1981 in country music

none May 2015 May 2015 This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1981. 1981 1981 country music Events March 14 — The final showing of Live From The Grand Ole Opry on the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) occurs on this night. The show actually went beyond the televised segment, but the show was ended with a clip of Marty Robbins singing "El Paso" (a song he used to close out his Opry segment at midnight) from the year before. Because of cost over-runs and other technicalities, this was the final run for the annual show on PBS that featured the music of Tom T. Hall, Del Reeves, Hank Snow, Roy Acuff and Minnie Pearl, and many other performers. October — The Weekly Country Music Countdown, a three-hour weekly countdown program distributed by the United Stations Radio Network, debuts. The syndicated program, hosted by radio personality Chris Charles and produced by Ed Salamon, features the top 30 country hits of the week as reported by Radio & Records magazine. The program is a success and the first country music-oriented countdown program to successfully rival the 8-year-old American Country Countdown show. At year's end, United Stations announces a series of specials, to be called "Country Six Pack," will begin airing in 1982; those three-hour special programs, including an annual Christmas program, are scheduled to air during each of the major holidays. No dates The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Country Music, an eight-volume, 143-track collection, is released. The box set is considered one of the first important retrospectives of the genre and contains extensive liner notes, depicting the importance of each song or artist included. Songs included range from 1922's "Sally Gooden" to 1975's "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" by Willie Nelson. Specifically, each volume is titled as follows: "1920's," "1930's Southeast," "1930's Southwest," "1941–1953" (two records), "1953–1963," "Bluegrass" and "1963–1975." Also during the year, the Franklin Mint, as part of its volume series of significant musical recordings, begins issuing a series of country music-focused two-record sets. "The Greatest Country Music Recordings of All Time" will eventually spawn 50 different album sets through 1986 (each new volume issued roughly every other month), with each two-album set focusing on a different era, performer or style, topic and so forth, and each volume will have extensive liner notes and vintage photographs. Top hits of the year List of number-one country singles of 1981 (U.S.) List of number-one country hits of 1981 (Canada) Singles released by American artists USCANSingleArtist741959John Anderson16—AcapulcoJohnny Duncan2041Alice Doesn't Love Here AnymoreBobby Goldsboro11All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down)Hank Williams, Jr.119All Roads Lead to YouSteve Wariner11Am I Losing YouRonnie Milsap11Angel Flying Too Close to the GroundWillie Nelson1010Any Which Way You CanGlen Campbell1—Are You Happy Baby?Dottie West106The BaronJohnny Cash327Beautiful YouThe Oak Ridge Boys15Bet Your Heart on MeJohnny Lee178Between This Time and the Next TimeGene Watson36A Bridge That Just Won't BurnConway Twitty12But You Know I Love YouDolly Parton650By NowSteve Wariner44Can I See You TonightTanya Tucker4420Carolina (I Remember You)Charlie Daniels16—Cheatin's a Two Way StreetSammi Smith8—Chicken TruckJohn Anderson61CryingDon McLean1811Crying in the RainTammy Wynette12—Cup of TeaRex Allen, Jr. and Margo Smith19—Darlin'Tom Jones141Dixie on My MindHank Williams, Jr. 1829Do I Have to Draw a PictureBilly Swan14Do You Love as Good as You LookThe Bellamy Brothers20—Does She Wish She Was Single AgainThe Burrito Brothers1348Don't Bother to KnockJim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius13—Don't Forget YourselfThe Statler Brothers1647Don't Get Above Your Raisin'Ricky Skaggs11—Don't Look Now (But We Just Fell in Love)Eddy Arnold536Don't Wait on MeThe Statler Brothers1118Don't You Ever Get Tired (Of Hurting Me)Willie Nelson & Ray Price1614Down and OutGeorge Strait22Down to My Last Broken HeartJanie Fricke7—Dream of MeVern Gosdin113DrifterSylvia11ElviraThe Oak Ridge Boys63Falling AgainDon Williams16—Feedin' the FireZella Lehr15Feels So RightAlabama1—Fire and SmokeEarl Thomas Conley10—Following the FeelingMoe Bandy & Judy Bailey6—Fool by Your SideDave & Sugar19FriendsRazzy Bailey14—Girls, Women and LadiesEd Bruce5—Giving Up EasyLeon Everette13—Good Ol' GirlsSonny Curtis259Good TimesWillie Nelson17—Goodbye MarieBobby Goldsboro917Grandma's SongGail Davies11Guitar ManElvis Presley11A Headache Tomorrow (Or a Heartache Tonight)Mickey Gilley822Headed for a HeartacheGary Morris811Heart on the MendSylvia108Hey Joe (Hey Moe)Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley810Hillbilly Girl with the BluesLacy J. Dalton1211Honky Tonk QueenMoe Bandy and Joe Stampley230Hooked on MusicMac Davis1420The House of the Rising SunDolly Parton43HurricaneLeon Everette1638Husbands and WivesDavid Frizzell and Shelly West11I Don't Need YouKenny Rogers13—I Don't Think Love Ought to Be That WayReba McEntire13I Feel Like Loving You AgainT. G. Sheppard17—I Have a DreamCristy Lane1120I Just Need You for TonightBilly Crash Craddock13I Keep Coming BackRazzy Bailey14I Love a Rainy NightEddie Rabbitt1539I Love My TruckGlen Campbell5411I Love You a Thousand WaysJohn Anderson13I Loved 'Em Every OneT. G. Sheppard13—I Should've CalledEddy Raven23I Still Believe in WaltzesConway Twitty & Loretta Lynn129I Think I'll Just Stay Here and DrinkMerle Haggard114I Was Country When Country Wasn't CoolBarbara Mandrell48I'll Be There (If You Ever Want Me)Gail Davies41I'll Need Someone to Hold Me (When I Cry)Janie Fricke9—I'm Gonna Love You Back to Lovin' Me AgainJoe Stampley1622(I'm Gonna) Put You Back on the RackDottie West1828I'm Into Lovin' YouBilly Swan42I'm Just an Old Chunk of Coal(But I'm Gonna Be a Diamond Someday)John Anderson12(I'm Settin') Fancy FreeThe Oak Ridge Boys825If Drinkin' Don't Kill Me (Her Memory Will)George Jones1116If I Keep on Going CrazyLeon Everette31If I Needed YouEmmylou Harris and Don Williams12—If You Go, I'll Follow YouPorter Wagoner and Dolly Parton6—It Don't Hurt Me Half as BadRay Price511It's a Lovely, Lovely WorldGail Davies47It's Now or NeverJohn Schneider16—Just Like MeTerry Gregory17—Just One TimeTompall & the Glaser Brothers1039Killin' TimeFred Knoblock and Susan Anton97LeonardMerle Haggard721Louisiana Saturday NightMel McDaniel1933Love Ain't Never Hurt NobodyBobby Goldsboro13—Love Dies HardRandy Barlow11Love in the First DegreeAlabama137Love Is FairBarbara Mandrell810Lovin' ArmsElvis Presley22Lovin' Her Was Easier(Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again)Tompall & the Glaser Brothers75Lovin' What Your Lovin' Does to MeLoretta Lynn and Conway Twitty78The MatadorSylvia2312Maybe I Should Have Been ListeningGene Watson1012MemphisFred Knoblock11Midnight HaulerRazzy Bailey810A Million Old GoodbyesMel Tillis42MiraclesDon Williams27Miss Emily's PictureJohn Conlee117Mona LisaWillie Nelson101Mr. SandmanEmmylou Harris14My Baby Thinks He's a TrainRosanne Cash13My Favorite MemoryMerle Haggard1525My Woman Loves the Devil Out of MeMoe Bandy11Never Been So Loved (In All My Life)Charley Pride119 to 5Dolly Parton11Old FlameAlabama11Older WomenRonnie McDowell10—One-Night FeverMel Tillis12Party TimeT. G. Sheppard2320Perfect FoolDebby Boone34Pickin' Up StrangersJohnny Lee121PrideJanie Fricke34Prisoner of HopeJohnny Lee146Queen of HeartsJuice Newton417Rainbow StewMerle Haggard4319Ready for the Times to Get BetterJoe Sun19Rest Your Love on MeConway Twitty1929Rich ManTerri Gibbs1017Right in the Palm of Your HandMel McDaniel72Roll On MississippiCharley Pride8—Scratch My Back (And Whisper in My Ear)Razzy Bailey16Seven Year AcheRosanne Cash52Share Your Love with MeKenny Rogers16—She Belongs to Everyone but MeThe Burrito Brothers17—She's Steppin' OutCon Hunley5016Should I Do ItTanya Tucker7—Silent TreatmentEarl Thomas Conley42Sleepin' with the Radio OnCharly McClain101Some Days Are Diamonds (Some Days Are Stone)John Denver2038Somebody Led Me AwayLoretta Lynn82Somebody's Knockin'Terri Gibbs13—Somethin' on the RadioJacky Ward11Southern RainsMel Tillis11Step by StepEddie Rabbitt12Still Doin' TimeGeorge Jones1711Storms Never LastJessi Colter and Waylon Jennings513Surround Me with LoveCharly McClain173Take It EasyCrystal Gayle22Takin' It EasyLacy J. Dalton742Teach Me to CheatThe Kendalls9—A Texas State of MindDavid Frizzell and Shelly West122Texas WomenHank Williams, Jr.1312Them Good Old Boys Are BadJohn Schneider11(There's) No Gettin' Over MeRonnie Milsap12—They Could Put Me in JailThe Bellamy Brothers46Thirty-Nine and Holdin'Jerry Lee Lewis18Tight Fittin' JeansConway Twitty58Today All Over AgainReba McEntire11Too Many LoversCrystal Gayle6—Unwound George Strait227Wandering EyesRonnie McDowell13What Are We Doin' in LoveDottie West428What Are We Doin' LonesomeLarry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers1215What I Had with YouJohn Conlee11—What's New with YouCon Hunley1412(When You Fall in Love) Everything's a WaltzEd Bruce1821Whiskey Chasin'Joe Stampley1012WhisperLacy J. Dalton12Who's Cheatin' WhoCharly McClain106The Wild Side of Life/It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk AngelsJessi Colter and Waylon Jennings1915Willie JonesBobby Bare20—Wind Is Bound to ChangeLarry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers211Wish You Were HereBarbara Mandrell32The Woman in MeCrystal Gayle1825You Better Move OnGeorge Jones and Johnny Paycheck11You Don't Know MeMickey Gilley20—You (Make Me Wonder Why)Deborah Allen916You May See Me Walkin'Ricky Skaggs716You're My Favorite StarThe Bellamy Brothers14—You're the BestKieran Kane113You're the Reason God Made OklahomaDavid Frizzell and Shelly West13—Your Good Girl's Gonna Go BadBillie Jo Spears7—Your MemorySteve Wariner Singles released by Canadian artists USCANSingleArtist—10Another Broken Hearted MelodyFamily Brown11Blessed Are the BelieversAnne Murray—15Breaking and EnteringCarroll Baker—11Crazy HeartLaura Vinson—19Every Story in the BookRonnie Prophet—14Four High CardsPeter Chipman—8High and DryC-Weed Band—14Honky Tonk FeverHarold MacIntyre—18How Deep in Love Am IEddie Eastman—1I Never Figured on ThisDavid Thompson—15I'm Leanin' on the Devil TonightJohn Winters91It's All I Can DoAnne Murray577It's Really Love This TimeFamily Brown—16JoanneLee Marlow—5King of FoolsWayne Rostad—10Lovin' Thru the Early HoursLee Marlow8212Mama What Does Cheatin' MeanCarroll Baker—19The MoondancerIan Tyson—3Nashville Just Wrote (Another Cheatin' Song)Midnite Rodeo Band—9Not Living, Not DyingJerry Palmer—17Ode to an Outlaw's LadyTerry Carisse—18Ribbon of GoldFamily Brown—19Satisfied MindBill Hersh—8Shoppin' Bag LadyGurney Anderson—8(Stuck In) LodiRonnie Hawkins—20Sweet HarmonyMercey Brothers—12The Time It Takes to LeaveCanadian Zephyr8414Too Much, Too Little, Too LateMary Bailey459Wasn't That a PartyThe Rovers—16Watching It DieCanadian Zephyr165We Don't Have to Hold OutAnne Murray—15Where the Water Meets the SkyCoyote—7WindshipTerry Carisse—8Wonderin' If WillyMarie Bottrell Top new album releases List of number-one country albums of 1981 (U.S.) {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! US ! Album ! Artist ! Record label |- | align="center"| 4 | Barbara Mandrell Live | Barbara Mandrell | MCA |- | align="center"| 24 | The Baron | Johnny Cash | Columbia |- | align="center"| 9 | Bet Your Heart on Me | Johnny Lee | Full Moon |- | align="center"| 3 | Big City | Merle Haggard | Epic |- | align="center"| 6 | Carryin' on the Family Names | David Frizzell & Shelly West | Warner Bros./Viva |- | align="center"| 10 | Christmas | Kenny Rogers | Liberty |- | align="center"| 6 | Cimarron | Emmylou Harris | Warner Bros. |- | align="center"| 19 | ''Darlin| Tom Jones | Mercury |- | align="center"| 10 | Drifter | Sylvia | RCA |- | align="center"| 5 | Especially for You | Don Williams | MCA |- | align="center"| 5 | Evangeline | Emmylou Harris | Warner Bros. |- | align="center"| 1 | Fancy Free | The Oak Ridge Boys | MCA |- | align="center"| 1 | Feels So Right | Alabama | RCA |- | align="center"| 19 | Fire & Smoke | Earl Thomas Conley | RCA |- | align="center"| 6 | Good Time Lovin' Man | Ronnie McDowell | Epic |- | align="center"| 8 | Greatest Hits | Charley Pride | RCA |- | align="center"| 8 | Greatest Hits | Jim Reeves & Patsy Cline | RCA |- | align="center"| 1 | Greatest Hits (& Some That Will Be) | Willie Nelson | Columbia |- | align="center"| 6 | Guitar Man | Elvis Presley | RCA |- | align="center"| 23 | Hey Joe! Hey Moe! | Moe Bandy & Joe Stampley | Columbia |- | align="center"| 5 | Hollywood, Tennessee | Crystal Gayle | Columbia |- | align="center"| 7 | I Love 'Em All | T. G. Sheppard | Warner Bros./Curb |- | align="center"| 24 | I'm Countryfied | Mel McDaniel | Capitol |- | align="center"| 25 | John Anderson 2 | John Anderson | Warner Bros. |- | align="center"| 4 | Juice | Juice Newton | Capitol |- | align="center"| 11 | Leather and Lace | Waylon Jennings & Jessi Colter | RCA |- | align="center"| 8 | Makin' Friends | Razzy Bailey | RCA |- | align="center"| 20 | Me and My R.C. | Louise Mandrell & R. C. Bannon | RCA |- | align="center"| 19 | Midnight Crazy | Mac Davis | Casablanca |- | align="center"| 5 | Mr. T | Conway Twitty | MCA |- | align="center"| 10 | Not Guilty | Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers | Columbia |- | align="center"| 8 | Now or Never | John Schneider | Scotti Brothers |- | align="center"| 6 | Out Where the Bright Lights Are Glowing | Ronnie Milsap | RCA |- | align="center"| 5 | The Pressure Is On | Hank Williams, Jr. | Elektra/Curb |- | align="center"| 20 | Rainbow Stew: Live at Anaheim Stadium | Merle Haggard | MCA |- | align="center"| 17 | Roll On Mississippi | Charley Pride | RCA |- | align="center"| 2 | Rowdy | Hank Williams Jr. | Elektra/Curb |- | align="center"| 1 | Seven Year Ache | Rosanne Cash | Columbia |- | align="center"| 1 | Share Your Love | Kenny Rogers | Liberty |- | align="center"| 7 | Some Days Are Diamonds | John Denver | RCA |- | align="center"| 6 | Somebody's Knockin| Terri Gibbs | MCA |- | align="center"| 1 | Somewhere Over the Rainbow | Willie Nelson | Columbia |- | align="center"| 1 | Step by Step | Eddie Rabbitt | Elektra |- | align="center"| 3 | Still the Same Ole Me | George Jones | Epic |- | align="center"| 9 | Surround Me with Love | Charly McClain | Epic |- | align="center"| 12 | Takin' It Easy | Lacy J. Dalton | Columbia |- | align="center"| 1 | There's No Gettin' Over Me | Ronnie Milsap | RCA |- | align="center"| 17 | Town & Country | Ray Price | Dimension |- | align="center"| 23 | Urban Chipmunk | The Chipmunks | RCA |- | align="center"| 2 | Waitin' for the Sun to Shine | Ricky Skaggs | Epic |- | align="center"| 4 | Where Do You Go When You Dream | Anne Murray | Capitol |- | align="center"| 22 | With Love | John Conlee | MCA |- | align="center"| 5 | Wild West | Dottie West | Liberty |- | align="center"| 9 | Years Ago | The Statler Brothers | Mercury |- | align="center"| 19 | You Don't Know Me | Mickey Gilley | Epic |} Other top albums {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! US ! Album ! Artist ! Record label |- | align="center"| 43 | As Is | Bobby Bare | Columbia |- | align="center"| 59 | Ask Any Woman | Con Hunley | Warner Bros. |- | align="center"| 49 | The Best of Jerry Lee Lewis | Jerry Lee Lewis | Elektra |- | align="center"| 38 | Between This Time and the Next Time | Gene Watson | MCA |- | align="center"| 54 | Bobby Goldsboro | Bobby Goldsboro | Curb |- | align="center"| 41 | Christmas Country | Various Artists | Elektra |- | align="center"| 34 | Christmas at Gilley's | Mickey Gilley | Epic |- | align="center"| 34 | Christmas Wishes | Anne Murray | Capitol |- | align="center"| 52 | Concrete Cowboys | The Concrete Cowboys Band | Excelsoir |- | align="center"| 45 | Dakota | Stephanie Winslow | Warner Bros./Curb |- | align="center"| 26 | Desperate Dreams | Eddy Raven | Elektra |- | align="center"| 47 | Elvis-Greatest Hits, Volume One | Elvis Presley | RCA |- | align="center"| 43 | Encore | George Jones | Epic |- | align="center"| 52 | Encore | Charly McClain | Epic |- | align="center"| 44 | Encore | Tammy Wynette | Epic |- | align="center"| 43 | Fragile – Handle with Care | Cristy Lane | Liberty |- | align="center"| 47 | Greatest Hits | Jim Ed Brown & Helen Cornelius | RCA |- | align="center"| 35 | Greatest Hits | Dave & Sugar | RCA |- | align="center"| 42 | Heart to Heart | Reba McEntire | Mercury |- | align="center"| 43 | High Time | Dottie West | Liberty |- | align="center"| 30 | Hurricane | Leon Everette | RCA |- | align="center"| 28 | I Ain't Honky Tonkin' No More | Joe Sun | Elektra |- | align="center"| 35 | I Have a Dream | Cristy Lane | Liberty |- | align="center"| 40 | I Just Came Home to Count the Memories | John Anderson | Warner Bros. |- | align="center"| 33 | I Lie | Loretta Lynn | MCA |- | align="center"| 40 | I'm a Lady | Terri Gibbs | MCA |- | align="center"| 33 | I'm Gonna Love You Back to Loving Me Again | Joe Stampley | Epic |- | align="center"| 56 | If I Keep On Going Crazy | Leon Everette | RCA |- | align="center"| 67 | Invictus (Means) Unconquered | David Allan Coe | Columbia |- | align="center"| 49 | It's the World Gone Crazy | Glen Campbell | Capitol |- | align="center"| 52 | Just Like Me | Terry Gregory | Handshake |- | align="center"| 54 | King of the Road | Boxcar Willie | Main Street |- | align="center"| 42 | ''Lettin' You In on a Feelin | The Kendalls | Mercury |- | align="center"| 30 | Live!| Hoyt Axton | Jeremiah |- | align="center"| 36 | Lovin' Her Was Easier| Tompall & the Glaser Brothers | Elektra |- | align="center"| 56 | Mel & Nancy| Mel Tillis & Nancy Sinatra | Elektra |- | align="center"| 39 | Minstrel Man| Willie Nelson | RCA |- | align="center"| 43 | More Good 'Uns| Jerry Clower | MCA |- | align="center"| 40 | Mr. Hag Told My Story| Johnny Paycheck | Columbia |- | align="center"| 42 | Mundo Earwood| Mundo Earwood | Excelsoir |- | align="center"| 64 | My Turn| Donna Hazard | Excelsoir |- | align="center"| 33 | The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (Soundtrack)| Various Artists | Mirage |- | align="center"| 57 | Old Loves Never Die| Gene Watson | MCA |- | align="center"| 50 | Once You Were Mine| Dottie West | RCA |- | align="center"| 29 | One to One| Ed Bruce | MCA |- | align="center"| 31 | Pleasure| Dave Rowland & Sugar | Elektra |- | align="center"| 48 | Rodeo Romeo| Moe Bandy | Columbia |- | align="center"| 47 | Rodney Crowell| Rodney Crowell | Warner Bros. |- | align="center"| 49 | Savin' It Up| Debby Boone | Warner Bros./Curb |- | align="center"| 48 | Should I Do It| Tanya Tucker | MCA |- | align="center"| 42 | Sleeping with Your Memory| Janie Fricke | Columbia |- | align="center"| 46 | Songs for the Mama That Tried| Merle Haggard | MCA |- | align="center"| 26 | Strait Country| George Strait | MCA |- | align="center"| 33 | Take This Job and Shove It! (Soundtrack)| Various Artists | Epic |- | align="center"| 59 | A Tribute to Kris| Ray Price | Columbia |- | align="center"| 28 | Two's a Party| Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn | MCA |- | align="center"| 30 | Urban Cowboy II (Soundtrack)| Various Artists | Full Moon |- | align="center"| 38 | Wasn't That a Party| The Rovers | Cleveland Int'l. |- | align="center"| 39 | White Christmas| John Schneider | Scotti Brothers |- | align="center"| 40 | A Woman's Heart| Crystal Gayle | Liberty |} On television Regular series Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters (1980–1982, NBC) Hee Haw (1969–1993, syndicated) Pop! Goes the Country (1974–1982, syndicated) The Porter Wagoner Show (1960–1981, syndicated) That Nashville Music (1970–1985, syndicated) Specials June — Country Top 20 – Host Dennis Weaver presented the top 20 songs from January–June 1981. Performances from Alabama, The Gatlin Brothers, The Oak Ridge Boys, John Schneider, T. G. Sheppard, Dottie West and Shelly West. (syndicated) October — Country Galaxy of Stars – A two-hour special featuring performances by country music's top stars. (syndicated) December — Country Top 20 – A review of the top 20 songs from July–December 1981, with hosts Charly McClain and Roger Miller. Performers included John Conlee, Gail Davies, Crystal Gayle, Johnny Lee, Eddie Rabbitt, Eddy Raven, Joe Stampley, Sylvia and Hank Williams, Jr. (syndicated) Births March 23 — Brett Young, country pop singer. Best known for his string of hits in the mid-to-late 2010s. August 28 — Jake Owen, singer-songwriter of the 2000s. September 4 — Tom Gossin, member of Gloriana. September 11 — Charles Kelley, member of Lady Antebellum. December 4 — Lila McCann, teenage singer of the 1990s. Deaths January 31 – Scotty (born Scott Greene Wiseman), 72, one-half of the 1930s–1940s husband-and-wife duo Lulu Belle and Scotty. November 24 – Mother of Country Legends Loretta Lynn and Crystal Gayle dies at a Nashville hospital aged 69. Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees Vernon Dalhart (1883–1948) Grant Turner (1912–1991) Major awards Grammy Awards Best Female Country Vocal Performance — "9 to 5", Dolly Parton Best Male Country Vocal Performance — "(There's) No Gettin' Over Me", Ronnie Milsap Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal — "Elvira", The Oak Ridge Boys Best Country Instrumental Performance — "Country After All These Years", Chet Atkins Best Country Song — "9 to 5", Dolly Parton (Performer: Dolly Parton) Juno Awards Country Male Vocalist of the Year — Eddie Eastman Country Female Vocalist of the Year — Anne Murray Country Group or Duo of the Year — The Good Brothers Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year — Alabama Song of the Year — "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma", Felice Bryant, Boudleaux Bryant, Larry Collins, Sandy Pinkard (Performer: David Frizzell and Shelly West) Single of the Year — "Elvira", The Oak Ridge Boys Album of the Year — Feels So Right, Alabama Top Male Vocalist — Merle Haggard Top Female Vocalist — Barbara Mandrell Top Vocal Duo — David Frizzell and Shelly West Top New Male Vocalist — Ricky Skaggs Top New Female Vocalist — Juice Newton Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year — Barbara Mandrell Song of the Year — "He Stopped Loving Her Today", Bobby Braddock and Curly Putman (Performer: George Jones) Single of the Year — "Elvira", The Oak Ridge Boys Album of the Year — I Believe in You'', Don WilliamsMale Vocalist of the Year — George JonesFemale Vocalist of the Year — Barbara MandrellVocal Duo of the Year — David Frizzell and Shelly WestVocal Group of the Year — AlabamaHorizon Award — Terri GibbsInstrumentalist of the Year — Chet AtkinsInstrumental Group of the Year''' — Alabama 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