LonelyMichelle Wright289If I Ever Fall in Love AgainAnne Murray with Kenny Rogers—13In My DreamsLaura Vinson—17Just a Place Where Mem'ries LiveCindi Cain—8Let's Build A Life TogetherFamily Brown—16Long DistanceGeorge Fox—12Love With a Capital "L"Murray McLauchlan—19The Lucky OnesWillie P. Bennett—10The Moon Is Out to Get MeGary Fjellgaard with Linda Kidder—16Old Broken HeartGreg Paul—7Rock Me GentlyMichelle Wright—10Someday I'm Gonna Ride in a CadillacMatt Minglewood—9The Tip of My FingersAnita Perras—15Train of LifeGreat Western Orchestra Top new album releases List of number-one country albums of 1989 (U.S.) US Album Artist Record label 12 Absolute Torch and Twang k.d. lang and the Reclines Sire 11 Alone Vern Gosdin Columbia 24 American Dreams The Oak Ridge Boys MCA 1 Beyond the Blue Neon George Strait MCA 15 Bluebird Emmylou Harris Warner Bros. 2 Garth Brooks Garth Brooks Capitol 20 Greatest Hits Tanya Tucker Capitol 22 Greatest Hits 3 The Oak Ridge Boys MCA 1 Greatest Hits III Hank Williams, Jr. Curb/Warner Bros. 19 Hillbilly Rock Marty Stuart MCA 8 Hits 1979–1989 Rosanne Cash Columbia 2 A Horse Called Music Willie Nelson Columbia 2 I Wonder Do You Think of Me Keith Whitley RCA 3 Just Lookin' for a Hit Dwight Yoakam Reprise 18 Kentucky Thunder Ricky Skaggs Epic 15 Keys to the Highway Rodney Crowell Columbia 1 Killin' Time Clint Black RCA 6 Leave the Light On Lorrie Morgan RCA 10 Lyle Lovett and His Large Band Lyle Lovett Curb/MCA 17 Mystery Girl Roy Orbison Virgin 1 No Holdin' Back Randy Travis Warner Bros. 13 An Old Time Christmas Randy Travis Warner Bros. 13 One Woman Man George Jones Epic 22 Paint the Town Highway 101 Warner Bros. 2 Pickin' on Nashville The Kentucky Headhunters Mercury 2 Reba Live Reba McEntire MCA 2 River of Time The Judds Curb/RCA 6 The Road Not Taken Shenandoah Columbia 2 Simple Man The Charlie Daniels Band Epic 10 Something Inside So Strong Kenny Rogers Reprise 1 Southern Star Alabama RCA 13 Sowin' Love Paul Overstreet RCA 20 Stranger Things Have Happened Ronnie Milsap RCA 1 Sweet Sixteen Reba McEntire MCA 15 Tell It Like It Is Billy Joe Royal Atlantic 2 When I Call Your Name Vince Gill MCA 3 White Limozeen Dolly Parton Columbia 5 Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two Nitty Gritty Dirt Band MCA 6 Willow in the Wind Kathy Mattea Mercury Other top albums US Album Artist Record label 28 5:01 Blues Merle Haggard Epic 70 20 Gold Hits Patsy Cline MCA 42 Back in the Fire Gene Watson Warner Bros. 51 Beside Myself Ray Stevens MCA 30 The Blue Rose of Texas Holly Dunn Warner Bros. 29 The Boys Are Back Sawyer Brown Curb 45 Christmas in America Kenny Rogers Reprise 56 Coming Home Wayne Newton Curb 60 Fellow Travelers John Conlee 16th Avenue 59 First Move Daniele Alexander Mercury 44 Faster & Llouder Foster & Lloyd RCA 52 Greatest Hits The Forester Sisters Warner Bros. 32 Greatest Hits Volume II Anne Murray Capitol 50 Greatest Hits Volume III The Bellamy Brothers Curb/MCA 39 House on Old Lonesome Road Conway Twitty MCA 55 I Am Just a Rebel Billy Hill Reprise 32 I Got Dreams Steve Wariner MCA 66 If Only For One Night Lee Greenwood MCA 64 Labor of Love Janie Frickie Columbia 33 Land of Enchantment Michael Martin Murphey Warner Bros. 44 Lionel Cartwright Lionel Cartwright MCA 48 Many Mansions Moe Bandy Curb 51 Moody Woman Charley Pride 16th Avenue 38 More Great Dirt Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Warner Bros. 48 New Classic Waylon Waylon Jennings MCA 71 Next of Kin (Soundtrack) Various Artists Columbia 42 Next to You Tammy Wynette Epic 54 One Good Well Don Williams RCA 45 Pink Cadillac (Soundtrack) Various Artists Warner Bros. 49 Pure N Simple Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers Curb/Universal 61 Radio Romance Canyon 16th Avenue 32 Ricky Van Shelton Sings Christmas Ricky Van Shelton Columbia 65 The Rodney Crowell Collection Rodney Crowell Warner Bros. 40 Solid as a Rock The Shooters Epic 41 Somewhere Between Suzy Bogguss Capitol 28 State of the Heart Mary Chapin Carpenter Columbia 40 Statler Brothers Live – Sold Out The Statler Brothers Mercury 68 Steppin' Stone Marie Osmond Capitol/Curb 40 Stones Gary Morris Capitol/MCA 42 Storms Nanci Griffith MCA 61 Sunrise Shelby Lynne Epic 31 Survivor Lacy J. Dalton Capitol/MCA 31 Temporary Sanity Eddy Raven Capitol 30 Turn the Tide Baillie & the Boys RCA 44 The Will to Love Skip Ewing MCA On television Regular series Hee Haw (1969–1993, syndicated) Specials Births January 30 - Devin Dawson, country singer-songwriter known for his 2018 hit "All on Me". March 10 – Rachel Reinert, member of Gloriana. March 20 – Lindsay Ell, Canadian country singer of the 2010s. August 28 – Cassadee Pope, lead singer of pop rock band Hey Monday, turned country singer; winner of the third season of The Voice December 13 – Taylor Swift, teen star who quickly enjoyed major crossover success by the end of the 2000s decade. Deaths February 4 – Kenneth C. "Jethro" Burns, 68, of the Homer and Jethro comedy duo. March 8 – Stuart Hamblen, 80, one of radio's first country music superstars, whose later works reflected his religious convictions. May 9 – Keith Whitley, 33, honky tonk-styled singer who rose to fame in the mid-1980s (alcohol poisoning) August 25 – Al Cherney, 56, Albertan fiddler September 23 – Bradley Kincaid, 94, Singer and Guitarist who started his career in 1927 in Chicago over WLS Radio, performing the traditional mountain ballads he had learned during his boyhood in Kentucky, he soon became the genre's first Multimedia superstar. He collected, recorded, and published many of the old Folk ballads, thereby preserving them for posterity. (Automobile Accident). Hall of Fame inductees Country Music Hall of Fame inductees Jack Stapp (1912–1980) Cliffie Stone (1917–1998) Hank Thompson (1925–2007) Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductees Charlie Chamberlain Al Cherney (posthumous) King Ganam Dallas Harms Earl Heywood Marg Osburne Ian Tyson Mercey Brothers Maurice Bolyer Don Grashey Maurice Bolyer Major awards Grammy Awards Best Female Country Vocal Performance – Absolute Torch and Twang, k.d. lang Best Male Country Vocal Performance – Lyle Lovett and His Large Band, Lyle Lovett Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal – Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Best Country Collaboration with Vocals – "There's a Tear in My Beer", Hank Williams and Hank Williams, Jr. Best Country Instrumental Performance – "Amazing Grace", Randy Scruggs Best Country Song – "After All This Time", Rodney Crowell Best Bluegrass Recording – "The Valley Road", Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Bruce Hornsby Juno Awards Country Male Vocalist of the Year – George Fox Country Female Vocalist of the Year – k.d. lang Country Group or Duo of the Year – Family Brown Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year – George Strait Song of the Year – "Where've You Been", Jon Vezner and Don Henry (Performer: Kathy Mattea) Single of the Year – "A Better Man", Clint Black Album of the Year – Killin' Time, Clint Black Top Male Vocalist – Clint Black Top Female Vocalist – Kathy Mattea Top Vocal Duo – The Judds Top Vocal Group – Restless Heart Top New Male Vocalist – Clint Black Top New Female Vocalist – Mary Chapin Carpenter Top New Vocal Duo or Group – The Kentucky Headhunters Video of the Year – "There's a Tear in My Beer", Hank Williams, Jr. and Hank Williams (Director: Ethan Russell) ARIA Awards (presented in Sydney on March 6, 1989) Best Country Album – Boomerang Café (John Williamson) Canadian Country Music Association Entertainer Artist of the Year – k.d. lang Male Artist of the Year – Gary Fjellgaard Female Artist of the Year – k.d. lang Group of the Year – Family Brown SOCAN Song of the Year – "Town of Tears", Barry Brown, Randall Prescott, Bruce Campbell (Performer: Family Brown) Single of the Year – "Town of Tears", Family Brown Album of the Year – Shadowland, k.d. lang Top Selling Album – Old 8×10, Randy Travis Vista Rising Star Award – George Fox Duo of the Year – Gary Fjellgaard and Linda Kidder Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year – George Strait Song of the Year – "Chiseled in Stone", Max D. Barnes and Vern Gosdin (Performer: Vern Gosdin) Single of the Year – "I'm No Stranger to the Rain", Keith Whitley Album of the Year – Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Male Vocalist of the Year – Ricky Van Shelton Female Vocalist of the Year – Kathy Mattea Vocal Duo of the Year – The Judds Vocal Group of the Year – Highway 101 Horizon Award – Clint Black Music Video of the Year – "There's a Tear in My Beer", Hank Williams, Jr. and Hank Williams (Director: Ethan Russell) Vocal Event of the Year – Hank Williams, Jr. and Hank Williams Musician of the Year – Johnny Gimble Hollywood Walk of Fame Stars who were honored in 1989 Jerry Lee Lewis 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. Other links Country Music Association Inductees of the Country Music Hall of Fame External links Country Music Hall of Fame Country Category:Country music by year