1997 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1997.
Events
- "It's Your Love" sparks a renewed wave of songs that spend at least five weeks at No. 1, thanks in part to newer chart tracking methods and programming changes at country radio stations. However, as of 2007, no No. 1 song has approached the mega-week No. 1 status (i.e., spending at least 10 weeks at No. 1), a feat that was common through the early 1960s.
No dates
- Jimmie Rodgers is elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as an early influence).
- Trisha Yearwood and LeAnn Rimes both record the song "How Do I Live" for the movie Con Air. Producers from the film ask Rimes to record it first but feel her version is not what they have in mind due to the performance itself and her young age. Yearwood then records the song and releases at the same time Rimes releases her song. Although Rimes' version peaked at No. 43 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, her version is shunned from the country charts yet reaches No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Yearwood's version, meanwhile, peaks at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and also makes the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, as well as reaching No. 1 in Canada and No. 1 on the US Radio & Records chart.
Top hits of the year
Singles released by American artists
Singles released by Canadian artists
Top new album releases
Other top albums
Deaths
- January 21 — Colonel Tom Parker, 87, manager of prolific country singers Eddy Arnold and Hank Snow, comedienne Minnie Pearl
- June 19 — Bobby Helms, 62, singer who enjoyed his peak popularity in 1957; best known for "Jingle Bell Rock."
- October 12 — John Denver, 53, country crossover artist of the 1970s; also a singer and songwriter (plane crash).
- December 21 — Amie Comeaux, 21, a newcomer artist of the mid '90s (car accident).
- December 31 — Floyd Cramer, 64, prolific session pianist.
Hall of Fame inductees
Country Music Hall of Fame inductees
Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductees
Major awards
Grammy Awards
Juno Awards
Academy of Country Music
Canadian Country Music Association
Country Music Association
RPM Big Country Awards
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
External links