1970 in country music

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1970.

Events

• 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

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

Number-one hits

United States

(as certified by Billboard)

Notes

• 1^ No. 1 song of the year, as determined by Billboard.
• 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)

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

Top new album releases

Other top albums

Births

• 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

• 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

• The Original Carter Family – (A. P. Carter 1891–1960, Sara Carter 1898–1979 and Mother Maybelle Carter 1909–1978)

Major awards

Grammy Awards

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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 ()
• Millard, Bob, "Country Music: 70 Years of America's Favorite Music," HarperCollins, New York, 1993 ()
• Whitburn, Joel, "Top Country Songs 1944–2005 – 6th Edition." 2005.

Other links

• Country Music Association
• Inductees of the Country Music Hall of Fame

External links

• Country Music Hall of Fame