1983 in country music

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1983.

Events

• March — In a span of two days, two major cable networks signed on the air. Country Music Television (CMT) went on-the-air March 5, while The Nashville Network (TNN) came on two days later on March 7. CMT (originally called "CMTV") was chiefly video-oriented, while TNN offered more feature-oriented programming.

Top hits of the year

Singles released by American artists

Singles released by Canadian artists

Top new album releases

Other top albums

On television

Regular series

• Hee Haw (1969–1993, syndicated)
• That Nashville Music (1970–1985, syndicated)

Specials

Births

• January 29 — Eric Paslay, singer-songwriter of the 2010s.
• March 10 — Carrie Underwood, 2005 American Idol winner, boosting her career.
• June 20 — Grace Potter, rock singer who crossed-over to country with duets with Kenny Chesney.
• June 30 — Cole Swindell, singer-songwriter of the 2010s.
• July 2 — Michelle Branch, member of The Wreckers.
• July 12 — Kimberly Perry, lead singer of The Band Perry.
• October 3 — Drake White, singer known for his single Livin' the Dream.
• November 10 — Miranda Lambert, member of Pistol Annies.
• December 12 — Katrina Elam, singer-songwriter of the 2000s.
• December 29 — Jessica Andrews, popular teen singer of the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Deaths

• April 6 — Cliff Carlisle, 79, country yodeler of the 1930s and steel guitar pioneer.
• October 20 — Merle Travis, 65, singer and composer of classic songs such as "Sixteen Tons", "Dark as a Dungeon", "So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed" and "Smoke, Smoke, Smoke that Cigarette." (heart attack)

Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

• Little Jimmy Dickens (1920–2015)

Major awards

Grammy Awards

• Best Female Country Vocal Performance — "A Little Good News", Anne Murray
• Best Male Country Vocal Performance — "I.O.U.", – Lee Greenwood
• Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal — "The Closer You Get", Alabama
• Best Country Instrumental Performance — "Fireball", New South
• Best Country Song — "Stranger in My House," Mike Reid (Performer: Ronnie Milsap)

Juno Awards

• Country Male Vocalist of the Year — Eddie Eastman
• Country Female Vocalist of the Year — Anne Murray
• Country Group or Duo of the Year — The Good Brothers

Academy of Country Music

• Entertainer of the Year — Alabama
• Song of the Year — "The Wind Beneath My Wings", Larry Henley and Jeff Silbar (Performer: Gary Morris)
• Single of the Year — "Islands in the Stream", Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton
• Album of the Year — The Closer You Get..., Alabama
• Top Male Vocalist — Lee Greenwood
• Top Female Vocalist — Janie Fricke
• Top Vocal Duo — Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers
• Top Vocal Group — Alabama
• Top New Male Vocalist — Jim Glaser
• Top New Female Vocalist — Gus Hardin

Canadian Country Music Association

• Entertainer of the Year — Family Brown
• Male Artist of the Year — Dick Damron
• Female Artist of the Year — Marie Bottrell
• Group of the Year — Family Brown
• SOCAN Song of the Year — "Raised on Country Music", Family Brown (Performer: Family Brown)
• Single of the Year — "Raised on Country Music", Family Brown
• Album of the Year — Raised on Country Music, Family Brown
• Vista Rising Star Award — Kelita Haverland
• Duo of the Year — Donna & LeRoy Anderson

Country Music Association

• Entertainer of the Year — Alabama
• Song of the Year — "Always on My Mind", Johnny Christopher, Wayne Carson Thompson and Mark James (Performer: Willie Nelson)
• Single of the Year — "Swingin'", John Anderson
• Album of the Year — The Closer You Get..., Alabama
• Male Vocalist of the Year — Lee Greenwood
• Female Vocalist of the Year — Janie Fricke
• Vocal Duo of the Year — Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson
• Vocal Group of the Year — Alabama
• Horizon Award — John Anderson
• Instrumentalist of the Year — Chet Atkins
• Instrumental Group of the Year — Ricky Skaggs Band

See also

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

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.

External links

• Country Music Hall of Fame
• CMT Founder's Site