This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in 2022.
Events
- January 18 â Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley of Florida Georgia Line announce they are "taking a break" from recording music together and will be in an indefinite hiatus from touring after several 2022 shows while they pursue solo careers.
- February 19 â Brad Paisley scores his 20th number one on the Billboard Country Airplay chart as featured on Jimmie Allen's "Freedom Was a Highway", tying him with Brooks & Dunn and Toby Keith for the tenth most number ones on that chart since its inception in January 1990.
- March 29 â Eric Church made headlines after cancelling a show at the AT&T Center in order to attend a college basketball game in North Carolina. Church released a statement announcing his intention to watch the Tar Heels vs Blue Devils, longtime rivals who have never faced off in the Final Four of the NCAA tournament, with his family, expressing that it is the most "selfish" thing he has ever done. The decision drew intense criticism from fans who had paid to attend the concert.
- April 7 â Stevie Woodward takes over as lead singer of Runaway June, replacing Naomi Cooke who left two months prior.
- April 10 â Tanya Tucker celebrates the 50th anniversary of her first single, "Delta Dawn", with an all-star concert at the Ryman Auditorium. Guests included Brenda Lee, T. Graham Brown, Delbert McClinton, Paul Overstreet, Jessi Colter, LeAnn Rimes, Ty Herndon and Brandi Carlile.
- April 11 âÂÂ
- "Drunk (And I Don't Wanna Go Home)" by Elle King and Miranda Lambert reaches number one on the Country Airplay chart, becoming the first female duet to reach the top spot in almost thirty years, following "Does He Love You" by Reba McEntire and Linda Davis in November 1993.
- To celebrate their pending induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Naomi and Wynonna Judd reunited to perform "Love Can Build a Bridge" at the 2022 CMT Music Awards. Their appearance marked the first time the duo had performed together as The Judds on a televised awards show in more than twenty years. The performance was the duo's last before the death of Naomi on April 30.
- April 30 â Garth Brooks performed a concert to more than 102,000 fans at Louisiana State University's Tiger Stadium; movement in the venue registered as a small earthquake when he sang "Callin' Baton Rouge", the unofficial anthem of LSU.
- May 19 â Wynonna Judd announces an all-star female lineup of artists to accompany her on The Judds' final tour, in the fall. Brandi Carlile, Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Trisha Yearwood, Little Big Town and Ashley McBryde will fill in for Naomi on select dates, with more artists to be announced at later dates.
- May 20 â John Driskell Hopkins of the Zac Brown Band publicly announces his diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease.
- May 26 â In the aftermath of the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, multiple entertainers â including country performers Larry Gatlin, Lee Greenwood and Larry Stewart, along with "American Pie" singer Don McLean â announce they would not be performing at the National Rifle Association of America's annual convention, which was scheduled the weekend of May 28.
- June 1- Stu Phillips celebrates his 55th Grand Ole Opry anniversary
- June 9âÂÂ12 â After a two-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the CMA Music Festival returns to Nashville.
- June 12 â Toby Keith announces he had been diagnosed with stomach cancer at the end of the prior year, having undergone chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery for the past six months. Keith would eventually die of the disease on February 5, 2024.
- July 19 â Chapel Hart, a country music group from Mississippi, competes on the television series America's Got Talent and received the Golden Buzzer.
- July 29- Barbara Mandrell celebrates her 50th Grand Ole Opry Anniversary
- August 2 â After a decade of touring together, Joanna Cotten announced that she had left Eric Church's band in order to pursue a solo career.
- August 4 â Lady A announce that they are postponing their Request Line Tour to allow member Charles Kelley to focus on his sobriety.
- August 12 â Singer-songwriter Gretchen Peters revealed her decision to retire from touring and will play her final shows in June 2023, though she will continue to write and record music.
- August 29 âÂÂ
- Kelsea Ballerini announces that she has filed for divorce from Morgan Evans after nearly five years of marriage.
- Jason Aldean's wife, Brittany, makes an Instagram post which leads to singers such as Maren Morris and Cassadee Pope accusing her of transphobia. In response, Aldean's public relations firm The GreenRoom drops him as a client on September 1.
- September 9 â John Michael Montgomery's tour bus overturns in an accident outside Jellico, Tennessee, injuring Montgomery and several passengers.
- September 11 â Monarch, a country music drama series starring Susan Sarandon, Trace Adkins and Anna Friel, debuts on Fox.
- September 25- Loretta Lynn celebrates her 60th Grand Ole Opry anniversary
- October 4 â Kentucky Rising, a benefit concert organized by Chris and Morgane Stapleton is held at the Rupp Arena to raise money following devastating flooding that occurred in the state. Other performers included Dwight Yoakam and Tyler Childers alongside surprise appearances from Ricky Skaggs and Patty Loveless, marking a rare live performance following her retirement from live shows in 2009.
- October 11 â Blake Shelton announces he is leaving The Voice after its 23rd season in 2023.
- October 13 â The Mastersons announce that they are leaving Steve Earle's band The Dukes after twelve years.
- October 27 â Dolly Parton announces her retirement from touring.
- October 29 âÂÂ
- Sam Williams, the grandson of Hank Williams and son of Hank Williams Jr. comes out as gay using the music video of his single "Titled Crown".
- Darius Rucker's version of the Old Crow Medicine Show song "Wagon Wheel" is certified diamond, becoming only the fourth country song (behind "Cruise", "Tennessee Whiskey" and "Old Town Road") to reach this milestone.
- November 3 â Caroline Jones becomes an official member of the Zac Brown Band after serving as their opening act since 2017. Jones is the group's first female member.
- December 30 â "You Proof" by Morgan Wallen spends a tenth week at number one on the Country Airplay chart, thus making it the longest-running number-one single in that chart's history.
Grand Ole Opry
- January 8 â Morgan Wallen's performance with Ernest on the Grand Ole Opry leads to criticism from fans and other country music artists, following the controversy that surrounded Wallen after he was filmed using a racial slur eleven months prior as well as an anti-racism tweet made by the institution.
- February 12 â Lauren Alaina is inducted by Trisha Yearwood as the Opry's first member of 2022 following an invite by Yearwood in December 2021. At twenty-seven, Alaina becomes the youngest member of the Opry.
- March 19 â After making frequent guest appearances for over seventeen years, Jamey Johnson was invited by Bill Anderson to become an Opry member, with his induction set for May 14.
- June 11 â Vince Gill invites Hall of Famers Charlie McCoy and Don Schlitz to become Opry members, the first time in decades that two artists received the invitation during the same show. McCoy was subsequently inducted by Larry Gatlin on July 13 and Schlitz was inducted by Gill and Randy Travis on August 30.
- September 17 â Jeannie Seely celebrates her 55th anniversary as an Opry member. Seely has performed on the show over 5000 times, extending her record as the most frequently appearing artist.
- October 6 â Garth Brooks surprises Ashley McBryde with an invitation to become the newest Grand Ole Opry member during an interview on CBS Mornings, live from the circle. She was inducted on December 10 by Opry star Terri Clark.
Top hits of the year
The following songs placed within the Top 20 on the Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay, or Canada Country charts in 2022:
Singles released by American and Australian artists
Singles released by Canadian artists
Top new album releases
Other top albums
Deaths
- January 9 â Jerry Ray Johnston, 65, drummer for Bandana (COVID-19)
- January 11 â Jerry Crutchfield, 87, American record producer (Anne Murray, Lee Greenwood, Tanya Tucker)
- January 14 â Dallas Frazier, 82, American singer-songwriter ("Elvira", "Beneath Still Waters" and "There Goes My Everything")
- January 15 â Ralph Emery, 88, American disc jockey and television host (Pop! Goes the Country, Nashville Now)
- January 30 â Hargus "Pig" Robbins, 84, session pianist
- February 17 â Dallas Good, 48, member of Canadian band The Sadies.
- February 18 â Scotty Wray, former member of The Wrays, brother of Collin Raye, and guitarist for Miranda Lambert.
- March 1 â Warner Mack, 86, American country singer-songwriter ("Is It Wrong (For Loving You)", "The Bridge Washed Out").
- March 4 â Jimbeau Hinson, 70, American songwriter (stroke)
- March 10 â Bobbie Nelson, 91, American pianist and singer; sister of Willie Nelson.
- March 11 â Brad Martin, 48, American country singer-songwriter ("Before I Knew Better").
- March 12 â Bruce Burch, 69, songwriter ("It's Your Call", "Rumor Has It")
- March 24 â Randy Cornor, 67, singer-songwriter ("Sometimes I Talk in My Sleep")
- March 26 â Jeff Carson, 58, singer-songwriter ("Not on Your Love", "The Car") (heart attack)
- April 1 â C. W. McCall, 93, singer ("Convoy") (cancer)
- April 1 â Roland White, 83, American bluegrass musician and mandolinist (complications of a heart attack)
- April 25 â Shane Yellowbird, 42, Canadian country singer
- April 30 â Naomi Judd, 76, one-half of The Judds and mother of Wynonna Judd (suicide)
- May 7 â Mickey Gilley, 86, American country singer-songwriter ("Stand By Me", "Room Full of Roses", "Lonely Nights")
- May 23 â Thom Bresh, 74, American singer and guitarist ("Homemade Love") (esophageal cancer)
- May 29 â Ronnie Hawkins, 87, American-Canadian rockabilly singer.
- June 1 â Deborah McCrary, 67, member of Americana/gospel quartet The McCrary Sisters
- June 2 â Hal Bynum, 87, American songwriter ("Lucille"), complications from a stroke and Alzheimer's disease.
- June 10 â Baxter Black, 77, American cowboy poet and veterinarian.
- June 14 â Joel Whitburn, 82, chart historian whose Record Research helped produce books on how songs placed on the Billboard magazine charts, including the Hot Country Songs chart.
- June 23 â Bobby Flores, 61, singer, fiddler and record producer (esophageal cancer).
- July 27 â John Grenell, 78, New Zealand country singer.
- August 8 â Olivia Newton-John, 73, British-Australian country pop singer-songwriter and actress and the only non-American artist to win the CMA Award for Female Vocalist of the Year. (cancer)
- August 26 â Luke Bell, 32, American country musician and singer-songwriter.
- September 9 â Herschel Sizemore, 87, American bluegrass mandolinist.
- September 21 â Ray Edenton, 95, American guitarist and session musician.
- October 4 â Loretta Lynn, 90, American country singer-songwriter ("Coal Miner's Daughter", "Fist City", "You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My Man)")
- October 6 â Jody Miller, 80, American country singer ("Queen of the House", "There's a Party Goin' On", "He's So Fine")
- October 11 â Anita Kerr, 94, American singer, composer, arranger and music producer known for developing the Nashville sound.
- October 24 â Don Edwards, 86, cowboy singer-songwriter.
- October 28 â Jerry Lee Lewis, 87, American rock & roll and country singer.
- October 31 â Patrick Haggerty, 77, member of gay country music band Lavender Country (stroke)
- November 7 â Jeff Cook, 73, member of Alabama (Parkinson's disease)
- November 27 â Jake Flint, 37, Red Dirt singer-songwriter.
- December 6 â Peter Cooper, 52, historian, musician and journalist.
- December 15 â Shirley Eikhard, 67, Canadian singer-songwriter ("Something to Talk About")
- December 19 â Charlie Monk, 84, American broadcaster, songwriter, music publisher
- December 29 â Ian Tyson, 89, Canadian singer-songwriter ("Four Strong Winds" and "Someday Soon")
- December 31 â Anita Pointer, 74, member of The Pointer Sisters who had country hits with "Fairytale" and "Two Many Times"
Hall of Fame inductees
(presented on October 16, 2022)
(announced on June 7, 2022)
(announced on July 26, 2022)
(presented October 30, 2022)
Major awards
(presented on May 11, 2023)
(presented on September 14, 2022)
(presented on November 20, 2022)
(presented on November 24, 2022)
(presented on May 15, 2022)
(presented on September 11, 2022)
(presented on April 11, 2022)
CMT Artists of the Year <br /> (presented October 14, 2022 in Nashville)
(presented on November 9, 2022)
(presented on February 5, 2023)
(presented on September 30, 2022)
(presented on March 13, 2023)
Hollywood Walk of Fame
Stars who were honored in 2022
Kelly Clarkson
Kennedy Center Honors
country stars who were honored in 2022
Amy Grant
References