1961 in country music

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See also: 1960 in country music, 1961 in music, other events of 1961, 1962 in country music, 1960s in music and the List of years in Country Music

Contents

[edit] Events

  • The Country Music Association (CMA) develops and finalizes plans for the new Country Music Hall of Fame, to honor performers and others who were influential in the history of the genre. The first three inductees are all posthumous:
    • Jimmie Rodgers, a songwriter who - despite poor health - merged hillbilly and blues music into a revolutionary new sound.
    • Fred Rose, a pioneering song publisher who formed the Acuff-Rose music publishing company in the 1940s. Also a talented songwriter, and record producer/executive.
    • Hank Williams, legendary singer-songwriter whose songs are still sought after today.
With just a $1,500 budget, bronze plaques honoring each of the singers would be cast, a tradition that continues today.
  • Patsy Cline is hospitalized from a car accident on June 14. While in the hosptial, the song "I Fall to Pieces" becomes a huge Country/Pop crossover hit.

[edit] Top hits of the year

[edit] Number one hits

(As certified by Billboard magazine)

[edit] Other major hits

"It's Your World"-Marty Robbins–

[edit] Top new album releases

[edit] Births

  • July 8 - Toby Keith, country star of the 1990s who became a mega-superstar in the 2000s, thanks to his fusion of honky tonk and rock.

[edit] Deaths

[edit] Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

[edit] Major Awards

[edit] Grammy awards

  • Best Country and Western Recording - "Big Bad John," Jimmy Dean

[edit] 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.

[edit] Other links

[edit] External links