1973 in country music

"See also:"
1972 in country music,
1973 in music,
other events of 1973,
1974 in country music, and the List of years in Country Music

Events

*July – "The Dean Martin Show" becomes known as "Dean Martin Presents Music Country" for the longtime variety show's summer broadcasts. Country music becomes a staple of Martin's show for the 1973-1974 season — its last on the air, as it turns out.
*July 4 – Willie Nelson hosts his first Fourth of July picnic.
*July 14 – "Billboard magazine" increases the number of positions for its Hot Country Singles chart to 100 (up from 75), which it would keep until January 1990. The expansion comes at a time when the number of No. 1 songs in a given year continues to increase; for the first time in history, there are at least 35 No. 1 songs in one year.
*September – Jimmy Dean's third country music TV series, "The Jimmy Dean Show", premieres in syndication for what will be a two-season run.
*October 6 – Country music's most successful syndicated radio countdown program to date, "American Country Countdown," makes its debut. The three-hour program is created by Casey Kasem and Don Bustany, and is modeled after American Top 40 (which Kasem also hosted). Comedian Don Bowman is the original host, but by 1978, he would be replaced by Bob Kingsley.
*October – The new "Radio & Records" magazine includes a 50-position country singles chart.
*November 10 – One of Nashville's most notorious murders makes national headlines when David Akeman (aka Stringbean) and his wife, Estelle, are killed when they interrupt a burglary after returning home. Their bodies are found the next day. Their assailants -- brothers John and Marvin Douglas -- are later captured, convicted and sentenced to prison. Stringbean, who was 58, was best known to his audiences for his role on the syndicated series "Hee Haw."

No dates

* A reported 51 percent of new single records are country.

Top hits of the year

Number one hits

"(As certified by Billboard magazine)"
*January 20 - “Soul Song” — Joe Stampley
*January 27 - “(Old Dogs, Children and) Watermelon Wine” — Tom T. Hall
*February 3 - “She Needs Someone to Hold Her When She Cries” — Conway Twitty
*February 17 - “I Wonder if They Ever Think of Me” — Merle Haggard and the Strangers
*February 24 - “Rated ‘X’” — Loretta Lynn
*March 3 - “The Lord Knows I’m Drinkin’” — Cal Smith
*March 10 - “‘Til I Get it Right” — Tammy Wynette
*March 17 - “The Teddy Bear Song” — Barbara Fairchild
*March 31 - “Keep Me in Mind” — Lynn Anderson
*April 7 - “Super Kind of Woman” — Freddie Hart
*April 14 - “A Shoulder to Cry On” — Charley Pride
*April 21 - “Superman” — Donna Fargo
*April 28 - “Behind Closed Doors” — Charlie Rich
*May 12 - “Come Live With Me” — Roy Clark
*May 19 - “What’s Your Mama’s Name” — Tanya Tucker
*May 26 - “Satin Sheets” - Jeanne Pruett
*June 9 - “You Always Come Back to Hurtin’ Me” — Johnny Rodriguez
*June 16 - “Kids Say the Darndest Things” — Tammy Wynette: "(“Satin Sheets” by Jeanne Pruett reclaims top spot on June 23)"
*June 30 - “Don’t Fight the Feelings of Love” — Charley Pride
*July 7 - “Why Me” — Kris Kristofferson
*July 14 - “Love is the Foundation” — Loretta Lynn
*July 28 - “You Were Always There” — Donna Fargo
*August 4 - “Lord, Mr. Ford” — Jerry Reed
*August 11 - “Trip to Heaven” — Freddie Hart
*August 18 - “Louisiana Woman, Mississisippi Man” — Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn
*August 25 - “Everybody’s Had the Blues” — Merle Haggard and the Strangers
*September 8 - “You’ve Never Been This Far Before” — Conway Twitty
*September 29 - “Blood Red and Goin’ Down” — Tanya Tucker
*October 6 - “You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me” — Ray Price
*October 13 - “Ridin’ My Thumb to Mexico” — Johnny Rodriguez
*October 27 - “We’re Gonna Hold On” — George Jones and Tammy Wynette
*November 10 - “Paper Roses” — Marie Osmond
*November 24 - “The Most Beautiful Girl” — Charlie Rich
*December 15 - “Amazing Love” — Charley Pride
*December 22 - “If We Make it Through December” — Merle Haggard and the Strangers

Other major hits

*"All Together Now (Let's Fall Apart)" - Ronnie Milsap
*"Always on My Mind" - Elvis Presley
*"Am I That Easy to Forget" - Jim Reeves
*“Amanda” — Don Williams
*“Any Old Wind That Blows” — Johnny Cash
*"Baby's Gone" — Conway Twitty
*"Bring it On Home to Your Woman" - Joe Stampley
*“Can I Sleep in Your Arms” — Jeannie Seely
*“Come Early Morning” — Don Williams
*“The Corner of My Life” — Bill Anderson
*"Country Sunshine" – Dottie West
*“Danny’s Song” — Anne Murray
*"Darling, You Can Always Come Back Home" - Jody Miller
*"Do You Know What It's Like to Be Lonesome" - Jerry Wallace
*“Don’t Give Up On Me” — Jerry Wallace
*“Drift Away” — Narvel Felts
*"The Emptiest Arms in the World" — Merle Haggard and the Strangers
*"Good News" - Jody Miller
*“Good Things” — David Houston
*"I Can't Believe That It's All Over" - Skeeter Davis
*“I Hate You” — Ronnie Milsap
*“I Love You More and More Every Day” — Sonny James
*"I Need Somebody Bad" - Jack Greene
*"I'll Never Break These Chains" - Tommy Overstreet
*“I’m Your Woman” — Jeanne Pruett
*“If Teardrops Were Pennies” — Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton
*“If You Can Live With It (I Can Live Without It)” – Bill Anderson
*“If You Can’t Feel It (It Ain’t There)” — Freddie Hart
*“Jamestown Ferry” — Tanya Tucker
*"Just What I Had in Mind" – Faron Young
*“Kid Stuff” — Barbara Fairchild
*“The Last Love Song” — Hank Williams Jr.
*“Let Me Be There” — Olivia Newton-John
*"Little Girl Gone" — Donna Fargo
*"Love Me" – Marty Robbins
*"Love Is the Look You're Lookin' For" - Connie Smith
*“Love’s the Answer” — Tanya Tucker
*"Lovin' on Back Streets" - Mel Street
*“The Midnight Oil” — Barbara Mandrell
*“Mr. Lovemaker” — Johnny PayCheck
*“My Tennessee Mountain Home” — Dolly Parton
*"Neither One of Us" - Bob Luman
*“Neon Rose” — Mel Tillis and the Statesiders
*“Nobody Wins” — Brenda Lee
*"Nothing Ever Hurt Me (Half as Bad As Losing You)" - George Jones
*“Pass Me By” — Johnny Rodriguez
*"Ravishing Ruby" - Tom T. Hall
*“Red Necks, White Socks and Blue Ribbon Beer” — Johnny Russell
*"Ride Me Down Easy" - Bobby Bare
*"Rocky Mountain High" — John Denver
*“Sawmill” — Mel Tillis and the Statesiders
*"Send Me No Roses" — Tommy Overstreet
*"She's All Woman" - David Houston
*“The Shelter of Your Eyes” — Don Williams
*“Sing About Love” — Lynn Anderson
*"Slippin' and Slidin'" — Billy "Crash" Craddock
*“Slippin’ Away” — Jean Shepard
*"Something About You I Love" - Johnny Paycheck
*"Sometimes a Memory Ain't Enough" - Jerry Lee Lewis
*"Southern Loving" — Jim Ed Brown
*"Stay All Night (Stay a Little Longer)” - Willie Nelson
*“Sunday Sunrise” — Brenda Lee
*"Sweet Country Woman" - Johnny Duncan
*"Take Time to Love Her" - Nat Stuckey
*"‘Til the Water Stops Runnin’" — Billy "Crash" Craddock
*"Too Much Monkey Business" - Freddy Weller
*“Top of the World” — Lynn Anderson
*"Touch the Morning" - Don Gibson
*"Uneasy Rider" — Charlie Daniels
*"Walk Softly on the Bridges" - Mel Street
*“Walking Piece of Heaven” — Marty Robbins
*"What About Me" - Anne Murray
*"What My Woman Can't Do" - George Jones
*“Yellow Ribbon” — Johnny Carver
*“You Ask Me To” — Waylon Jennings
*“You Can Have Her” — Waylon Jennings
*"You Give Me You" - Bobby G. Rice
*"You Lay So Easy on My Mind" – Bobby G. Rice
*"You Really Haven't Changed" - Johnny Carver
*"You've Got Me Right Where You Want Me" - Connie Smith

Top new album releases

* "Bill" — Bill Anderson (MCA)
* "Bubbling Over" — Dolly Parton (RCA)
* "Country Sunshine" - Dottie West (RCA)
* "Entertainer of the Year" — Loretta Lynn (Decca)
* "Full Moon" — Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge (A&M)
* "Honky Tonk Heroes" — Waylon Jennings (RCA)
* "Kid Stuff" — Barbara Fairchild (Columbia)
* "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man" — Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn (MCA)
* "Love and Music" — Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton (RCA)
* "Love is the Foundation" — Loretta Lynn (MCA)
* "My Tennessee Mountain Home" — Dolly Parton (RCA)
* "Satin Sheets" — Jeanne Pruett (MCA)
* "Shotgun Willie" — Willie Nelson (Atlantic)
* "Top of the World" - Lynn Anderson (Columbia)
* "We Found It" — Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton (RCA)
* "What's Your Mama's Name" — Tanya Tucker (Columbia)

Other top new albums

*"Cheating Game" — Susan Raye (Capitol)
*"Entertainer of the Year Loretta" — Loretta Lynn (MCA)
*"Keep Me in Mind" — Lynn Anderson (Columbia)
*"Let Me Be There" — Olivia Newton-John (MCA)
*"The Midnight Oil" — Barbara Mandrell (Columbia)
*"Rub it In" — Billy "Crash" Craddock (ABC-Dot)
*"Where My Heart Is" — Ronnie Milsap (RCA)

Births

*March 6 – Trent Willmon, rising country music star of the early- to mid-2000s.
*June 26 – Gretchen Wilson, key member of the MuzikMafia of the 2000s.
*August 8 – Mark Wills, country star of the mid- to late-1990s and early-2000s ("19-Something," "Wish You Were Here").
*August 13 – Andy Griggs, country music star of late-1990s and early-2000s.
*November 19 – Billy Currington, rising star of the mid-2000s.

Deaths

*September 19 – Gram Parsons, 26, influential country rock and alt-country singer-songwriter-guitarist who was a member of such bands as The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers, and also recorded a critically acclaimed body of solo recordings (drug overdose).
*November 10 – Stringbean, 58, banjo player and comedian on the TV series "Hee Haw" (homicide).

Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

*Chet Atkins (1924-2001)
*Patsy Cline (1932-1963), first female to be inducted as a solo act.

Major Awards

Grammy awards

*Best Country Vocal Performance, Female -- "Let Me Be There" - Olivia Newton-John
*Best Country Vocal Performance, Male -- "Behind Closed Doors" - Charlie Rich
*Best Country Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group -- "From The Bottle To The Bottom" - Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge
*Best Country Instrumental Performance -- "Dueling Banjos" - Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell
*Best Country Song -- "Behind Closed Doors" - Kenny O'Dell, songwriter

Academy of Country Music

*Entertainer Of The Year -- Roy Clark
*Song Of The Year -- "Behind Closed Doors" - Charlie Rich - Kenny O'Dell
*Single Of The Year -- "Behind Closed Doors" - Charlie Rich
*Album Of The Year -- Behind Closed Doors - Charlie Rich
*Top Male Vocalist -- Charlie Rich
*Top Female Vocalist -- Loretta Lynn
*Top Vocal Group -- Brush Arbor
*Top New Male Vocalist -- Dorsey Burnette
*Top New Female Vocalist -- Olivia Newton-John

Country Music Association

*Entertainer of the Year -- Roy Clark
*Male Vocalist of the Year -- Charlie Rich
*Female Vocalist of the Year -- Loretta Lynn
*Instrumental Group of the Year –- Danny Davis & the Nashville Brass
*Vocal Group of the Year -- Statler Brothers
*Vocal Duo of the Year -- Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn
*Single of the Year -- "Behind Closed Doors", Charlie Rich
*Song of the Year -- "Behind Closed Doors", Kenny O'Dell
*Album of the Year -- "Behind Closed Doors", Charlie Rich
*Instrumentalist of the Year -- Charlie McCoy

ources

* Brooks, Tim and Earl Marsh. "The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows" Eighth Ed., Ballantine Books, 2003. ISBN 0-345-45542-8
* Erickson, Hal. "Syndicated Television: The First Forty Years, 1947-1987." McFarland & Co. Inc. Publishers, Jefferson, North Carolina, 1989. ISBN 0-89950-410-8.
* Hendler, Herb, "Year by Year in the Rock Era: Events and Conditions Shaping the Rock Generations That Reshaped America," Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut, 1983. ISBN 0-313-23456-6

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.