1974 in country music

"See also:"
1973 in country music,
1974 in music,
other events of 1974,
1975 in country music, and the List of years in Country Music

Events

* March 16 – The Grand Ole Opry moves from the Ryman Auditorium, its home of the past 41 years, to the newly constructed 4,400 Grand Ole Opry House, on the Opryland complex. President Richard Nixon is a guest at the Ryman's last show. The Ryman would essentially sit vacant for the next two decades before being renovated in the early 1990s as a historical landmark and concert hall.
* July 17 – Don Rich, a key member of Buck Owens' backing band, The Buckaroos, is killed in a motorcycle crash on State Route 99 north of Bakersfield, California; he was 32. Owens is deeply saddened by Rich's death, and it will gravely affect his career for many years. [http://www.salon.com/bc/1999/02/23bc.html]

No dates

*Country purists - long troubled by a growing trend of pop music-influenced country - have an ACE up their sleeves, when they form the Association of Country Entertainers. The group forms as a result of an outcry over the 1974 Country Music Association awards program, where pop diva Olivia Newton-John won Female Vocalist of the Year, and Danny Davis & the Nashville Brass was awarded another Instrumental Group of the Year.
* The proliferation of No. 1 hits, as certified by Billboard magazine, extends into 1974, when 40 songs reach the top of the Hot Country Singles chart. In fact, just nine songs - 10, if one counts Merle Haggard's "If We Make it Through December," which spent two of its four weeks at No. 1 in January - remain at the top spot for more than one week.

Top hits of the year

No. 1 hits

"(As certified by Billboard magazine)"
* January 19 - “I Love” — Tom T. Hall
* February 2 - “Jolene” — Dolly Parton
* February 9 - “World of Make Believe” — Bill Anderson
* February 16 - “That’s the Way Love Goes” — Johnny Rodriguez
* February 23 - “Another Lonely Song” — Tammy Wynette
* March 9 - “There Won’t Be Anymore” — Charlie Rich
* March 23 - “There’s a Honky Tonk Angel (Who’ll Take Me Back In)” — Conway Twitty
* March 30 - “Would You Lay With Me (In a Field of Stone)” — Tanya Tucker
* April 6 - “A Very Special Love Song” — Charlie Rich
* April 27 - “Hello Love” — Hank Snow
* May 4 - “Things Aren’t Funny Anymore” — Merle Haggard and the Strangers
* May 11 - “Is it Wrong (For Loving You)” — Sonny James
* May 18 - “Country Bumpkin” — Cal Smith
* May 25 - “No Charge” — Melba Montgomery
* June 1 - “Pure Love” — Ronnie Milsap
* June 8 - “I Will Always Love You” — Dolly Parton
* June 15 - “I Don't See Me in Your Eyes Anymore” — Charlie Rich
* June 22 - “This Time” — Waylon Jennings
* June 29 - “Room Full of Roses” — Mickey Gilley
* July 6 - “He Thinks I Still Care” — Anne Murray
* July 20 - “Marie Laveux" — Bobby Bare
* July 27 - “You Can’t Be a Beacon if Your Light Don’t Shine” — Donna Fargo
* August 3 - “Rub It In” — Billy "Crash" Craddock
* August 17 - “As Soon as I Hang Up the Phone” — Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn
* August 24 - “The Old Man From the Mountain” — Merle Haggard and the Strangers
* August 31 - “The Grand Tour” — George Jones
* September 7 - “Please Don’t Tell Me How the Story Ends” — Ronnie Milsap
* September 21 - “I Wouldn’t Want to Live If You Didn’t Love Me” — Don Williams
* September 28 - “I’m a Ramblin’ Man” — Waylon Jennings
* October 5 - “I Love My Friend” — Charlie Rich
* October 12 - “Please Don’t Stop Lovin’ Me” — Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton
* October 19 - “I See the ‘Want-To’ In Your Eyes” — Conway Twitty
* November 2 - “I Overlooked an Orchid” — Mickey Gilley
* November 9 - “Love Is Like A Butterfly” — Dolly Parton
* November 16 - “Country Is” — Tom T. Hall
* November 23 - “Trouble in Paradise” — Loretta Lynn
* November 30 - “Back Home Again” — John Denver
* December 7 - “She Called Me Baby” — Charlie Rich
* December 14 - “I Can Help” — Billy Swan
* December 28 - “What a Man My Man Is” — Lynn Anderson

Other major hits

* “A Mi Esposa Con Amor (To My Wife With Love)” — Sonny James
* “After the Fire is Gone” — Willie Nelson and Tracy Nelson
* "Ain't Love a Good Thing" - Connie Smith
* "Annie's Song" — John Denver
* "At the Time" - Jean Shepard
* "Atta Way to Go" - Don Williams
* "Baby Doll" - Barbara Fairchild
* "Big Game Hunter" — Buck Owens
* “Big Four Poster Bed” — Brenda Lee
* “Bloody Mary Mornin’” — Willie Nelson
* "Bonaparte's Retreat" — Glen Campbell
* "Boney Fingers" — Hoyt Axton
* "Bring Back Your Love to Me" — Don Gibson
* "Can't You Feel It" — David Houston
* "Come Monday" — Jimmy Buffett
* "The Crude Oil Blues" - Jerry Reed
* "Daddy, What If?" — Bobby Bare with Bobby Bare Jr.
* "Dance With Me (Just One More Time)" — Johnny Rodriguez
* "(Don't Tell) That Sweet Old Lady of Mine" - Johnny Carver
* "Don't You Think" - Marty Robbins
* "Drinkin' Thing" - Gary Stewart
* "Every Time I Turn the Radio On" - Bill Anderson
* "Fairytale" - The Pointer Sisters
* "Get On My Love Train" - LaCosta Tucker
* "A Good Woman's Love" - Jerry Reed
* "Hang in There Girl" -- Freddie Hart
* "He Can't Fill My Shoes" - Jerry Lee Lewis
* "Help Me" - Elvis Presley
* "Hey Loretta" — Loretta Lynn
* "Highway Headin' South" - Porter Wagoner
* “Honeymoon Feelin’” — Roy Clark
* "How Lucky Can One Man Be" - Joe Stampley
* “I Honestly Love You” — Olivia Newton-John
* "I Just Started Hatin' Cheatin' Songs Today" - Moe Bandy
* "I Never Go Around Mirrors" — Lefty Frizzell
* "I Never Knew (What That Song Meant Before)" - Connie Smith
* "I Love You, I Love You" — David Houston and Barbara Mandrell
* “I’ll Think of Something” — Hank Williams Jr.
* "I'll Try a Little Bit Harder" — Donna Fargo
* "I'm Not Through Loving You Yet" — Conway Twitty
* "I'm Still Loving You" - Joe Stampley
* "I've Got a Thing About You Baby" - Elvis Presley
* "If I Miss You Again Tonight" - Tommy Overstreet
* “If You Love Me (Let Me Know)” — Olivia Newton-John
* "It'll Come Back" — Red Sovine
* "(It's a) Monster's Holiday" — Buck Owens
* "It's That Time of the Night" — Jim Ed Brown
* "It's Time to Cross That Bridge" - Jack Greene
* "Jeannie Marie (You Were a Lady)" - Tommy Overstreet
* "Last Time I Saw Him" — Dottie West
* "A Love Song" — Anne Murray
* "Lucky Ladies" - Jeannie Seely
* “The Man That Turned My Mama On” — Tanya Tucker
* “Memory Maker” — Mel Tillis and the Statesiders
* “Midnight, Me and the Blues” — Mel Tillis and the Statesiders
* "Mississippi Cotton-Pickin' Delta Town" — Charley Pride
* “The Older the Violin the Sweeter the Music” — Hank Thompson
* "Old Home Fill-er Up An' Keep On A-Truckin' Café" — C.W. McCall
* "On the Cover of the Music City News" - Buck Owens
* “Once You’ve Had the Best” — George Jones
* "One Day at a Time" — Don Gibson
* "One Day at a Time" - Marilyn Sellars
* "One Hell of a Woman" - Mac Davis
* "Rainy Night in Georgia" - Hank Williams Jr.
* “Ragged Old Flag” — Johnny Cash
* "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" - Linda Ronstadt
* "Some Kind of Woman" — Faron Young
* “Something” — Johnny Rodriguez
* "Sometime Sunshine" — Jim Ed Brown
* “Somewhere Between Love and Tomorrow” — Roy Clark
* "Son of a Rotten Gambler" - Anne Murray
* “Song and Dance Man” — Johnny PayCheck
* "The South's Gonna Do it Again" - Charlie Daniels Band
* "Still Loving You" - Bob Luman
* “Stomp Them Grapes” — Mel Tillis and the Statesiders
* "Stop and Smell the Roses" - Mac Davis
* "The Streak" — Ray Stevens
* "Sundown" — Gordon Lightfoot
* "Sunshine on My Shoulder" - John Denver
* “Sweet Magnolia Blossom” — Billy "Crash" Craddock
* "Take Good Care of Her" - Elvis Presley
* "Take Me Home to Somewhere" - Joe Stampley
* "Talkin' to the Wall" - Lynn Anderson
* "Ten Commandments of Love" - David Houston and Barbara Mandrell
* "That Girl Who Waits on Tables" — Ronnie Milsap
* "That Song is Driving Me Crazy" — Tom T. Hall
* “They Don’t Make ‘Em Like My Daddy” — Loretta Lynn
* "This Time I Almost Made It" -- Barbara Mandrell
* "Twentieth Century Drifter" - Marty Robbins
* "The Want To's" - Freddie Hart
* "We Could" — Charley Pride
* "We Loved it Away" - George Jones and Tammy Wynette
* “We Should Be Together” — Don Williams
* “(We’re Not) the Jet Set” — George Jones and Tammy Wynette
* "We're Over" — Johnny Rodriguez
* "When the Morning Comes" — Hoyt Axton
* “Who Left the Door to Heaven Open” — Hank Thompson
* "Woman to Woman" - Tammy Wynette
* “Wrong Ideas” — Brenda Lee
* "You Don't Need to Move a Mountain" - Jeanne Pruett
* "You Won't See Me" - Anne Murray

Top new album releases

* "Breakaway" — Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge (Monument)
* "" — Elvis Presley (RCA)
* "" — Elvis Presley (RCA)
* "Good Times" — Elvis Presley (RCA)
* "The Grand Tour" — George Jones (Epic)
* "Having Fun with Elvis on Stage" — Elvis Presley (RCA)
* "If You Love Me, Let Me Know" — Olivia Newton John (MCA)
* "Jolene" — Dolly Parton (RCA)
* "Junkie and the Juicehead Minus Me" — Johnny Cash (Columbia)
* "Long Live Love" — Olivia Newton John (EMI)
* "Phases and Stages" — Willie Nelson (Atlantic)
* "Ragged Old Flag" — Johnny Cash (Columbia)
* "Spooky Lady's Sideshow" — Kris Kristofferson (Monument)
* "Sundown" — Gordon Lightfoot (Reprise)
* "This Time" — Waylon Jennings (RCA)
* "Would You Lay with Me (In a Field of Stone)" — Tanya Tucker (Columbia)

Other top albums

*"Another Lonely Song" — Tammy Wynette (Epic)
*"Back Home Again" — John Denver (RCA)
*"Honky Tonk Amnesia" — Moe Bandy (GRT)
*"Honky Tonk Angel" — Conway Twitty (MCA)
*"Houston (I'm Coming to See You)" — Glen Campbell (Capitol)
*"I-40 Country" — Jerry Lee Lewis (Mercury)
*"If We Make It Through December" — Merle Haggard (Capitol)
*"I'm Not Through Loving You Yet" — Conway Twitty (MCA)
*"The Midnight Oil" — Barbara Mandrell (Columbia)
*"My Third Album" — Johnny Rodriguez (Mercury)
*"Never Ending Song of Love" — Conway Twitty (MCA)
*"Pure Love" — Ronnie Milsap (RCA)
* "Reunion: The Songs Of Jimmy Webb" — Glen Campbell (Capitol)
* "Rub It In" - Billy "Crash" Craddock (ABC)
*"Songs About Ladies and Love" — Johnny Rodriguez (Mercury)
*"Woman to Woman" — Tammy Wynette (Epic)

Births

*January 7 - John Rich, singer-songwriter and member of Big & Rich.
*February 17 – Bryan White, singer-songwriter from the 1990s.
*September 12 – Jennifer Nettles, lead singer of Sugarland.
*October 14 - Natalie Maines, lead singer of the Dixie Chicks.

Deaths

*January 2 – Tex Ritter, 68, silver screen cowboy and western artist (heart attack).
*July 17 – Don Rich, 32, right-hand man of Buck Owens and key member of the Buckaroos (motorcycle crash).

Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

*Owen Bradley (1915-1998)
*Pee Wee King (1914-2000)

Major Awards

Grammy awards

*Best Country Vocal Performance, Female -- "Love Song" - Anne Murray
*Best Country Vocal Performance, Male -- "Please Don't Tell Me How The Story Ends" - Ronnie Milsap
*Best Country Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group -- "Fairytale" - The Pointer Sisters (Anita Pointer, Ruth Pointer, June Pointer Whitmore)
*Best Country Instrumental Performance -- "The Atkins-Travis Traveling Show" - Chet Atkins and Merle Travis
*Best Country Song -- "A Very Special Love Song" - Billy Sherrill and Norris Wilson, songwriters

Academy of Country Music

*Entertainer Of The Year -- Mac Davis
*Song Of The Year -- "Country Bumpkin" - Cal Smith - Don Wayne
*Single Of The Year -- "Country Bumpkin" - Cal Smith
*Album Of The Year -- Back Home Again - John Denver
*Top Male Vocalist -- Merle Haggard
*Top Female Vocalist -- Loretta Lynn
*Top Vocal Duo -- Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn
*Top New Male Vocalist -- Mickey Gilley
*Top New Female Vocalist -- Linda Ronstadt

Country Music Association

*Entertainer of the Year -- Charlie Rich
*Male Vocalist of the Year -- Ronnie Milsap
*Female Vocalist of the Year -- Olivia Newton-John
*Instrumental Group of the Year –- Danny Davis & the Nashville Brass
*Vocal Group of the Year -- The Statler Brothers
*Vocal Duo of the Year -- Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn
*Single of the Year -- "Country Bumpkin," Cal Smith
*Song of the Year -- "Country Bumpkin," Don Wayne
*Album of the Year -- "A Very Special Love Song", Charlie Rich
*Instrumentalist of the Year -- Don Rich

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]