This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1966.
- March 15 — Roger Miller
Roger Dean Miller was a Grammy and Tony Award winning American singer, songwriter, musician and actor, best known for his honky tonk-influenced novelty songs...
wins six Grammy Awards, five of them related to his hit "King of the Road"King of the Road" is a 1965 song written and originally recorded by country singer Roger Miller.The lyrics tell of a hobo who despite being poor revels in his freedom, describing himself facetiously as the "king of the road".-History:...
". The Statler Brothers take two awards for "Flowers on the Wall"Flowers On The Wall" is a song made famous by country music group The Statler Brothers. Written and composed by the group's original tenor, Lew DeWitt, the song peaked in popularity in January 1966, spending four weeks at No. 2 on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart, and reaching No...
".
- April — One of the last broadcasts of The Jimmy Dean Show
Jimmy Ray "The Hurst" Dean , better known as Jimmy Dean, is an American country music singer, television host, actor, and businessman...
features the first-ever Academy of Country MusicThe Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association founded in 1958 was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the founding...
awards. Big winners include Male Vocalist of the Year Buck OwensAlvis Edgar Owens, Jr. , better known as Buck Owens, was an American singer and guitarist who had 21 number one hits on the Billboard country music charts with his band, the Buckaroos...
, Female Vocalist Bonnie OwensBonnie Owens was an American Country music singer.-Road to Stardom:Born Bonnie Campbell in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Bonnie Owens was a country music singer who was married to Buck Owens and later Merle Haggard. She met Buck Owens when she was only fifteen...
, and New Male Vocalist Merle HaggardMerle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band "The Strangers" helped create the Bakersfield Sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies, and a...
; Haggard also shared the Vocal Duet/Group award with Bonnie Owens.
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This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1966.
Events
- March 15 — Roger Miller
Roger Dean Miller was a Grammy and Tony Award winning American singer, songwriter, musician and actor, best known for his honky tonk-influenced novelty songs...
wins six Grammy Awards, five of them related to his hit "King of the Road"King of the Road" is a 1965 song written and originally recorded by country singer Roger Miller.The lyrics tell of a hobo who despite being poor revels in his freedom, describing himself facetiously as the "king of the road".-History:...
". The Statler Brothers take two awards for "Flowers on the Wall"Flowers On The Wall" is a song made famous by country music group The Statler Brothers. Written and composed by the group's original tenor, Lew DeWitt, the song peaked in popularity in January 1966, spending four weeks at No. 2 on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart, and reaching No...
".
- April — One of the last broadcasts of The Jimmy Dean Show
Jimmy Ray "The Hurst" Dean , better known as Jimmy Dean, is an American country music singer, television host, actor, and businessman...
features the first-ever Academy of Country MusicThe Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association founded in 1958 was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the founding...
awards. Big winners include Male Vocalist of the Year Buck OwensAlvis Edgar Owens, Jr. , better known as Buck Owens, was an American singer and guitarist who had 21 number one hits on the Billboard country music charts with his band, the Buckaroos...
, Female Vocalist Bonnie OwensBonnie Owens was an American Country music singer.-Road to Stardom:Born Bonnie Campbell in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Bonnie Owens was a country music singer who was married to Buck Owens and later Merle Haggard. She met Buck Owens when she was only fifteen...
, and New Male Vocalist Merle HaggardMerle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band "The Strangers" helped create the Bakersfield Sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies, and a...
; Haggard also shared the Vocal Duet/Group award with Bonnie Owens. Taped for later broadcast that year, the ACM Awards would in time become among the most anticipated events of the year by country fans.
- October 15 — Billboard increases the length of its Hot Country Singles
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart to 75 positions, up from 50.
- October 22 — At age 48, Eddy Arnold
Richard Edward Arnold , known professionally as Eddy Arnold, was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He created the Nashville sound in the late 1950s, and had 147 songs on the Billboard Magazine music charts, second only to George Jones...
becomes the youngest (to that time) living inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
United States
(as certified by Billboard)
| Date |
Single Name |
Artist |
Wks. No.1 |
Spec. Note |
| January 8 |
Giddyup Go |
Red Sovine Woodrow Wilson Sovine , better known as Red Sovine, was a country music singer. He was associated with truck driving songs, particularly those recited as narratives but set to music...
|
6 |
- Sovine's first Number One hit in ten years since 1955's "Why Baby Why
"Why Baby Why" is the title of a country music song co-written and originally recorded by George Jones. Released in late 1955 on Starday Records, and produced by Starday co-founder and Jones manager Pappy Daily, it peaked at #4 on the Billboard country charts that year...
." |
| February 19 |
Waitin' in Your Welfare Line/
In the Palm of Your Hand |
Buck Owens and the Buckaroos |
7 |
|
| April 9 |
I Want to Go with You "I Want to Go with You" is the title of a popular song from 1966 by the American country music singer Eddy Arnold. The song was written by country music singer-songwriter Hank Cochran....
|
Eddy Arnold Richard Edward Arnold , known professionally as Eddy Arnold, was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He created the Nashville sound in the late 1950s, and had 147 songs on the Billboard Magazine music charts, second only to George Jones...
|
6 |
|
| May 21 |
Distant Drums "Distant Drums" is the title of a song which provided U.S. singer Jim Reeves with his only number one hit – albeit posthumously – in the United Kingdom in 1966, some two years after his death in a plane crash on 31 July 1964. The song remained in the UK charts for an amazing 45 weeks. The single...
|
Jim ReevesJames Travis Reeves was an American country and pop music singer-songwriter popular in the 1950s and 1960s who also gained a wide international following for his pioneering smooth Nashville sound. Known as Gentleman Jim, his songs continued to chart for years following his death at age 40 in a...
|
4 |
|
| June 18 |
Take Good Care of Her |
Sonny James James Loden , known professionally as Sonny James, is an American country music singer and songwriter best known for his 1957 smash hit, "Young Love." Dubbed the Southern Gentleman, James had 72 country and pop chart hits from 1953 to 1983, including a five-year streak of 16 straight among his 23...
|
2 |
|
| July 2 |
Think of Me |
Buck Owens and the Buckaroos |
6 |
|
| August 13 |
Almost Persuaded Almost Persuaded is a song written by Glenn Sutton and Muscle Shoals songwriter Billy Sherrill and first recorded by David Houston in 1966.The song is about a married man who, while patronizing a tavern, sees a beautiful young woman and is instantly smitten. Forgetting that he is married, he...
|
David Houston Charles David Houston was an American country music singer. His peak in popularity came between the mid-1960s through the early 1970s.-Biography:...
|
9 |
[1], [A]
The longest-running Number One country song by a male artist until LonestarLonestar is an American country music group consisting of Cody Collins , Michael Britt , Keech Rainwater and Dean Sams...
's single, "Amazed"Amazed" is the title of a song written by Marv Green, Aimee Mayo and Chris Lindsey. The first version of the song was recorded by the American country music group Lonestar, whose version was released in 1999 as the second single from their 1999 album Lonely Grill...
" in 1999. |
| October 15 |
Blue Side of Lonesome |
Jim Reeves |
1 |
|
| October 22 |
Open up Your Heart |
Buck Owens and the Buckaroos |
4 |
|
| November 19 |
I Get the Fever |
Bill Anderson |
1 |
|
| November 26 |
Somebody Like Me |
Eddy Arnold |
4 |
|
| December 24 |
There Goes My Everything "There Goes My Everything" is a popular song by Dallas Frazier, published in 1965. The song is best known in a 1966 version by Jack Greene, but is now considered a country music standard, recorded by many artists. These include Elvis Presley, Engelbert Humperdinck, Roger Whittaker and Loretta Lynn...
|
Jack Greene Jack Greene is an American country musician nicknamed the "Jolly Green Giant" and well known for his 1966 hit "There Goes My Everything."-Early career:...
|
8 |
[A] |
^ No. 1 song of the year, as determined by
Billboard.
- 2^ Song dropped from No. 1 and later returned to top spot.
- A^ First Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist.
Canada
(as certified by RPMRPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
)
| Date |
Single Name |
Artist |
Wks. No.1 |
Spec. Note |
| January 3 |
Shadows of Your Heart |
Dianne Leigh |
2 |
[A] |
| January 17 |
Iron Town |
Rhythm Pals |
5 |
[A] |
| February 21 |
Don’t Knock on My Door |
The Canadian Sweethearts The Canadian Sweethearts were a Canadian singing duo popular during the 1960s until its disbandment in 1977. The duo consisted of vocalist Lucille Starr, and her guitar playing husband, Bob Regan....
|
1 |
[C] |
| February 28 |
This They Say Is Me |
Rhythm Pals |
2 |
[B] |
| March 14 |
The Auctioneer |
Irwin Prescott |
1 |
[C] |
| December 5 |
Whistling on the River |
Mercey Brothers The Mercey Brothers was a Canadian country music group active from 1957 to 1989.-Before they were famous:The Mercey family grew up to music in their household at an early age. Brothers Larry, Ray, and Lloyd Mercey formed a country-infused musical group in 1966...
|
4 |
[A] |
^ First
RPMRPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
No. 1 hit for that artist.
- B^ Last RPM No. 1 hit for that artist.
- C^ Only RPM No. 1 hit for that artist.