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This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1961.

List of years in country music (Table)
… 1951 • 1952 • 1953 • 1954 • 1955 • 1956 • 1957 •   
1958 • 1959 • 1960 – 1961 – 1962 • 1963 • 1964 •
   1965 • 1966 • 1967 • 1968 • 1969 • 1970 • 1971 …
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… 1958 • 1959 • 1960 – 1961 – 1962 • 1963 • 1964 …
… 1930s • 1940s • 1950s – 1960s – 1970s • 1980s • 1990s …
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Contents

Events

No dates

  • 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, honored on November 3, 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.
  • Spade Cooley is arrested in connection with the beating death of his second wife, Ella Mae Evans. He is convicted and sentenced to prison. En route to prison, he suffers a heart attack, from which he will recover.

Top hits of the year

Number one hits

United States

(as certified by Billboard)

Date Single Name Artist Wks. No.1 Spec. Note
January 9 North to Alaska Johnny Horton 7 [B]
February 27 Don't Worry Marty Robbins 10
May 8 Hello Walls Faron Young 9
  • Young's first Billboard Number One since "Country Girl" in 1959.
July 10 Heartbreak U.S.A. Kitty Wells 4 [B]
August 7 I Fall to Pieces Patsy Cline 2 [1], [A]
August 21 Tender Years George Jones 5
September 25 Walk on By Leroy Van Dyke 19 [2], [C]
November 20 Big Bad John Jimmy Dean 2 [A]
Notes
  • 1^ No. 1 song of the year, as determined by Billboard.
  • 2^ Song dropped from No. 1 and later returned to top spot.
  • A^ First Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist.
  • B^ Last Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist.
  • C^ Only Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist to date.

Other major hits

US Single Artist
8 Backtrack Faron Young
9 Be Quiet Mind Del Reeves
5 Beggar to a King Hank Snow
7 Big River, Big Man Claude Gray
4 The Blizzard Jim Reeves
2 Crazy Patsy Cline
16 Family Bible George Jones
9 Flat Top Cowboy Copas
2 Foolin' Around Buck Owens
20 Forget the Past Faron Young
12 From Here to There to You Hank Locklin
11 The Hand You're Holding Now Skeeter Davis
7 Happy Birthday to Me Hank Locklin
5 Heart Over Mind Ray Price
7 How Do You Talk to a Baby Webb Pierce
5 I Dreamed of a Hill-Billy Heaven Tex Ritter
15 I Want to Live Again Rose Maddox
10 I'd Rather Loan You Out Roy Drusky
4 I'll Have One More Cup of Coffee (Then I'll Go) Claude Gray
6 In a Middle of Heartache Wanda Jackson
3 It's Your World Marty Robbins
14 Kissing My Pillow Rose Maddox
5 Let Forgiveness In Webb Pierce
4 Loose Talk Buck Owens and Rose Maddox
8 Mental Cruetly Buck Owens and Rose Maddox
3 My Ears Should Burn (When Fools Are Talked About) Claude Gray
5 My Last Date (With You) Skeeter Davis
7 Odds and Ends (Bits and Pieces) Warren Smith
13 Oh Lonesome Me Johnny Cash
7 Oklahoma Hills Hank Thompson
14 One Step Ahead of My Past Hank Locklin
10 Optimistic Skeeter Davis
9 Po' Folks Bill Anderson
9 Right or Wrong Wanda Jackson
8 San Antonio Rose Floyd Cramer
2 Sea of Heartbreak Don Gibson
10 Signed, Sealed, and Delivered Cowboy Copas
20 Sleep Baby Sleep Connie Hall
9 Sleepy-Eyed John Johnny Horton
16 Stand at Your Window Jim Reeves
12 Sunny Tennessee Cowboy Copas
6 Sweet Dreams Don Gibson
3 Sweet Lips Webb Pierce
20 There Must Be Another Way to Live Kitty Wells
2 Three Hearts in a Tangle Roy Drusky
9 Three Steps to the Phone (Millions of Miles) George Hamilton IV
2 Under the Influence of Love Buck Owens
5 Walking the Streets Webb Pierce
15 What Would You Do Jim Reeves
9 Walk Out Backwards Bill Anderson
6 When Two Worlds Collide Roger Miller
2 Window Up Above George Jones
4 You're the Reason Bobby Edwards
14 You're the Reason Hank Locklin
10 Your Old Love Letters Porter Wagoner

Top new album releases

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.
  • August 25 — Billy Ray Cyrus, honky-tonk "Achy Breaky Heart" heartthrob of the 1990s and 2000s, thanks to the huge success of "Achy Breaky".

Deaths

Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

Major awards

Grammy 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








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