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1970 in country music
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This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1970.
Events edit
- April 13 - Marty Robbins is awarded Artist of the Decade for the 1960s by the Academy of Country Music
- September — That Good Ole Nashville Music debuts in syndication. The series will run until 1985.
No Dates edit
Early in the year, Marty Robbins suffers a major heart attack which almost takes the life of the country star.
Top hits of the year edit
Number-one hits edit
United States edit
(as certified by Billboard)
- Notes
Canada edit
(as certified by RPM)
- Notes
Other major hits edit
Singles released by American artists edit
| US | CAN | Single | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 4 | After Closing Time | David Houston and Barbara Mandrell |
| 6 | 2 | All I Have to Do Is Dream | Bobbie Gentry and Glen Campbell |
| 9 | 12 | All My Hard Times | Roy Drusky |
| 16 | — | Amos Moses | Jerry Reed |
| 34 | 11 | Angel of the Morning | Connie Eaton |
| 4 | 21 | Angels Don't Lie | Jim Reeves |
| 12 | — | Another Lonely Night | Jean Shepard |
| 23 | 9 | Big Mama's Medicine Show | Buddy Alan |
| 27 | 18 | Big Wheel Cannonball | Dick Curless |
| 10 | 19 | Biloxi | Kenny Price |
| 10 | 2 | Carmella | Marty Robbins |
| 29 | 3 | Carolina in My Mind | George Hamilton IV |
| 16 | 10 | Charlie Brown | The Compton Brothers |
| 8 | 14 | Commercial Affection | Mel Tillis |
| 7 | 16 | Country Girl | Jeannie C. Riley |
| 19 | — | Cowboy Convention | Buddy Alan and Don Rich |
| 7 | 12 | Daddy Was an Old Time Preacher Man | Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton |
| 20 | — | Do It to Someone You Love | Norro Wilson |
| 13 | — | Don't Cry Daddy | Elvis Presley |
| 17 | 31 | Don't Take All Your Loving | Don Gibson |
| 37 | 8 | Down in the Boondocks | Penny DeHaven |
| 21 | 13 | Duty Not Desire | Jeannie C. Riley |
| 16 | — | Georgia Sunshine | Jerry Reed |
| 5 | 8 | Goin' Steady | Faron Young |
| 41 | 9 | Gotta Get to Oklahoma ('Cause California's Gettin' to Me) | The Hagers |
| 8 | 9 | The Great White Horse | Buck Owens and Susan Raye |
| 15 | — | He'd Still Love Me | Lynn Anderson |
| 3 | 5 | Heart Over Mind | Mel Tillis |
| 5 | 3 | Heaven Everyday | Mel Tillis |
| 11 | 6 | Heavenly Sunshine | Ferlin Husky |
| 26 | 4 | Hello I'm a Jukebox | George Kent |
| 14 | 9 | Hello Mary Lou | Bobby Lewis |
| 3 | 22 | How I Got to Memphis | Bobby Bare |
| 20 | 46 | How I Love Them Old Songs | Carl Smith |
| 5 | 24 | Humphrey the Camel | Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan |
| 3 | 2 | I Can't Be Myself | Merle Haggard |
| 7 | 4 | I Can't Seem to Say Goodbye | Jerry Lee Lewis |
| 3 | 4 | I Do My Swinging at Home | David Houston |
| 4 | 13 | I Know How | Loretta Lynn |
| 5 | 17 | I Never Once Stopped Loving You | Connie Smith |
| 5 | 2 | I Never Picked Cotton | Roy Clark |
| 12 | 33 | I Walked Out on Heaven | Hank Williams, Jr. |
| 22 | 11 | I Wish I Had a Mommy Like You | Patti Page |
| 9 | — | I Wouldn't Live in New York City (If They Gave Me the Whole Damn Town) | Buck Owens |
| 11 | 33 | I'll Make Amends | Roy Drusky |
| 2 | 3 | I'll See Him Through | Tammy Wynette |
| 9 | 7 | I'm a Lover (Not a Fighter) | Skeeter Davis |
| 20 | 37 | I'm Alright | Lynn Anderson |
| 18 | 21 | I'm Leaving It Up to You | Johnny & Jonie Mosby |
| 16 | 21 | I've Been Everywhere | Lynn Anderson |
| 17 | 6 | I've Just Been Wasting My Time | John Wesley Ryles |
| 4 | 2 | If I Ever Fall in Love (With a Honky Tonk Girl) | Faron Young |
| 62 | 13 | If I'd Only Come and Gone | Clay Hart |
| 2 | 8 | If It's All the Same to You | Bill Anderson and Jan Howard |
| 13 | 33 | It's a Beautiful Day | Wynn Stewart |
| 3 | 4 | It's Only Make Believe | Glen Campbell |
| 3 | 3 | Jesus, Take a Hold | Merle Haggard |
| 7 | 7 | Jolie Girl | Marty Robbins |
| 2 | 6 | The Kansas City Song | Buck Owens |
| 20 | 24 | Land Mark Tavern | Del Reeves and Penny DeHaven |
| 17 | — | Lilacs and Fire | George Morgan |
| 16 | 24 | Live for the Good Times | Warner Mack |
| 23 | 19 | Lodi | Buddy Alan |
| 5 | 4 | Long Long Texas Road | Roy Drusky |
| 16 | 16 | Lord Is That Me | Jack Greene |
| 14 | — | Louisiana Man | Connie Smith |
| 19 | 23 | Love Hungry | Warner Mack |
| 5 | 10 | Love Is a Sometimes Thing | Bill Anderson |
| 14 | — | A Lover's Question | Del Reeves |
| 13 | — | (Lovin' Man) Oh Pretty Woman | Arlene Harden |
| 42 | 5 | Luziana River | Van Trevor |
| 17 | 27 | Marty Gray | Billie Jo Spears |
| 4 | 2 | Morning | Jim Ed Brown |
| 18 | — | The Most Uncomplicated Goodbye I've Ever Heard | Henson Cargill |
| 3 | 4 | Mule Skinner Blues | Dolly Parton |
| 15 | 42 | No Love at All | Lynn Anderson |
| 10 | 4 | Nobody's Fool | Jim Reeves |
| 17 | 6 | Northeast Arkansas Mississippi County Bootlegger | Kenny Price |
| 6 | 15 | Occasional Wife | Faron Young |
| 25 | 11 | Oh Happy Day | Glen Campbell |
| 2 | 17 | Once More with Feeling | Jerry Lee Lewis |
| 2 | 2 | One Minute Past Eternity | Jerry Lee Lewis |
| 9 | — | One Song Away | Tommy Cash |
| — | 9 | Orange Blossom Special | Doug Kershaw |
| 16 | — | Perfect Mountain | Don Gibson |
| 18 | 48 | Playin' Around with Love | Barbara Mandrell |
| 18 | — | Pull My String and Wind Me Up | Carl Smith |
| 21 | 16 | Right or Left at Oak Street | Roy Clark |
| 9 | 8 | Rise and Shine | Tommy Cash |
| 17 | 33 | Rocky Top | Lynn Anderson |
| 71 | 12 | Roll Over Beethoven | Linda Gail Lewis and Jerry Lee Lewis |
| 20 | 2 | Runnin' Bare | Jim Nesbitt |
| 8 | 14 | Salute to a Switchblade | Tom T. Hall |
| 3 | 8 | She Goes Walking Through My Mind | Billy Walker |
| 10 | 4 | She'll Be Hangin' Around Somewhere | Mel Tillis |
| 6 | 33 | She's Mine | George Jones |
| 8 | 10 | Shoeshine Man | Tom T. Hall |
| 12 | 11 | Singer of Sad Songs | Waylon Jennings |
| 33 | 16 | Sittin' in Atlanta Station | Nat Stuckey |
| 12 | 14 | So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad) | Hank Williams, Jr. and Lois Johnson |
| 4 | 3 | Someday We'll Be Together | Bill Anderson and Jan Howard |
| 18 | 26 | Something to Brag About | Charlie Louvin and Melba Montgomery |
| 36 | 14 | Something to Think About | Luke the Drifter, Jr. |
| 15 | 17 | Something Unseen | Jack Greene |
| 15 | 24 | South | Roger Miller |
| 7 | 22 | Stay There, Till I Get There | Lynn Anderson |
| 8 | 8 | Take a Letter Maria | Anthony Armstrong Jones |
| 5 | 8 | The Taker | Waylon Jennings |
| 14 | — | Talk About the Good Times | Jerry Reed |
| 13 | 10 | Tell Me My Lying Eyes Are Wrong | George Jones |
| 6 | 2 | Thank God and Greyhound | Roy Clark |
| 3 | 4 | That's When She Started to Stop Loving You | Conway Twitty |
| 8 | 27 | Then He Touched Me | Jean Shepard |
| 31 | 12 | Then She's a Lover | Roy Clark |
| 7 | — | There's a Story (Goin' 'Round) | Dottie West and Don Gibson |
| 9 | 32 | Thinking 'Bout You, Babe | Billy Walker |
| 20 | 22 | This Night (Ain't Fit for Nothing but Drinking) | Dave Dudley |
| 12 | 18 | Togetherness | Buck Owens and Susan Raye |
| 9 | 34 | Tomorrow Is Forever | Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton |
| 63 | 3 | Wabash Cannon Ball | Danny Davis |
| 56 | 6 | Walk a Mile in My Shoes | Joe South |
| 13 | 6 | We're Gonna Get Together | Buck Owens and Susan Raye |
| 3 | — | When a Man Loves a Woman (The Way That I Love You) | Billy Walker |
| 21 | 6 | When You're Hot, You're Hot | Porter Wagoner |
| 6 | 9 | Where Have All Our Heroes Gone | Bill Anderson |
| 14 | 13 | The Whole World Comes to Me | Jack Greene |
| 11 | 5 | Wings Upon Your Horns | Loretta Lynn |
| 2 | 21 | Wish I Didn't Have to Miss You | Jack Greene and Jeannie Seely |
| 17 | — | A Woman Lives for Love | Wanda Jackson |
| 37 | 17 | The Wonder of You | Elvis Presley |
| 6 | 5 | Wonders of the Wine | David Houston |
| 15 | 30 | You and Me Against the World | Bobby Lord |
| 6 | 4 | You Wanna Give Me a Lift | Loretta Lynn |
| 8 | 15 | You Wouldn't Know Love | Ray Price |
| 27 | 11 | You've Got Your Troubles (I've Got Mine) | Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan |
Singles released by Canadian artists edit
| US | CAN | Single | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | 15 | The Call | Gene MacLellan |
| — | 6 | Cool Green Waters | Donna Ramsay |
| — | 18 | Don't Hate, Communicate | Gary Buck |
| — | 12 | Don't It Make You Wanna Go Home | Terry Roberts |
| — | 20 | Foolin' Around | Chaparrel Brothers |
| — | 12 | Fortunate Son | The Rainvilles |
| — | 12 | From Pulpit to Prison | Singing Parson |
| — | 18 | Hot Wheels | Stan Farlow |
| — | 2 | My Song for You | Mercey Brothers |
| — | 19 | Newfie Screech | Stevedore Steve |
| — | 14 | No Pity for a Fool | Mike Graham |
| 26 | 13 | Patches | Ray Griff |
| — | 4 | Pickin' Up the Pieces | Mercey Brothers |
| — | 12 | These Things | Mike Graham |
| — | 20 | Thorn in My Shoe | Gene MacLellan |
| — | 2 | To-Ma-Ray Tom-O-Ray | Billy Charne |
| — | 9 | Trucker's Cafe | Great Speckled Bird |
| — | 3 | Wait for Sunday | Tommy Hunter |
| — | 4 | Walk with Your Neighbour | Tommy Hunter |
Top new album releases edit
| Single | Artist | Record Label |
|---|---|---|
| Charley Pride's 10th Album | Charley Pride | RCA |
| Christmas in My Home Town | Charley Pride | RCA |
| Coal Miner's Daughter | Loretta Lynn | Decca |
| The Fightin' Side of Me | Merle Haggard | Capitol |
| For the Good Times | Ray Price | Columbia |
| Hello Darlin' | Conway Twitty | Decca |
| Hello, I'm Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash | Columbia |
| Just Plain Charley | Charley Pride | RCA |
| Love Is a Sometimes Thing | Bill Anderson | Decca |
| Okie From Muskogee | Merle Haggard | Capitol |
| Tammy's Touch | Tammy Wynette | Epic |
| The Johnny Cash Show | Johnny Cash | Columbia |
| The World of Tammy Wynette | Tammy Wynette | Epic |
Other top albums edit
| Single | Artist | Record Label |
|---|---|---|
| A Real Live Dolly | Dolly Parton | RCA |
| Color Me Country | Linda Martell | Plantation |
| Country Boy & Country Girl | Jimmy Dean and Dottie West | RCA |
| Forever Yours | Dottie West | RCA |
| Husband Hunting | Liz Anderson | RCA |
| I'm Alright | Lynn Anderson | Chart |
| If It's All the Same to You | Bill Anderson and Jan Howard | Decca |
| Jack Greene, Jeannie Seely | Jack Greene and Jeannie Seely | Decca |
| Look at Mine | Jody Miller | Epic |
| No Love at All | Lynn Anderson | Columbia |
| Rock Me Back to Little Rock | Jan Howard | Decca |
| Skid Row Joe: Down in the Alley | Porter Wagoner | RCA |
| Snowbird | Anne Murray | Capitol |
| Stay There 'Til I Get There | Lynn Anderson | Columbia |
| Uptown Country Girl | Lynn Anderson | Chart |
| We're Gonna Get Together | Buck Owens and Susan Raye | Capitol |
| Where Have All Our Heroes Gone | Bill Anderson | Decca |
| Here's Loretta Singing "Wings Upon Your Horns" | Loretta Lynn | Decca |
Births edit
- March 14 — Kristian Bush, member of Sugarland
- July 10 — Gary LeVox, lead singer of Rascal Flatts.
- August 22 – George Canyon, country singer from the late 1990s who enjoyed success in the mid 2000s.
- August 24 — Kristyn Osborn, member of SHeDAISY
- August 25 — Jo Dee Messina, female vocalist of the 1990s and 2000s (decade).
- October 5 — Georgette Jones, the only biological child of George Jones and Tammy Wynette.
- October 25 — Chely Wright, country singer of the late 1990s and 2000s (decade).
- November 5 – Heather and Jennifer Kinley, recorded in the late 1990s as the duo The Kinleys
- November 15 — Jack Ingram, rock-styled country singer-songwriter since the mid-2000s (decade).
- December 10 — Kevin Sharp, country singer from the 1990s, best known for "Nobody Knows" (d. 2014)
Deaths edit
- January 4 – Clayton McMichen, 69, pioneering fiddle player and member of the Skillet Lickers.
- April 1 — Paul Cohen, 61, pioneering record producer at Decca Records.
- September 5 – Curley Williams, 56, songwriter most famous for writing "Half as Much."
Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees edit
- The Original Carter Family – (A. P. Carter 1891–1960, Sara Carter 1898–1979 and Mother Maybelle Carter 1909–1978)
Major awards edit
Grammy Awards edit
- Best Female Country Vocal Performance — "(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden", Lynn Anderson
- Best Male Country Vocal Performance — "For the Good Times", Ray Price
- Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal — "If I Were a Carpenter", Johnny Cash and June Carter
- Best Country Instrumental Performance — Me & Jerry, Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed
- Best Country Song — "My Woman, My Woman, My Wife", Marty Robbins (Performer: Marty Robbins)
Juno Awards edit
- Country Male Vocalist of the Year — Tommy Hunter
- Country Female Vocalist of the Year — Dianne Leigh
- Country Group or Duo of the Year — Mercey Brothers
Academy of Country Music edit
- Entertainer of the Year — Merle Haggard
- Song of the Year — "For the Good Times", Kris Kristofferson (Performer: Ray Price)
- Single of the Year — "For the Good Times", Ray Price
- Album of the Year — For the Good Times, Ray Price
- Top Male Vocalist — Merle Haggard
- Top Female Vocalist — Lynn Anderson
- Top Vocal Group — The Kimberleys
- Top New Male Vocalist — Buddy Alan
- Top New Female Vocalist — Sammi Smith
Country Music Association edit
- Entertainer of the Year — Merle Haggard
- Song of the Year — "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", Kris Kristofferson (Performer: Johnny Cash)
- Single of the Year — "Okie from Muskogee", Merle Haggard
- Album of the Year — Okie from Muskogee, Merle Haggard
- Male Vocalist of the Year — Merle Haggard
- Female Vocalist of the Year — Tammy Wynette
- Vocal Duo of the Year — Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton
- Vocal Group of the Year — Tompall and the Glaser Brothers
- Instrumentalist of the Year — Jerry Reed
- Instrumental Group of the Year — Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass
- Comedian of the Year — Roy Clark
Further reading edit
- 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.