1976 in country music

"See also:"
1975 in country music,
1976 in music,
other events of 1976,
1977 in country music, and the List of years in Country Music

Events

No dates

*The CB radio craze was sweeping country music, as no less than three No. 1 songs are about citizens-band radios. C.W. McCall's "Convoy" — about a band of truck drivers who fight back against redneck police officers — spends four of its six weeks at No. 1 in January, and goes on to be Billboard magazine's No. 1 country song of 1976. Other top songs where CB radios were central to the plot were:
** "The White Knight" by Cledus Maggard & The Citizen's Band, about a lead-footed truck driver who is led into a speed trap by a corrupt state trooper.
** "Teddy Bear" by Red Sovine, a sentimental recitation about a fatherless, physically handicapped boy who keeps in touch with truck drivers. He states his lone wish is to ride around with his father, but since that can't happen, other truck drivers make good on the wish by showing up at the young lad's home and giving him rides.

Top hits of the year

Number one hits

"(As certified by Billboard magazine)"
*January 31 - "This Time I've Hurt Her More Than She Loves Me" - Conway Twitty
*February 7 - "Sometimes" - Bill Anderson and Mary Lou Turner
*February 14 - "The White Knight" - Cledus Maggard & the Citizen's Band
*February 21 - "Good Hearted Woman" - Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson
*March 13 - "The Roots of My Raising" - Merle Haggard and the Strangers
*March 20 - "Faster Horses (The Cowboy and the Poet)" - Tom T. Hall
*March 27 - "Til the Rivers All Run Dry" - Don Williams
*April 3 - "You'll Lose A Good Thing" - Freddy Fender
*April 10 - "'Til I Can Make It on My Own" - Tammy Wynette
*April 17 - "Drinkin' My Baby (Off My Mind)" - Eddie Rabbitt
*April 24 - "Together Again" - Emmylou Harris
*May 1 - "Don't the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time" - Mickey Gilley
*May 8 - "My Eyes Can Only See as Far as You" - Charley Pride
*May 15 - "What Goes On When the Sun Goes Down" - Ronnie Milsap
*May 22 - "After All the Good Is Gone" - Conway Twitty
*May 29 - "One Piece at a Time" - Johnny Cash
*June 12 - "I'll Get Over You" - Crystal Gayle
*June 19 - "El Paso City" - Marty Robbins
*July 3 - "All These Things" - Joe Stampley
*July 10 - "The Door Is Always Open" - Dave & Sugar
*July 17 - "Teddy Bear" - Red Sovine
*August 7 - "Golden Ring" - George Jones and Tammy Wynette
*August 14 - "Say It Again" - Don Williams
*August 21 - "Bring It On Home to Me" - Mickey Gilley
*August 28 - "I'm a Stand by My Woman Man" - Ronnie Milsap
*September 11 - "I Don't Want to Have to Marry You" - Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius
*September 25 - "If You've Got the Money, I've Got the Time" - Willie Nelson
*October 2 - "Here's Some Love" - Tanya Tucker
*October 9 - "The Games That Daddies Play" - Conway Twitty
*October 16 - "You and Me" - Tammy Wynette
*October 30 - "Among My Souvenirs" - Marty Robbins
*November 6 - "Cherokee Maiden" - Merle Haggard and the Strangers
*November 13 - "Somebody Somewhere (Don't Know What He's Missin' Tonight)" - Loretta Lynn
*November 27 - "Good Woman Blues" - Mel Tillis
*December 11 - "Thinkin' of a Rendezvous" - Johnny Duncan
*December 25 - "Sweet Dreams" - Emmylou Harris

Other major hits

*"9,999,999 Tears" - Dickey Lee
*"After the Storm" - Wynn Stewart
*"Afternoon Delight" - Johnny Carver
*"All I Can Do" - Dolly Parton
*"Amazing Grace (Used to be Her Favorite Song)" - Amazing Rhythm Aces
*"America the Beautiful (1976)" - Charlie Rich
*"Angels, Roses and Rain" - Dickey Lee
*"Baby Boy" - Mary Kay Place
*"The Blind Man in the Bleachers" - Kenny Starr
*"Broken Lady" - Larry Gatlin
*"The Call" - Anne Murray
*"Can't You See" - Waylon Jennings
*"Come On In" - Sonny James
*"Come On Over" - Olivia Newton-John
*"Cowboy" - Eddy Arnold
*"Do You Right Tonight" - Eddie Rabbitt
*"Don't Believe My Heart Can Stand Another You" - Tanya Tucker
*"Don't Pull Your Love/Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye (medley)" - Glen Campbell
*"Don't Stop Believin'" - Olivia Newton-John
*"The End is Not in Sight (the Cowboy Song)" - Amazing Rhythm Aces
*"Fly Away" — John Denver
*"Fox on the Run" - Tom T. Hall
*"God Bless America Again" - Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn
*"Hank Williams You Wrote My Life" - Moe Bandy
*"The Happiness of Having You" - Charley Pride
*"Her Name Is ..." - George Jones
*"Hillbilly Heart" - Johnny Rodriguez
*"Home Made Love" - Tom Bresh
*"Hurt" - Elvis Presley
*"I Couldn't Be Me Without You" - Johnny Rodriguez
*"I Don't Wanna Talk it Over Anymore" - Connie Smith
*"I Met a Friend of Yours Today" - Mel Street
*"I Wonder If I Ever Said Goodbye" - Johnny Rodriguez
*"I'd Have to Be Crazy" - Willie Nelson
*"I'll Be Your San Antonio Rose" – Dottsy
*"I'm Gonna Love You" - Dave & Sugar
*"If I Had To Do it All Over Again" - Roy Clark
*"I.O.U." - Jimmy Dean
*"Is Forever Longer Than Always" - Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton
*"It's Morning (and I Still Love You)" - Jessi Colter
*"Just in Case" - Ronnie Milsap
*"Laura (What's He Got That I Ain't Got)" - Kenny Rogers
*"Lawdy Miss Clawdy" - Mickey Gilley
*"Let It Shine" - Olivia Newton-John
*"Let Your Love Flow" - Bellamy Brothers
*"Let's Put it Back Together Again" - Jerry Lee Lewis
*"The Letter" - Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn
*"Livin' it Down" — Freddy Fender
*"Lone Star Beer and Bob Wills Music" - Red Stegall
*"Lonely Teardrops" - Narvel Felts
*"Lookin' for Tomorrows and Findin' Yesterdays" - Mel Tillis
*"Love Lifted Me" - Kenny Rogers
*"Love Revival" - Mel Tillis
*"Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" - Ed Bruce
*"Me and Ole C.B." – Dave Dudley
*"Mental Revenge" - Mel Tillis and the Statesiders
*"Misty Blue" - Billie Jo Spears
*"Motels and Memories" - T.G. Sheppard
*"One of These Days" - Emmylou Harris
*"Overnight Sensation" - Mickey Gilley
*"Peanuts and Diamonds" - Bill Anderson
*"Queen of the Silver Dollar" - Dave & Sugar
*"Red, White, and Blue" - Loretta Lynn
*"Remember Me (When the Candlelights are Gleaming)" - Willie Nelson
*"Rocky Mountain Music" - Eddie Rabbitt
*"Save All Your Kisses For Me" - Margo Smith
*"She Never Knew Me" - Don Williams
*"Show Me a Man" - T.G. Sheppard
*"Since I Fell For You" - Charlie Rich
*"Somebody Hold Me Until She Passes By" - Narvel Felts
*"Somebody Loves You" - Crystal Gayle
*"Standing Room Only" - Barbara Mandrell
*"Stranger" - Johnny Duncan
*"Suspicious Minds" - Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter
*"The Sweetest Gift" - Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris
*"Thank God I've Got You" - Statler Brothers
*"That'll Be the Day" - Linda Ronstadt
*"That's What Made Me Love You" - Bill Anderson and Mary Lou Turner
*"('Til) I Kissed You" - Connie Smith
*"Tracks of My Tears" – Linda Ronstadt
*"Vaya Con Dios" — Freddy Fender
*"Walk Softly" - Billy "Crash" Craddock
*"What I've Got in Mind" - Billie Jo Spears
*"When Something is Wrong With My Baby" - Sonny James
*"When the Tingle Becomes a Chill" - Loretta Lynn
*"A Whole Lotta Things to Sing About" - Charley Pride
*"The Winner" — Bobby Bare
*"You Could Know as Much About a Stranger" - Gene Watson
*"You Rubbed it In All Wrong" - Billy "Crash" Craddock
*"You've Got Me to Hold On To" - Tanya Tucker
*"Your Picture in the Paper" - The Statler Brothers

Top Albums

* "All I Can Do" – Dolly Parton (RCA)
* "Come on Over" – Olivia Newton-John (MCA)
* "Crystal" – Crystal Gayle (United Artists)
* "Crystal Lady" – Olivia Newton-John (MCA)
* "Dave & Sugar" – Dave & Sugar (RCA)
* "Don't Stop Believin'" – Olivia Newton-John (MCA)
* "Golden Ring" – George Jones and Tammy Wynette (Epic)
* "Here's Some Love" – Tanya Tucker (MCA)
* "Lovin' and Learnin'" – Tanya Tucker (MCA)
* "One Piece at a Time" – Johnny Cash (Columbia)
* "The Sound in Your Mind" – Willie Nelson (Columbia)
* "Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)" – The Eagles (Asylum)
* "The Troublemaker" – Willie Nelson (Columbia)
* "Wanted! The Outlaws" – Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Tompall Glaser and Jessi Colter (RCA)

Other new albums

*"20/20 Vision" – Ronnie Milsap (RCA)
*"Alone Again" – George Jones (Epic)
*"The Best of Johnny Duncan" – Johnny Duncan (Columbia)
*"If You're Ever In Texas" – Freddy Fender (ABC-Dot)
*"Just For the Record" – Ray Stevens (Warner Brothers)
*"Live" – Ronnie Milsap (RCA)
*"Rock 'N' Country" – Freddy Fender (ABC-Dot)
*"Thinkin' Of A Rendezvous" – Johnny Duncan (Columbia)
*"This Is Barbara Mandrell" – Barbara Mandrell (ABC-Dot)
*"Till I Can Make it on My Own" – Tammy Wynette (Epic)
*"Your Cheatin' Heart" – Freddy Fender (ABC-Dot)

Births

* June 18 - Blake Shelton, neotraditionalist of the 2000s.

Deaths

Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

*Paul Cohen (1908–1970)
*Kitty Wells (born 1919)

Major Awards

Grammy awards

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

Academy of Country Music

*Entertainer Of The Year -- Mickey Gilley
*Song Of The Year -- "Don't The Girls All Get Prettier At Closing Time" - Mickey Gilley - Baker Knight
*Single Of The Year -- "Bring It On Home" - Mickey Gilley
*Album Of The Year -- Gilley's Smoking - Mickey Gilley
*Top Male Vocalist -- Mickey Gilley
*Top Female Vocalist -- Crystal Gayle
*Top Vocal Duo -- Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn
*Top New Male Vocalist -- Moe Bandy
*Top New Female Vocalist -- Billie Joe Spears

Country Music Association

*Entertainer of the Year -- Mel Tillis
*Male Vocalist of the Year -- Ronnie Milsap
*Female Vocalist of the Year -- Dolly Parton
*Instrumental Group of the Year –- Roy Clark and Buck Trent
*Vocal Group of the Year -- Statler Brothers
*Vocal Duo of the Year -- Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson
*Single of the Year -- "Good Hearted Woman," Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson
*Song of the Year -- "Rhinestone Cowboy," Larry Weiss
*Album of the Year -- "Wanted! The Outlaws," Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Tompall Glaser, and Jessi Coulter
*Instrumentalist of the Year -- Hargus "Pig" Robbins

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 (ISBN 0-8118-3572-3)
*Millard, Bob, "Country Music: 70 Years of America's Favorite Music," HarperCollins, New York, 1993 (ISBN 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

* [http://www.cmaawards.com/2004/hof/default.asp Country Music Hall of Fame]