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This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1965.

List of years in country music (Table)
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1962 • 1963 • 1964 – 1965 – 1966 • 1967 • 1968 •
   1969 • 1970 • 1971 • 1972 • 1973 • 1974 • 1975 …
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Contents

Events

  • January — Leo Fender, founder of Fender Guitars, sells his company to a subsidiary of Columbia Records for $13 million.
  • February 17 — "The Tennessee Waltz" is declared the state song of Tennessee.
  • October — Country Music Association president Tex Ritter awards Leo Fender the President's Award for "outstanding contributions to the sound of country music."
  • October 5 — Johnny Cash is arrested in El Paso, Texas on federal drug charges. He pleads guilty and is given a 30-day suspended sentence and fined $1,000.
  • December — George Jones, his agent and band members are held for questioning in connection with a Houston, Texas murder investigation. Lie detector tests clear them all.

No dates

  • Rock singer Conway Twitty makes his county music debut. His first few country singles and albums were met with "some" country DJs refusing to play them because he was a well known rock-n-roll singer.
  • Johnny Cash is banned from the Grand Ole Opry after an infamous concert where - in a drug-induced haze - he used a microphone to smash the floodlights. He also walked offstage in the middle of a song.
  • The Vietnam War, which by now was making daily headlines, brings about the second wave of patriotic-themed songs. One of the first big songs was Johnnie Wright's "Hello Vietnam," a No. 1 hit in October. Late in the year, Dave Dudley records and releases "What We're Fighting For," an early response to the growing number of anti-Vietnam War protests.
The trend continues through the rest of the 1960s and early 1970s, with songs such as "Distant Drums" by Jim Reeves; "Ballad of the Green Berets" by Staff Sgt. Barry Sadler; "Dear Uncle Sam" by Loretta Lynn; and others. By the late 1960s, the tone of the songs became darker, most notably the Mel Tillis-penned "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town" (first a hit for Johnny Darrell, but more famously in 1969 by Kenny Rogers and the First Edition).

Top hits of the year

Number one hits

United States

(as certified by Billboard)

Date Single Name Artist Wks. No.1 Spec. Note
January 23 You're the Only World I Know Sonny James 4
  • Sonny's first Number One since "Young Love" in 1957.
February 20 I've Got a Tiger By the Tail Buck Owens 5
March 27 King of the Road Roger Miller 5
May 1 This Is It Jim Reeves 2 [2]
  • Returns to Number One May 29.
May 15 Girl on the Billboard Del Reeves 2
June 5 What's He Doing in My World Eddy Arnold 2 [1]
June 19 Ribbon of Darkness Marty Robbins 1
June 26 Before You Go Buck Owens 6
August 7 The First Thing Ev'ry Morning (And the Last Thing Ev'ry Night) Jimmy Dean 2 [B]
August 21 Yes, Mr. Peters Roy Drusky with Priscilla Mitchell 2 [C]
September 4 The Bridge Washed Out Warner Mack 1 [B]
September 11 Is it Really Over Jim Reeves 3
October 2 Only You (Can Break My Heart) Buck Owens 1
October 9 Behind the Tear Sonny James 2 [2]
  • Returns to Number One November 13.
October 23 Hello Vietnam Johnnie Wright 3 [C]
  • Originally half member of the duo Johnnie & Jack, Wright went solo following Jack's death in 1963. This song marked a feat Wright could not do with Jack, reach Number One.
  • This was one of the first country music songs to discuss the conflicts about the Vietnam War.
November 20 May the Bird of Paradise Fly up Your Nose Little Jimmy Dickens 2 [C]
December 4 Make the World Go Away Eddy Arnold 3
December 25 Buckaroo Buck Owens and the Buckaroos 2 [A] - The Buckaroos
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.

Canada

(as certified by RPM)

Date Single Name Artist Wks. No.1 Spec. Note
January 18 Hitch Hikin’ Dick Damron 2 [A]
February 1 Bitty Baby Howard Sisters 3 [C]
February 22 Afraid Donn Reynolds 2 [C]
March 8 Texas Leather and Mexican Lace Bob King 8 [C]
April 26 I Wish That I Could Fall Sandy Selsie 3 [2], [C]
  • Returned to Number One on June 14.
May 10 Klondike Mike Hal Willis 3 [B]
June 7 Skip, Hop and Wobble Artie McLearen 1 [C]
June 21 Can’t Live with Him Myrna Lorrie 1 [C]
June 28 Picking Up My Hat Debbie Lori Kaye 9 [C]
August 30 Cathy Keep Playing Stu Phillips 3 [C]
September 20 My Good Life Cy Anders 3 [C]
October 18 Break the News to Liza Gary Buck 2 [A]
November 1 My Tennessee Baby Danny Harrison 3 [C]
November 22 Marjolaina Jimmy James 6 [C]
Notes
  • 2^ Song dropped from No. 1 and later returned to top spot.
  • A^ First RPM No. 1 hit for that artist.
  • B^ Last RPM No. 1 hit for that artist.
  • C^ Only RPM No. 1 hit for that artist.

Other major hits

Singles released by American artists

Singles released by Canadian artists

CAN Single Artist
5 Backstreets of Life Gary Buck
10 Badger Bodine Lennie Siebert
6 Big Treaty Scotty Stevenson
2 Born to Love Danny Coughlin
5 Bottoms Up Jimmy James
6 Bring on My Love Mac Wiseman
2 Cadillacin' Around Angus Walker
2 Come on in Mr. Heartache Lennie Siebert
6 Country Corn Jimmy Doyle
2 Do You Wish You Were Free Myrna Lorrie
10 Don't Lead Me On Ray Griff
2 Everybody's Looking at My Jimmy James
4 Freckles, Freckles Skip Evans
3 Girl with the Sad Lonely Look Bob King
2 Golden Rocket Dick Nolan
2 Golden Years Ray Griff
10 Heartache No. 5 Sharon Strong
3 I'll Count Every Hour Pat Hervey
2 I'm Not Sayin' Gordon Lightfoot
9 If Loving You Did This Ruthie McLean
3 Isle of Newfoundland Bert Cuff
6 Just Look Behind You Gary Buck
4 Little Tot Art Young
2 Lookin' Back to See The Canadian Sweethearts
4 Lorelei Donn Reynolds
3 The Man Lorne Greene
7 Nickel Piece of Candy Wimmen
6 Nighthawk Gary Buck
7 Nopper the Topper Hal Willis
4 Saddle Shootin' Buddy Johnny Rocker
10 Seven Days a Week Bert Cuff
2 She Taught Me How to Yodel Donn Reynolds
4 Sittin' and Thinkin' Jerry Hatton
6 Spring Rains Rita Curtis
5 Stand Upon the Mountain The Canadian Sweethearts
4 A Taste of Love Doug Hutton
7 That's the Way It Happens Sandy Selsie
6 This Old Heart Dusty King
8 Twisting the Pick Roy Penney
6 Victim of Love Jimmy James
2 What Will Tomorrow Bring Danny Coughlin
6 Weeping Willow Tree Ray Griff
6 Wrapped Around Your Finger MacKay Brothers

Top new album releases

Births

Deaths

Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

Major awards

Grammy Awards

  • Best Country and Western Vocal Performance, Female — "Queen of the House," Jody Miller
  • Best Country and Western Vocal Performance, Male — "King of the Road," Roger Miller
  • Best Country and Western Single — "King of the Road," Roger Miller
  • Best Country and Western Album — The Return of Roger Miller, Roger Miller
  • Best Country and Western Artist — The Statler Brothers

Academy of Country Music

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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