2003 in country music

"See also:"
2002 in country music,
2003 in music,
other events of 2003,
2004 in country music and the List of years in Country Music

Events

*March 10 – During a concert in London, England, Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines said that the band was "ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas" (referring to Maines' hometown of Lubbock and President Bush hailing from the same state). The comment sparked intense controversy and outrage among Americans, including a large share of country music fans.:Those who took offense to Maines' comments based their feelings on a number of grounds, including that the country was then on the verge of declaring war on Iraq (which happened less than two weeks later) and that Maines made the comments on foreign soil. Chicks' supporters, meanwhile, cited their right to free speech. Radio stations – perhaps riding the wave of fan sentiment – refuse to play their music on the air, including their then-current hit, "Travelin' Soldier" (which ironically was about a soldier who is about to go to war); some even sponsor anti-Dixie Chicks promotional events, such as disposing and destroying Chicks' compact discs and other merchandise. Maines, meanwhile, defended her stance during a televised interview with Diane Sawyer:Maines and her bandmates – Emily Robison and Martie Maguire – appeared nude (with private parts strategically covered) on the May 2 cover of "Entertainment Weekly". Their bodies were covered with words such as "Saddam's Angels" and "Traitor." [http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,943170,00.html]
*July – The Rascal Flatts video, "I Melt," comes under fire by conservative groups because it contains brief scenes of nudity. The video stars band member Joe Don Rooney and model Christina Auria. Groups called for the video to be banned from airplay on CMT and Great American Country. Eventually, Rascal Flatts released an edited version of the video, which aired during daytime hours on the two country music-oriented networks. [http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/SAUCY%20COUNTRY%20VIDEO%20CREATES%20A%20STORM%20OF%20CONTROVERSY]
* December — The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts honors Loretta Lynn for her lifetime contributions to the arts.

No dates

* Throughout the year, country music was beset by the deaths of numerous legends. Headlining the list was Johnny Cash, whose vastly influential musicianship transcended genres. His wife of 35 years (and longtime singing partner), June Carter Cash, had passed away just four months earlier. Both had appeared in a CMT-aired interview, discussing their lives and careers; it was taped earlier in the year.: Other notables that died during the year: Johnny Paycheck, Felice Bryant, Floyd Tillman, Wilma Burgess, Don Gibson, Dave Dudley and Gary Stewart.

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 on September 27 and later returned to top spot on October 4.
*^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

*"All I Want for Christmas Is a Real Good Tan" — Kenny Chesney (BNA)
*"And the Crowd Goes Wild" — Mark Wills (Mercury)
*"Buddy Jewell" — Buddy Jewell (Columbia)
*"Chris Cagle" — Chris Cagle (Capitol)
*"Comin' on Strong" — Trace Adkins (Capitol)
*"Dierks Bentley" — Dierks Bentley (Capitol)
*"The Dreamer" — Blake Shelton (Warner Brothers)
*"A Few Questions" — Clay Walker (RCA)
*"" — George Strait (MCA)
*"" — Lonestar (BNA)
*"Greatest Hits" — Jo Dee Messina (Curb)
*"Greatest Hits" — LeAnn Rimes (Curb)
*"Greatest Hits Collection, Vol. 1" — Trace Adkins (Capitol)
*"Greatest Hits Volume II" — Alan Jackson (Arista)
*"Have You Forgotten?" — Darryl Worley (DreamWorks)
*"Honkytonkville" — George Strait (MCA)
*"I'm Just a Girl" — Deana Carter (Arista)
*"In the Mood: The Love Songs" — Alabama (RCA)
*"Jimmy Wayne" — Jimmy Wayne (DreamWorks)
*"Live and Kickin"' — Willie Nelson {Lost Highway)
*"Long Black Train" — Josh Turner (MCA)
*"Martina" — Martina McBride (RCA)
*"Mud on the Tires" — Brad Paisley (Arista)
*"Next Big Thing" — Vince Gill (MCA)
*"Now" — Jessica Andrews (DreamWorks)
*"On Your Way Home" — Patty Loveless (Epic)
*"Pain to Kill" — Terri Clark (Mercury)
*"Red Dirt Road" — Brooks & Dunn (Arista)
*"Restless" — Sara Evans (RCA)
*"Room to Breathe" — Reba McEntire (MCA)
*"See If I Care" — Gary Allan (MCA)
*"Shock'n Y'all" — Toby Keith (DreamWorks)
*"" — Dixie Chicks (Open Wide)
*"Totally Country Vol. 3" — Various Artists (Sony BMG)
*"The Truth About Men" — Tracy Byrd (RCA)
*"Wave on Wave" — Pat Green (Mercury/Universal/Republic)
*"What the World Needs Now Is Love" — Wynonna Judd (Asylum/Curb)

Other top albums

*"All The Best" — Glen Campbell (Capitol)
*"The American Farewell Tour" — Alabama (RCA)
*"Back to the Well" — Kenny Rogers (Dreamcatcher)
*"Bering Strait" — Bering Strait (Universal South)
*"The Best of Jeff Foxworthy: Double Wide, Single Minded" — Jeff Foxworthy (Warner Brothers)
*"Billy Currington" — Billy Currington (Mercury)
*"Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie Soundtrack" — Various Artists (Warner Brothers)
*"Brian McComas" — Brian McComas (Lyric Street)
*"CMT Presents Most Wanted, Volume 1" — Various Artists (Capitol)
*"Colors" — The Oak Ridge Boys (Spring Hill)
*"Country Music" — Marty Stuart (Columbia)
*"" — Willie Nelson (Sugar Hill)
*"Delbert McClinton Live" — Delbert McClinton (New West)
*"Drunk in Public" — Ron White (Hip-O)
*"Dusty Drake" — Dusty Drake (Warner Bros.)
*"The Essential Mary Chapin Carpenter" — Mary Chapin Carpenter (Legacy)
*"The Essential Willie Nelson" — Willie Nelson (Legacy)
*"Farm Fresh Onions" — Robert Earl Keen (Koch)
*"Fate's Right Hand" — Rodney Crowell (Epic)
*"For God and Country" — Dolly Parton (Blue Eye)
*"Genuine" — The Derailers (Lucky Dog)
*"The Gospel Collection" — George Jones (Bandit)
*"Haggard Like Never Before" — Merle Haggard (Capitol)
*"Here's Your Sign: Reloaded" — Bill Engvall (Warner Brothers)
*"Honesty" — Rodney Atkins (Curb)
*"Horsepower" — Chris LeDoux (Capitol)
*"I Love It" — Craig Morgan (Broken Bow)
*"I Want My Money Back" — Sammy Kershaw (Audium)
*"I'm One of You" — Hank Williams, Jr. (Curb)
*"I've Always Been Crazy: A Tribute to Waylon Jennings" — Various Artists (RCA)
*"In My Dreams" — Rick Trevino (Warner Bros.)
*"In Other's Words" — Dwight Yoakam (Reprise)
*"Jennifer Hanson" — Jennifer Hanson (Capitol)
*" — Various Artists (Sugar Hill)
*"Live" — Charlie Robison (Columbia)
*"Livin', Lovin', Losin': Songs of the Louvin Brothers" — Various Artists (Universal South)
*"Living Out Loud" — Aaron Lines (RCA)
*"Lonesome, On'ry and Mean: A Tribute to Waylon Jennings" — Various Artists (Razor & Tie)
*"The Mavericks" — The Mavericks (Sanctuary)
*"Music Through Heartsongs: Songs Based on the Poems of Mattie J.T. Stepanek" — Billy Gilman (Epic)
*"My Baby Don't Tolerate" — Lyle Lovett (Curb)
*"Nut Sack" — Rodney Carrington (Capitol)
*"One Step Ahead" — Rhonda Vincent (Rounder)
*"The Original Dixie Hick" — Cledus T. Judd (Koch)
*"The Other Side" — Billy Ray Cyrus (Curb/Word)
*"Population Me" — Dwight Yoakam (Audium)
*"Rainbow Man" — Jeff Bates (RCA)
*"Remembering Patsy Cline" — Various Artists (MCA)
*"Rules of Travel" — Rosanne Cash (Capitol)
*"Run That By Me One More Time" — Willie Nelson & Ray Price (Lost Highway)
*"Show" — Allison Moorer (Universal South)
*"A Six Pack of Judd" — Cledus T. Judd (Koch)
*"The Songs of Hank Williams Jr." — Various Artists (Warner Brothers)
*"Steal Another Day" — Steve Wariner (Selectone)
*"Streets of Heaven" — Sherrie Austin (Broken Bow)
*"Stumble into Grace" — Emmylou Harris (Nonesuch)
*"Swing" — Suzy Bogguss (Compadre)
*"Three Pickers" — Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson & Ricky Skaggs (Rounder)
*"Time Flies" — Billy Ray Cyrus (Madacy)
*"Ultimate Clint Black" — Clint Black (RCA)
*"Ultimate Dolly Parton" — Dolly Parton (RCA)
*"Unearthed" — Johnny Cash (Lost Highway)
*"The Very Best of John Michael Montgomery" — John Michael Montgomery (Warner Brothers)
*"Wildwood Flower" — June Carter Cash (DualTone)
*"Worship & Faith" — Randy Travis (Word/Curb)
*"You, Me and the Windshield" — Marcel (Lyric Street)

Births

Deaths

*February 19 - Johnny Paycheck, legendary singer and songwriter, best known for "Take This Job and Shove It." (died from a lengthy battle with asthma and emphysema
*April 22 - Felice Bryant, 77, songwriter and husband of collaborator Boudleaux Bryant.
*May 15 – June Carter Cash, 73, member of the Carter Family and wife of Johnny Cash (complications from heart surgery).
*August 22 – Floyd Tillman, 88, 1930s and 1940s singer instrumental in creating the genre's western swing and honky-tonk styles.
*August 26 - Wilma Burgess, 64, country vocalist of the 1960s best known for "Misty Blue."
*September 12 - Johnny Cash, 71, vastly influential singer/songwriter/guitarist whose music transcended musical boundaries; best known for hits like "Ring of Fire," "I Walk the Line," "Hurt," and "A Boy Named Sue" (diabetic complications).
*November 17 - Don Gibson, 75, influential songwriter (best known for "I Can't Stop Loving You") and singer who helped introduce the Nashville Sound (natural causes).
*December 16 - Gary Stewart, 58, rough, outlaw-styled country singer known for his drinking songs ("She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles)") (suicide).
*December 22 - Dave Dudley, 75, best known for his 1960s-era truck driving songs, such as "Six Days on the Road" (heart attack).

Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

*Floyd Cramer (1933–1997)
*Carl Smith (born 1927)

Major Awards

Grammy awards

*Best Female Country Vocal Performance -- "Keep on the Sunny Side," June Carter Cash
*Best Male Country Vocal Performance -- "Next Big Thing," Vince Gill
*Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal -- "A Simple Life," Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
*Best Country Collaboration with Vocals -- "How's the World Treating You," Alison Krauss and James Taylor
*Best Country Instrumental Performance -- "Cluck Old Hen," Alison Krauss & Union Station
*Best Country Song -- "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere," Jim "Moose" Brown and Don Rollins
*Best Country Album -- "Livin', Lovin', Losin' – Songs of the Louvin Brothers", Various Artists (Producer: Carl Jackson)
*Best Bluegrass Album -- "Live", Alison Krauss & Union Station

Academy of Country Music

*Entertainer Of The Year -- Toby Keith
*Song Of The Year -- "Three Wooden Crosses," Douglas Johnson, Kim Williams
*Single Of The Year -- "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere," Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett
*Album Of The Year -- "Shock'n Y'all", Toby Keith
*Top Male Vocalist -- Toby Keith
*Top Female Vocalist -- Martina McBride
*Top Vocal Duo -- Brooks & Dunn
*Top Vocal Group -- Rascal Flatts
*Top New Artist -- Dierks Bentley
*Video Of The Year -- "Beer for My Horses," Toby Keith and Willie Nelson (Director: Michael Salomon)
*Vocal Event Of The Year -- "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere," Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett

Country Music Association

*Entertainer of the Year -- Alan Jackson
*Song of the Year -- "Three Wooden Crosses," Doug Johnson, Kim Williams
*Single of the Year -- "Hurt," Johnny Cash
*Album of the Year -- "", Johnny Cash
*Male Vocalist of the Year -- Alan Jackson
*Female Vocalist of the Year -- Martina McBride
*Vocal Duo of the Year -- Brooks & Dunn
*Vocal Group of the Year -- Rascal Flatts
*Horizon Award -- Joe Nichols
*Video of the Year -- "Hurt," Johnny Cash (Director: Mark Romanek)
*Vocal Event of the Year -- "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere," Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett
*Musician of the Year -- Randy Scruggs

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 Country Music Hall of Fame]