2004 in country music

"See also:"
2003 in country music,
2004 in music,
other events of 2004,
2005 in country music and the List of years in Country Music

Events

No Dates

* Lynn Anderson arrested near her home in Taos, New Mexico after being charged with a DUI for drunk driving. A motorist called the local police after noticing Anderson's car weaving in and out of lanes, almost causing an accident. Anderson later pulled over to the side of the road after spotting the police, where the police conducted a field sobriety test. She was released on a $1000 bail the next day.

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".
*² – Song dropped from No. 1 and later returned to top spot.
*^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

*^A Reached #1 on U.S. "Radio & Records" (now "Mediabase 24/7") country singles charts.

Top new album releases

*"50 Years of Hits" — George Jones (Bandit Records)
*"50 Number Ones" — George Strait (MCA Nashville)
*"Be Here" — Keith Urban (Capitol)
*"Blake Shelton's Barn & Grill" — Blake Shelton (Warner Bros.)
*"Darryl Worley" — Darryl Worley (DreamWorks Nashville)
*"Feels Like Today" — Rascal Flatts (Lyric Street)
*"Greatest Hits" — Shania Twain (Mercury)
*"Greatest Hits" — Lee Ann Womack (MCA)
*"Greatest Hits 1994-2004" — Terri Clark (Mercury)
*"Greatest Hits 2" — Toby Keith (DreamWorks Nashville)
*"Greatest Hits Collection II" — Brooks & Dunn (Arista Nashville)
*"Here for the Party" — Gretchen Wilson (Epic)
*"Horse of a Different Color" — Big & Rich (Warner Bros.)
*"Josh Gracin" — Josh Gracin (Lyric Street)
*"Let's Be Us Again" — Lonestar (BNA)
*"Letters from Home" — John Michael Montgomery (Warner Bros.)
*"License to Chill" — Jimmy Buffett (Mailboat)
*"Live Like You Were Dying" — Tim McGraw (Curb)
*"Lonely Runs Both Ways" — Alison Krauss & Union Station (Rounder)
*"Lucky Ones" — Pat Green (Republic)
*"My Honky Tonk History" — Travis Tritt (Columbia)
*"Outlaws & Angels" — Willie Nelson (Lost Highway)
*"Patient Man" — Brad Cotter (Epic)
*"Revelation" — Joe Nichols (Universal South)
*"Shaken Not Stirred" — Phil Vassar (Arista Nashville)
*"Spend My Time" — Clint Black (Equity)
*"Strong" — Tracy Lawrence (DreamWorks)
*"Sweet Right Here" — SHeDAISY (Lyric Street)
*"This I Gotta See" — Andy Griggs (RCA)
*"Twice the Speed of Life" — Sugarland (Mercury)
*"Van Lear Rose" — Loretta Lynn (Interscope)
*"What I Do" — Alan Jackson (Arista Nashville)
*"When the Sun Goes Down" — Kenny Chesney (BNA)
*"You Do Your Thing" — Montgomery Gentry (Columbia)

Other top albums

*"20 Originals: The Early Years" — Chris LeDoux (Capitol)
*"25 Number Ones" — Conway Twitty (MCA)
*"40 #1 Hits" — Merle Haggard (Capitol)
*"42 Ultimate Hits" — Kenny Rogers (Capitol)
*"Between Here and Gone" — Mary Chapin Carpenter (Columbia)
*"Bipolar and Proud" — Cledus T. Judd (Koch)
*"Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again Soundtrack" — Various Artists (Warner Bros.)
*"Blue County" — Blue County (Curb)
*"Christmas with You" — Clint Black (Equity)
*"Days of Our Lives" — James Otto (Mercury)
*"A Decade of Laughs" — Bill Engvall (Warner Bros.)
*"Definitive All-Time Greatest Hits" — John Denver (RCA)
*"Dress Rehearsal" — Carolyn Dawn Johnson (Arista Nashville)
*"The Duel" — Allison Moorer (Universal South)
*"Dwight's Used Records" — Dwight Yoakam (Koch)
*"The Essenshul Cledus T. Judd" — Cledus T. Judd (Koch)
*"Good Times" — Charlie Robison (DualTone)
*"Greatest Hits" — Rodney Carrington (Capitol)
*"Have Your Loved Ones Spayed or Neutered" — Jeff Foxworthy (Warner Bros.)
*"I Give My Heart" — John Berry (Clear Sky)
*"It Always Will Be" — Willie Nelson (Lost Highway)
*"Julie Roberts" — Julie Roberts (Mercury)
*"Katrina Elam" — Katrina Elam (Universal South)
*"Live and Well" — Dolly Parton (Blue Eye/Sugar Hill)
*"Lone Starry Night" — John Arthur Martinez (DualTone)
*"Loose, Loud & Crazy" — Kevin Fowler (Equity)
*"My Mother's Hymn Book" — Johnny Cash (Lost Highway)
*"The Notorious Cherry Bombs" — The Notorious Cherry Bombs (Universal South)
*"One Good Friend" — George Canyon (Universal South)
*"Passing Through" — Randy Travis (Word Entertainment/Curb)
*"Patriotic Country" — Various Artists (BMG Heritage)
*"The Revolution Starts Now" — Steve Earle (Artemis)
*"Savin' the Honky Tonk" — Mark Chesnutt (Vivaton)
*"Show Me How" — Lorrie Morgan (Image)
*"Songs Inspired by the Passion of the Christ" — Various Artists (Universal South)
*"Soul Gravy" — Cross Canadian Ragweed (Universal South)
*"Still Restless" — Restless Heart (Koch)
*"Tangled in the Pines" — BR5-49 (DualTone)
*"Tougher Than Nails" — Joe Diffie (Broken Bow)
*"A Traditional Christmas" — Joe Nichols (Universal South)
*"Trent Willmon" — Trent Willmon (Columbia)
*"Tryin' to Get There" — David Lee Murphy (Koch)
*"Ultimate Alabama" — Alabama (RCA)
*"Ultimate Waylon Jennings" — Waylon Jennings (RCA)
*"The Unbroken Circle: The Musical Heritage of the Carter Family" — Various Artists (DualTone)
*"The Very Best of Dwight Yoakam" — Dwight Yoakam (Rhino)
*"The Very Best of Randy Travis" — Randy Travis (Rhino)
*"A Very Larry Christmas" — Larry the Cable Guy (Warner Bros.)
*"Wayward Angel" — Kasey Chambers (Warner Bros.)
*"What a Wonderful World" — LeAnn Rimes (Asylum-Curb)
*"What If?" — Emerson Drive (DreamWorks)
*"Where I Belong" — Rachel Proctor (BNA)

Deaths

*June 10 — Ray Charles, 74, multi-talented artist who combined elements of pop, rhythm and blues, soul and jazz with country music.
*September 19 — Skeeter Davis, 72, best known for "The End of the World."
*September 23 — Roy Drusky, 74, Grand Ole Opry star and smooth countrypolitan stylist of the 1960s.
*December 27 — Hank Garland, 74, country and jazz guitar pioneer.

Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

*Jim Foglesong (1922- )
*Kris Kristofferson (1936- )

Major Awards

Grammy awards

"(presented February 13, 2005 in Los Angeles)"
*Best Female Country Vocal Performance -- "Redneck Woman," Gretchen Wilson
*Best Male Country Vocal Performance -- "Live Like You Were Dying," Tim McGraw.
*Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal -- "Top of the World (live recording)," Dixie Chicks
*Best Country Collaboration with Vocals -- "Portland, Oregon," Loretta Lynn and Jack White
*Best Country Instrumental Performance -- "Earl's Breakdown," Nitty Gritty Dirt Band featuring Earl Scruggs, Randy Scruggs, Vassar Clements and Jerry Douglas
*Best Country Song -- "Live Like You Were Dying," Tim Nichols and Craig Wiseman
*Best Country Album -- "Van Lear Rose", Loretta Lynn
*Best Bluegrass Album -- "Brand New Strings", Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder

Academy of Country Music

"(presented May 17, 2005 in Las Vegas)"
*Entertainer of the Year -- Kenny Chesney
*Song of the Year -- "Live Like You Were Dying," Tim Nichols and Craig Wiseman
*Single of the Year -- "Live Like You Were Dying," Tim McGraw
*Album of the Year -- "Be Here", Keith Urban
*Top Male Vocalist -- Keith Urban
*Top Female Vocalist -- Gretchen Wilson
*Top Vocal Duo -- Brooks & Dunn
*Top Vocal Group -- Rascal Flatts
*Top New Artist -- Gretchen Wilson
*Video of the Year -- "Whiskey Lullaby," Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss (Director: Rick Schroder)
*Vocal Event of the Year -- "Whiskey Lullaby," Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss
*ACM/Home Depot Humanitarian of the Year -- Neal McCoy

Country Music Association

"(presented November 9 in Nashville)"
*Entertainer of the Year -- Kenny Chesney
*Song of the Year -- "Live Like You Were Dying," Tim Nichols and Craig Wiseman
*Single of the Year -- "Live Like You Were Dying," Tim McGraw
*Album of the Year -- "When the Sun Goes Down", Kenny Chesney
*Male Vocalist of the Year -- Keith Urban
*Female Vocalist of the Year -- Martina McBride
*Vocal Duo of the Year -- Brooks & Dunn
*Vocal Group of the Year -- Rascal Flatts
*Horizon Award -- Gretchen Wilson
*Video of the Year -- "Whiskey Lullaby," Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss (Director: Rick Schroder)
*Vocal Event of the Year -- "Whiskey Lullaby," Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss
*Musician of the Year -- Dann Huff

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]