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1986 in country music

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1986.

Events

  • January 18 — "American Country Countdown" with Bob Kingsley expands from three to four hours. Several new features — including a chronological playback of songs reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and a calendar feature (highlighting a birthday, or anniversary of a notable song or event in country music) — are added.
  • June 25 — Jenifer Strait, the 13-year-old daughter of George Strait (who by now is one of country music's top performers) is killed in a car accident in San Marcos, Texas. Her father still refuses to talk about his daughter's death to this day.
  • July 19 — Columbia Records drops Johnny Cash from the label's roster after 28 years.

No dates

  • For the first time in its 42-year history, there is a new No. 1 song for each week of the year, according to Billboard magazine's Hot Country Singles Chart.
  • 1986 was a renaissance year in country music, with a host of "A New Traditionalist"-minded artists reinvigorating a genre that critics were saying had grown increasingly stagnant and pop-oriented. Among the most successful new artists: Holly Dunn, Judy Rodman, Ricky Van Shelton, Randy Travis and Dwight Yoakam. Keith Whitley, another artist who had been around for a few years, has his first major hit early in the year. They – along with popular newcomers from earlier in the decade such as Alabama, George Strait and Reba McEntire, and longtime artists like George Jones, Merle Haggard and Conway Twitty – proved not only that country music was the music of the people, but also that the genre had real resiliency.
  • After 17 years of playing co-host to Roy Clark, Buck Owens announces his departure from the still-popular "Hee Haw." Clark would soldier on alone for the next six years, with rotating guest stars each week.

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)

Specials

Births

Deaths

  • February 10 — Arthur E. Satherley, 96, music executive.
  • May 30 — "Papa Joe" Brown, 60, founding member of Canadian country group Family Brown.
  • June 20 — Whitey Ford, 85, beloved Grand Ole Opry comedian and storyteller.
  • June 25 — Jenifer Strait, 13, daughter of George Strait (car accident).
  • June 27 — Joe Maphis, 65, prolific guitarist and fiddler, prominently featured on the theme to "Bonanza" (cancer).
  • December 5 — Carmol Taylor, 53, songwriter.

Hall of Fame inductees

Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

Major awards

Grammy Awards

Juno Awards

Academy of Country Music

Canadian Country Music Association

Country Music Association

Hollywood Walk of Fame

Country stars who got a star in 1986

the Everly Brothers

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

References

External links