1981 in country music

"See also:"
1980 in country music,
1981 in music,
other events of 1981,
1982 in country music and the List of years in Country Music

Events

*March 14 - The final showing of "Live From The Grand Ole Opry" on the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) occurs on this night. The show actually went beyond the televised segment, but the show was ended with a clip of Marty Robbins singing "El Paso" (a song he used to close out his Opry segment at midnight) from the year before. Because of cost over-runs and other technicalities, this was the final run for the annual show on PBS that featured the music of Tom T. Hall, Del Reeves, Hank Snow, Roy Acuff and Minnie Pearl, and many other performers.
*"The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Country Music", an eight-volume, 143-track collection, is released. The box set is considered one of the first important retrospectives of the genre and contains extensive liner notes, depicting the importance of each song or artist included.:Songs included range from 1922's "Sally Gooden" to 1975's "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" by Willie Nelson. Specifically, each volume is titled thusly: "1920's," "1930's Southeast," "1930's Southwest," "1941-1953" (two records), "1953-1963," "Bluegrass" and "1963-1975."

Top hits of the year

Number one hits

"(As certified by Billboard magazine)"

*¹ - No. 1 song of the year, as determined by "Billboard magazine".
*^A - First "Billboard" No. 1 hit for that artist.
*^B - Last "Billboard" No. 1 hit for that artist to date.
*^C - Only "Billboard" No. 1 hit for that artist to date.

Other major hits

*"Angel of the Morning" - Juice Newton
*"Any Which Way You Can" - Glen Campbell
*"The Baron" -- Johnny Cash
*"Beautiful You" -- Oak Ridge Boys
*"A Bridge That Just Won't Burn" -- Conway Twitty
*"By Now" -- Steve Wariner
*"Can I See You Tonight" -- Tanya Tucker
*"Chicken Truck" -- John Anderson
*"Crying" - Don McLean
*"Don't Bother to Knock" - Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius
*"Don't Get Above Your Raisin'" -- Ricky Skaggs
*"Don't Wait on Me" -- Statler Brothers
*"Down and Out" -- George Strait
*"Down to My Last Broken Heart" - Janie Fricke
*"Dream of Me" -- Vern Gosdin
*"Falling Again" -- Don Williams
*"Following the Feeling" - Moe Bandy and Judy Bailey
*"Fool By Your Side" -- Dave & Sugar
*"Girls, Women and Ladies" -- Ed Bruce
*"Giving Up Easy" - Leon Everette
*"Grandma's Song" - Gail Davies
*"Headed For a Heartache" - Gary Morris
*"Heart on the Mend" - Sylvia
*"Hey Moe, Hey Joe" -- Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley
*"Hillbilly Girl with the Blues" - Lacy J. Dalton
*"Honky Tonk Queen" - Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley
*"Hooked on Music" -- Mac Davis
*"The House of the Rising Sun" -- Dolly Parton
*"Hurricane" -- Leon Everette
*"(I'm Gonna) Put You Back on the Rack" -- Dottie West
*"I Don't Think Love Ought to Be That Way" -- Reba McEntire
*"I Need Someone to Hold Me When I Cry" -- Janie Fricke
*"I Should've Called" - Eddy Raven
*"I Still Believe in Waltzes" -- Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn
*"If Drinkin' Don't Kill Me (Her Memory Will)" -- George Jones
*"If I Needed You" -- Don Williams and Emmylou Harris
*"If You Go, I'll Follow You" - Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton
*"I'll Be There (If You Ever Want Me)" - Gail Davies
*"I'm Gonna Love You Back to Loving Me Again" - Joe Stampley
*"I'm Just an Old Chunk of Coal (But I'm Gonna Be a Diamond Someday)" -- John Anderson
*"It Don't Hurt Me Half as Bad" -- Ray Price
*"It's A Lovely, Lovely World" - Gail Davies
*"It's All I Can Do" - Anne Murray
*"It's Now or Never" -- John Schneider
*"Leonard" -- Merle Haggard
*"Louisiana Saturday Night" -- Mel McDaniel
*"Love Dies Hard" -- Randy Barlow
*"Lovin' Arms" -- Elvis Presley
*"Lovin' Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again)" -- Tompall and the Glaser Brothers
*"Lovin' What Your Lovin' Does to Me" -- Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn
*"Matador" -- Sylvia
*"A Million Old Goodbyes" -- Mel Tillis
*"Miracles" -- Don Williams
*"Miss Emily's Picture" -- John Conlee
*"Mister Sandman" -- Emmylou Harris
*"1959" -- John Anderson
*"One Night Fever" -- Mel Tillis
*"Pickin' Up Strangers" -- Johnny Lee
*"Prisoner of Hope" -- Johnny Lee
*"Queen of Hearts" -- Juice Newton
*"Rainbow Stew" -- Merle Haggard
*"Roll On Mississippi" -- Charley Pride
*"Share Your Love with Me" - Kenny Rogers
*"Silent Treatment" - Earl Thomas Conley
*"Sleepin' With the Radio On" -- Charly McClain
*"Some Days are Diamonds (Some Days are Stone)" - John Denver
*"Somebody's Knockin' - Terri Gibbs
*"Surround Me With Love" -- Charly McClain
*"Takin' It Easy" - Lacy J. Dalton
*"Teach Me to Cheat" - The Kendalls
*"Texas in My Rearview Mirror" -- Mac Davis
*"A Texas State of Mind" - David Frizzell and Shelly West
*"Thirty-Nine and Holdin'" - Jerry Lee Lewis
*"Today All Over Again" -- Reba McEntire
*"Unwound" -- George Strait
*"Wandering Eyes" -- Ronnie McDowell
*"What are We Doing Lonesome" - Larry Gatlin
*"What's New With You" -- Con Hunley
*"(When You Fall in Love) Everything's a Waltz" -- Ed Bruce
*"Whisper" - Lacy J. Dalton
*"Wild Side of Life/It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" -- Jessi Colter and Waylon Jennings
*"Wish You Were Here" -- Barbara Mandrell
*"You Asked Me To" - Elvis Presley
*"You May See Me Walkin'" -- Ricky Skaggs
*"Your Memory" -- Steve Wariner
*"You're My Favorite Star" -- Bellamy Brothers
*"You're the Best" - Kieran Kane

Top new album releases

* "The Baron — Johnny Cash (Columbia)
* "Big City" — Merle Haggard (Epic)
* "Encore" — Johnny Cash (Columbia)
* "Evangeline" — Emmylou Harris (Warner Bros.)
* "Feels So Right" — Alabama (RCA)
* "Heart to Heart" — Reba McEntire (Mercury)
* "I Love 'Em All" — T. G. Sheppard (Warner Bros./Curb)
* "Leather and Lace" — Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter (RCA)
* "The Pressure is On" — Hank Williams Jr. (Warner Bros./Elektra)
* "Rowdy" — Hank Williams Jr. (Warner Bros./Elektra)
* "Seven Year Ache" — Roseanne Cash (Columbia)
* "Still the Same Ole Me" — George Jones (Epic)
* "Strait Country" — George Strait (MCA)
* "Together Again" — George Jones and Tammy Wynette (Epic)
* "Wild West" — Dottie West (United Artists/Liberty)

Other top albums

*"Fancy Free" – Oak Ridge Boys (MCA)
*"Greatest Hits (& Some That Will Be)" – Willie Nelson (Columbia)
*"Out Where the Bright Lights are Glowing" – Ronnie Milsap (RCA)
*"Share Your Love" – Kenny Rogers (United Artists)
*"Strait Country" – George Strait (MCA)
*"There's No Getting Over Me" – Ronnie Milsap (RCA)
*"Waitin' For The Sun To Shine" – Ricky Skaggs (Epic)

On television

Regular series

* "Hee Haw" (1969-1993, syndicated)

pecials

* June - "Country Top 20" - Host Dennis Weaver presented the top 20 songs from January-June 1981. Performances from Alabama, The Gatlin Brothers, Oak Ridge Boys, John Schneider, T.G. Sheppard, Dottie West and Shelly West. (syndicated)
* October - "Country Galaxy of Stars" - A two-hour special featuring performances by country music's top stars. (syndicated)
* December - "Country Top 20" - A review of the top 20 songs from July-December 1981, with hosts Charly McClain and Roger Miller. Performers included John Conlee, Gail Davies, Crystal Gayle, Johnny Lee, Eddie Rabbitt, Eddy Raven, Joe Stampley, Sylvia and Hank Williams Jr. (syndicated)

Births

*December 4 - Lila McCann, teenage singer of 1990s

Deaths

Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

*Vernon Dalhart (1883-1948)
*Grant Turner (1912-1991)

Major Awards

Grammy awards

*Best Country Vocal Performance, Female -- "9 To 5" - Dolly Parton
*Best Country Vocal Performance, Male -- "(There's) No Gettin' Over Me" - Ronnie Milsap
*Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal -- "Elvira" - Oak Ridge Boys
*Best Country Instrumental Performance -- "Country After All These Years" - Chet Atkins
*Best Country Song -- "9 To 5" - Dolly Parton, songwriter

Academy of Country Music

*Entertainer Of The Year -- Alabama
*Song Of The Year -- "You're The Reason God Made Oklahoma" - David Frizzell and Shelly West
*Single Of The Year -- "Elvira" - Oak Ridge Boys
*Album Of The Year -- Feels So Right - Alabama
*Top Male Vocalist -- Merle Haggard
*Top Female Vocalist -- Barbara Mandrell
*Top Vocal Duo -- Shelly West and David Frizzell
*Top New Male Vocalist -- Ricky Skaggs
*Top New Female Vocalist -- Juice Newton

Country Music Association

*Instrumental Group of the Year -- Alabama
*Instrumentalist of the Year -- Chet Atkins
*Entertainer of the Year -- Barbara Mandrell
*Male Vocalist of the Year -- George Jones
*Female Vocalist of the Year -- Barbara Mandrell
*Horizon Award -- Terri Gibbs
*Vocal Group of the Year -- Alabama
*Vocal Duo of the Year -- David Frizzell and Shelly West
*Album of the Year -- Don Williams
*Song of the Year -- "He Stopped Loving Her Today" - George Jones, Bobby Braddock, and Curly Putman
*Single of the Year -- "Elvira" - Oak Ridge Boys

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 (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.

Other links

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

External links

* [http://www.cmaawards.com/2004/hof/default.asp Country Music Hall of Fame]