This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in 1967.

Events

*April 1 — The

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has amas ...

opens in Nashville. *September — Lynn Anderson becomes a featured vocalist on ''

The Lawrence Welk Show ''The Lawrence Welk Show'' is an American televised musical variety show hosted by big band leader Lawrence Welk. The series aired locally in Los Angeles for four years, from 1951 to 1955, then nationally for another 16 years on ABC from 1 ...

''; earlier in the year, she signs her first national recording contract with Chart Records. *September 30 – Singer-songwriter

Leon Ashley Leon Walton (May 18, 1936 – October 20, 2013), better known by his stage name Leon Ashley, was an American country music singer. He is known mainly for his single " Laura (What's He Got That I Ain't Got)", which topped the country singles chart ...

becomes the first performer in the genre to write, record, produce, release, distribute and publish a single that reaches No. 1 on the ''Billboard''

Hot Country Singles Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sa ...

chart with "

Laura (What's He Got That I Ain't Got) "Laura (What's He Got That I Ain't Got)" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Leon Ashley. Recorded in 1967 and released on his own Ashley Records label, the song was his only No. 1 single that September. Frankie Lai ...

." *October — The first Country Music Association Awards are handed out at Nashville's Municipal Auditorium. The show is not televised.

No dates

*For the first time in history, more than 20 No. 1 songs top the '' Billboard''

chart in a 52-week timespan. It will mark the start of a new trend in country music: a proliferation of No. 1 songs in a given year, a trend that – thanks to changes in radio programming ''Billboard'' data compilation – peaks in 1986 when there is a new No. 1 song every week. *

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...

joins

Porter Wagoner Porter Wayne Wagoner (August 12, 1927 – October 28, 2007) was an American country music singer known for his flashy Nudie and Manuel suits and blond pompadour. In 1967, he introduced singer Dolly Parton on his television show, ''The Po ...

's band, television series and road show. She and Wagoner record their first duets, releasing "

The Last Thing on My Mind "The Last Thing on My Mind" is a song written by American musician and singer-songwriter Tom Paxton in the early 1960s and recorded first by Paxton in 1964. It is based on the traditional lament song "The Leaving of Liverpool". The song was rele ...

" (their first major hit together) late in the year. Parton will go on to become the first woman in country music to have top 10 hits in five different decades. *

The Browns The Browns were an American country and folk music vocal trio best known for their 1959 Grammy-nominated hit, " The Three Bells". The group, composed of Jim Ed Brown and his sisters Maxine and Bonnie, had a close, smooth harmony characteristic ...

disband when sisters Maxine and

Bonnie Bonnie, is a Scottish given name and is sometimes used as a descriptive reference, as in the Scottish folk song, My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean. It comes from the Scots language word "bonnie" (pretty, attractive), or the French bonne (good). That ...

leave the group.

Jim Ed Brown James Edward Brown (April 1, 1934 – June 11, 2015) was an American country singer-songwriter who achieved fame in the 1950s with his two sisters as a member of the Browns. He later had a successful solo career from 1965 to 1974, followed by ...

begins the second phase of his long career – as a solo recording artist. The move pays off, as he immediately scores with "

Pop a Top "Pop a Top" is a country song written and originally recorded by Nat Stuckey in 1966. The first hit version was released by Jim Ed Brown in May 1967 as the third and final single from his album ''Just Jim''. The song was a number 3 Billboard coun ...

Top hits of the year

Number one hits

United States

''(as certified by Billboard)'' ;Notes *1 ^ 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. *B ^ Last ''Billboard'' No. 1 hit for that artist. *C ^ Only ''Billboard'' No. 1 hit for that artist to date.

Canada

''(as certified by

RPM Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...

)'' ;Notes *2 ^ Song dropped from No. 1 and later returned to top spot. *A ^ First ''

'' No. 1 hit for that artist. *C ^ Only ''RPM'' No. 1 hit for that artist.

Other major hits

Singles released by American artists

Singles released by Canadian artists

Top new album releases

Other top albums

Births

* February 6 — Anita Cochran, vocalist best known for 1998 hit " What If I Said" * April 5 — Troy Gentry, one half of

Montgomery Gentry Montgomery Gentry is an American country music duo founded by singers Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry, both Kentucky natives. They began performing together in the 1990s as part of two different bands with Montgomery's brother, John Michael Mo ...

(d. 2017) * May 1 —

Tim McGraw Samuel Timothy McGraw (born May 1, 1967) is an American country singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He has released 16 studio albums (11 for Curb Records, four for Big Machine Records and one for Arista Nashville). 10 of those album ...

, singer and actor active since the 1990s, also known for marriage to Faith Hill. * September 21 —

Faith Hill Audrey Faith McGraw (; born September 21, 1967), known professionally as Faith Hill, is an American singer and actress. She is one of the most successful country music artists of all time, having sold more than 40 million albums worldwide. Hill' ...

, singer known for her multi-genre success since the 1990s, and marriage to Tim McGraw. * October 26 —

Keith Urban Keith Lionel Urban (born 26 October 1967) is an Australian-American musician, singer, guitarist and songwriter known for his work in country music. Recognized with four Grammy Awards, Urban also received fifteen Academy of Country Music Award ...

, Australian-born singer who began enjoying great success in the United States since 2000. * December 5 —

Gary Allan Gary Allan Herzberg (born December 5, 1967) is an American country music singer. Signed to Decca Records in 1996, Allan made his country music debut with the release of his single " Her Man", the lead-off to his gold-certified debut album '' U ...

, Bakersfield-styled singer-songwriter since the 1990s.

Deaths

*January 1 —

Moon Mullican Aubrey Wilson Mullican (March 29, 1909 – January 1, 1967), known professionally as Moon Mullican and nicknamed "King of the Hillbilly Piano Players", was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and pianist. He was associated with t ...

, 57, known as the "King of the Hillbilly Piano Players", also widely known today for his hit " I'll Sail My Ship Alone" (heart attack).

Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

Red Foley Clyde Julian "Red" Foley (June 17, 1910 – September 19, 1968) was an American musician who made a major contribution to the growth of country music after World War II. For more than two decades, Foley was one of the biggest stars of the gen ...

(1910–1968) * J. L. Frank (1900–1952) *

Jim Reeves James Travis Reeves (August 20, 1923July 31, 1964) was an American country and popular music singer-songwriter. With records charting from the 1950s to the 1980s, he became well known as a practitioner of the Nashville Sound. Known as "Gentleman ...

(1923–1964) * Stephen H. Sholes (1911–1968)

Major awards

Grammy Awards

*Best Country and Western Solo Vocal Performance, Female — " I Don't Wanna Play House",

Tammy Wynette Tammy Wynette (born Virginia Wynette Pugh; May 5, 1942 – April 6, 1998) was an American country music artist, as well as an actress and author. She is considered among the genre's most influential and successful artists. Along with Loretta Ly ...

*Best Country and Western Solo Vocal Performance, Male — "

Gentle on My Mind "Gentle on My Mind" is a song that was written and originally recorded by John Hartford, and released on his second studio album, '' Earthwords & Music'' (1967). Hartford composed the song after watching ''Doctor Zhivago'' in 1966, as he was i ...

Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and television host. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting '' The Glen Campbell Good ...

*Best Country and Western Performance, Duet, Trio or Group (Vocal or Instrumental) — "

Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Qu ...

," Johnny Cash and

June Carter June is the sixth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and is the second of four months to have a length of 30 days, and the third of five months to have a length of less than 31 days. June contains the summer solstice in t ...

*Best Country and Western Recording — "Gentle on My Mind", Al De Lory (Performer: Glen Campbell) *Best Country and Western Song — "Gentle on My Mind",

John Hartford John Cowan Hartford (December 30, 1937 – June 4, 2001) was an American folk, country, and bluegrass composer and musician known for his mastery of the fiddle and banjo, as well as for his witty lyrics, unique vocal style, and extensive kn ...

(Performer: Glen Campbell)

Academy of Country Music

*Album of the Year — ''

'',

*Top Male Vocalist — Glen Campbell *Top Female Vocalist — Lynn Anderson *Top Vocal Duo —

Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled a ...

and

Bonnie Owens Bonnie Owens (October 1, 1929 – April 24, 2006), born Bonnie Campbell, was an American country music singer who was married to Buck Owens and later Merle Haggard. Biography She was born Bonnie Campbell in Blanchard, Oklahoma, United Sta ...

*Top Vocal Group —

Sons of the Pioneers The Sons of the Pioneers are one of the United States' earliest Western singing groups. Known for their vocal performances, their musicianship, and their songwriting, they produced innovative recordings that have inspired many Western music perf ...

*Top New Male Vocalist —

Jerry Inman Jerry Franklin Inman (born February 4, 1940, Manhattan, Kansas) is a former American college and professional football player. Inman played as a defensive lineman for the University of Oregon, and then for the Denver Broncos in both the American ...

*Top New Female Vocalist —

Bobbie Gentry Bobbie Gentry (born Roberta Lee Streeter; July 27, 1942) is a retired American singer-songwriter, who was one of the first female artists in America to compose and produce her own material. Gentry rose to international fame in 1967 with her Sou ...

Country Music Association

*Founding President's Award (formerly Connie B. Gay Award) — Gene Nash,

Leroy Van Dyke Leroy Frank Van Dyke (born October 4, 1929) is an American country music and honky-tonk singer and guitarist, best known for his hits "The Auctioneer" (1956) and "Walk On By (Leroy Van Dyke song), Walk on By" (1961). Biography Van Dyke was bor ...

*Entertainer of the Year —

Eddy Arnold Richard Edward Arnold (May 15, 1918 – May 8, 2008) was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a Nashville sound (country/popular music) innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the ''Billboard'' cou ...

*Song of the Year — " There Goes My Everything",

Dallas Frazier Dallas Frazier (October 27, 1939 – January 14, 2022) was an American country musician and songwriter who had success in the 1950s and 1960s. Life and career Frazier was born in Spiro, Oklahoma, on October 27, 1939, but was raised in Bakersfi ...

(Performer:

Jack Greene Jack Henry Greene (January 7, 1930 – March 14, 2013) was an American country musician. Nicknamed the "Jolly Greene Giant" due to his height and deep voice, Greene was a long time member of the Grand Ole Opry. A three-time Grammy Award nomin ...

) *Single of the Year — "There Goes My Everything",

*Album of the Year — ''There Goes My Everything'',

*Male Vocalist of the Year —

*Female Vocalist of the Year —

Loretta Lynn Loretta Lynn (; April 14, 1932 – October 4, 2022) was an American country music singer and songwriter. In a career spanning six decades, Lynn released multiple gold albums. She had numerous hits such as "You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My Ma ...

*Vocal Group of the Year — The Stoneman Family *Instrumentalist of the Year —

Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), known as "Mr. Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nashville sound, the country music ...

*Instrumental Group of the Year —

The Buckaroos The Buckaroos were an American band led by Buck Owens in the 1960s and early 1970s, who, along with Merle Haggard's The Strangers, were involved in the development and presentation of the " Bakersfield sound." Their peak of success was from 196 ...

*Comedian of the Year — Don Bowman

External links

Country Music Hall of Fame
{{List of years in country music

Country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...

Country music by year