This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1994.

Events

* January 8 — Star, Mississippi, native

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' ...

hits paydirt with her first single release, " Wild One". The song spends four weeks atop the ''

Billboard magazine ''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the musi ...

'' Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, the longest for a debut release by a female artist since

Connie Smith Connie Smith (born Constance June Meador; August 14, 1941) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Her contralto vocals have been described by music writers as significant and influential to the women of country music. A similarity h ...

's debut "

Once a Day "Once a Day" is a song written by Bill Anderson and recorded as the debut single by American country artist Connie Smith. It was produced by Bob Ferguson for her self-titled debut album. The song was released in August 1964, topping the '' Bi ...

" in 1964. * January 30 —

Clint Black Clint Patrick Black (born February 4, 1962) is an American country music singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Signed to RCA Nashville in 1989, Black's debut album '' Killin' Time'' produced four straight number one singles on the ...

Wynonna Judd Wynonna Ellen Judd or simply Wynonna ( ; born Christina Claire Ciminella; May 30, 1964) is an American country music singer. She is one of the most widely recognized and awarded female country singers. In all, she has had 19 No. 1 singles, incl ...

Travis Tritt James Travis Tritt (born February 9, 1963) is an American country music singer and songwriter. He signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1989, releasing seven studio albums and a greatest hits package for the label between then and 1999. In the 20 ...

and

Tanya Tucker Tanya Denise Tucker (born October 10, 1958) is an American country music singer and songwriter who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13. Over the succeeding decades, Tucker became one of the few child performers to mature int ...

perform the halftime show (billed as "Rockin' Country Sunday") at Super Bowl XXVIII. The finale featured a special appearance by

Naomi Judd Naomi Judd (born Diana Ellen Judd; January 11, 1946 – April 30, 2022) was an American singer and actress. In 1980, she and her daughter Wynonna (born Christina Claire) formed the duo known as The Judds, which became a very successful country ...

, who joined Wynonna in performing

The Judds The Judds were an American country music duo composed of lead vocalist Wynonna Judd and her mother, Naomi Judd. The duo signed to RCA Nashville in 1983 and released six studio albums between then and 1991. The Judds were one of the most success ...

' single "

Love Can Build a Bridge "Love Can Build a Bridge" is a song written by Naomi Judd, Paul Overstreet, and John Barlow Jarvis, and recorded by American country music duo the Judds. It was released in 1990 as the second single and title track from their album of the sam ...

" (their first major appearance together since their "Farewell Tour" of 1991), to which everyone eventually joined in. * March –

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 ...

's first major hit, "

Indian Outlaw "Indian Outlaw" is a song written by Jumpin' Gene Simmons and John D. Loudermilk, and performed by American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released in January 1994 as the first single from his album '' Not a Moment Too Soon''. It was M ...

," causes considerable controversy due to lyrics about Native Americans, and the single is boycotted at a handful of stations. Nevertheless, the song's notoriety helps spur its popularity and allows it to become just the second major crossover hit in 10 years, reaching No. 15 on the ''

'' Hot 100 singles chart (in addition to its No. 8 peak on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart); the song will also jumpstart McGraw's fledgling career, which had gotten off to a less-than-stellar start a year earlier. : Incidentally, McGraw's first taste of success comes at approximately the same time as that of his wife-to-be —

. At this point, their careers are on separate paths. * April 12 — The premiere issue of ''

Country Weekly ''Nash Country Weekly'' was an American lifestyle weekly magazine about country artists and their music. It was in circulation between April 1994 and May 2016. The publisher, Cumulus Media, now maintains the site ''Nash Country Daily''. Overview ...

'' magazine hits the store shelves. Garth Brooks graces the cover of the first issue. * May 9 — Newcomer artist John Berry passes out during a concert and is rushed to a hospital in Atlanta, where an operation is performed to remove a cyst found in the third ventricle of his brain. *October 1 - CMT adds six new music video programs to its schedule: ''Big Ticket'', ''Signature Series'', ''Jammin' Country'', ''Saturday Nite Dance Ranch'', ''Delivery Room'' and ''Top 12 Countdown''. All shows would be cancelled in 2001.

Top hits of the year

Singles released by American artists

Singles released by Canadian artists

Top new album releases

Other top albums

Births

* May 4 –

RaeLynn Racheal Lynn Woodward (born May 4, 1994), better known as RaeLynn, is an American singer and songwriter who was a contestant on '' The Voice'' in season two (2012). She was eliminated in the quarterfinals. Early life RaeLynn was born and rais ...

, country music star of the 2010s, best known for " God Made Girls." * November 8 –

Lauren Alaina Lauren Alaina Kristine Suddeth (born November 8, 1994) is an American singer and songwriter from Rossville, Georgia. She was the runner-up on the tenth season of ''American Idol.'' Her debut studio album, ''Wildflower,'' was released on October ...

, runner-up of the 10th season of American Idol, with follow-up successes including "Like My Mother Does."

Deaths

Hall of Fame inductees

Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame inductees

Osborne Brothers The Osborne Brothers, Sonny (October 29, 1937 – October 24, 2021) and Bobby (born December 7, 1931), were an influential and popular bluegrass act during the 1960s and 1970s and until Sonny retired in 2005. They are probably best known for ...

Bobby Osborne Bobby Osborne (born December 7, 1931) is an American bluegrass musician. He is the co-founder (with his brother Sonny Osborne) of the Osborne Brothers and a member of the Grand Ole Opry and the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. He also ...

Sonny Osborne Sonny Osborne (October 29, 1937October 24, 2021) was an American bluegrass musician and founding member of the Osborne Brothers. Personal life Born on October 29, 1937 in Thousandsticks, Kentucky, Sonny Osborne's father was a farmer, teacher, ...

Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

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 ...

(1937–2016)

Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

Dick Damron Dick Damron (born Joseph Glenn Damron, March 22, 1934 in Bentley, AlbertaCCMA Hall of Fame
) is a Ca ...

* Hank Smith

Major awards

Grammy Awards

*Best Female Country Vocal Performance — " Shut Up and Kiss Me",

Mary Chapin Carpenter Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also call ...

*Best Male Country Vocal Performance — " When Love Finds You",

Vince Gill Vincent Grant Gill (born April 12, 1957) is an American country music singer, songwriter and musician. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman of the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s and as a solo artist ...

*Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal — "Blues for Dixie", Asleep at the Wheel and Lyle Lovett *Best Country Collaboration with Vocals — "

I Fall to Pieces "I Fall to Pieces" is a song written by Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard that was originally recorded by Patsy Cline. Released as a single in 1961 via Decca Records, it topped the country charts, crossed over onto the pop charts and became among C ...

Aaron Neville Aaron Joseph Neville (born January 24, 1941) is a retired American R&B and soul singer. He has had four platinum albums and four Top 10 hits in the United States, including three that reached number one on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. ...

and

Trisha Yearwood Patricia Lynn Yearwood (born September 19, 1964) is an American singer, actress, author and television personality. She rose to fame with her 1991 debut single " She's in Love with the Boy," which became a number one hit on the ''Billboard'' c ...

*Best Country Instrumental Performance — "Young Thing",

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 ...

*Best Country Song — "

I Swear "I Swear" is a song written by Gary Baker and Frank J. Myers that became a hit for American country music artist John Michael Montgomery in 1993, and for American R&B group All-4-One in 1994. Released in November 1993 as the lead single from ...

Gary Baker (songwriter) Gary Baker (born August 8, 1952, in Niagara Falls, New York) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Career In the late 1970s, Baker was a musician with the LeBlanc and Carr Band. Baker was also a singer musician with the country- ...

, Frank J. Myers (Performer:

John Michael Montgomery John Michael Montgomery (born January 20, 1965) is an American country music singer. Montgomery began singing with his brother Eddie, who would later become known as one half of the duo Montgomery Gentry, before beginning his major-label solo c ...

) *Best Country Album — ''

Stones in the Road ''Stones in the Road'' is the fifth studio album by American country music artist Mary Chapin Carpenter, and her first and only #1 Country Album on the Billboard charts. The album also contains her first and only #1 Hot Country Singles hit, "Shut ...

'',

*Best Bluegrass Album — '' The Great Dobro Sessions'', Various Artists (Producers:

Jerry Douglas Gerald Calvin "Jerry" Douglas (born May 28, 1956) is an American Dobro and lap steel guitar player and record producer. Career In addition to his fourteen solo recordings, Douglas has played on more than 1,600 albums. As a sideman, he h ...

and

Tut Taylor Robert Arthur "Tut" Taylor Sr. (November 20, 1923 – April 9, 2015) was an American bluegrass musician. Taylor played banjo and mandolin as a child, and began playing dobro at age 14, learning to use the instrument with a distinctive flat-pick ...

)

Juno Awards

*Country Male Vocalist of the Year —

Charlie Major Charles Bernard Major (born December 31, 1954) is a Canadian country music artist. He has recorded seven studio albums and released more than twenty singles. In 2019 he was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame. Musical career Bo ...

*Country Female Vocalist of the Year —

Michelle Wright Michelle Wright (born July 1, 1961) is a Canadian country music artist. She is one of the country's most widely recognized and awarded female country singers of the 1990s, winning the Canadian Country Music Association's Fans' Choice Award twice ...

*Country Group or Duo of the Year —

Prairie Oyster Prairie Oyster was a Canadian country music group from Toronto, Ontario. They were named Country Group or Duo of the year six times by both the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) and the Juno Awards. The band also won the Bud Country Fan ...

Academy of Country Music

*Entertainer of the Year — Reba McEntire *Song of the Year — "

", Gary Baker, Frank J. Myers (Performer:

) *Single of the Year — "I Swear", John Michael Montgomery *Album of the Year — '' Not a Moment Too Soon'',

*Top Male Vocalist —

Alan Jackson Alan Eugene Jackson (born October 17, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for blending traditional honky-tonk and mainstream country pop sounds (for a style widely regarded as "neotraditional country"), as well as penning many ...

*Top Female Vocalist — Reba McEntire *Top Vocal Duo —

Brooks & Dunn Brooks & Dunn are an American country music duo consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, both of whom are vocalists and songwriters. The duo was founded in 1990 through the suggestion of Tim DuBois. Before their formation, both members were so ...

*Top Vocal Group —

The Mavericks The Mavericks are an American country music band from Miami, Florida. The band consists of Raul Malo (lead vocals, guitar), Paul Deakin (drums), Eddie Perez (lead guitar), and Jerry Dale McFadden (keyboards). Malo and Deakin founded the band in ...

*Top New Male Vocalist —

*Top New Female Vocalist —

Chely Wright Chely Wright (born Richell Rene Wright; October 25, 1970) is an American activist, author and country music artist. She initially rose to fame as a commercial country recording artist with several charting singles, including the number one hit ...

*Top New Vocal Duo or Group — The Mavericks *Video of the Year — " The Red Strokes" – Garth Brooks (Director: Jon Small)

ARIA Awards

''(presented in Sydney on March 30, 1994)'' *

Best Country Album The Grammy Award for Best Country Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality albums in the country music genre. Honors ...

- '' Three Chain Road'' (

Lee Kernaghan Lee Kernaghan OAM (born 15 April 1964) is an Australian country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. Kernaghan has won four ARIA Awards and three APRA Awards, and has sold over two million albums, and as of 2021, has won 38 Golden Guitars at ...

)

Canadian Country Music Association

*Bud Country Fans' Choice Award —

*Male Artist of the Year —

*Female Artist of the Year —

Patricia Conroy Patricia Conroy (born January 30, 1964) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. In her career, she has released five studio albums, and one compilation album. She has also released 25 singles, including the '' RPM'' Country Tracks number one singles " So ...

*Group or Duo of the Year — Prairie Oyster *SOCAN Song of the Year — "

I'm Gonna Drive You Out of My Mind "I'm Gonna Drive You Out of My Mind" is a single by Canadian country music artist Charlie Major. Released in 1993, it was the first single Major's debut album, '' The Other Side''. The song reached #1 on the ''RPM Revolutions per minute (abbr ...

", Charlie Major, Barry Brown *Single of the Year — "I'm Gonna Drive You Out of My Mind", Charlie Major *Album of the Year — '' The Other Side'', Charlie Major *Top Selling Album — ''

In Pieces ''In Pieces'' is the fifth studio album by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on August 31, 1993, by Liberty Records. It debuted at #1 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and the Top Country Albums chart. The album was likewise a ...

'', Garth Brooks *Video of the Year — " Stolen Moments",

Jim Witter Jim Witter (born November 2, 1964) is a Canadian award-winning country music and Christian music singer/songwriter. Ten of Witter's songs reached the top 10 on Canadian country radio. Biography Jim Witter grew up playing music. In 1982, he perf ...

*Vista Rising Star Award —

Susan Aglukark Susan Aglukark, (Inuktitut syllabics: ᓲᓴᓐ ᐊᒡᓘᒃᑲᖅ ''suusan agluukkaq''), (born 27 January 1967) is a Canadian singer whose blend of Inuit folk music traditions with country and pop songwriting has made her a major recording s ...

*Vocal Collaboration of the Year — Quartette

Country Music Association

*Entertainer of the Year —

*Song of the Year — " Chattahoochee",

and Jim McBride (Performer: Alan Jackson) *Single of the Year — "

*Album of the Year — '' Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles'', Various Artists *Male Vocalist of the Year — Vince Gill *Female Vocalist of the Year —

Pam Tillis Pamela Yvonne Tillis (born July 24, 1957) is an American country music singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She is the daughter of country music singer Mel Tillis and ex-wife of songwriter Bob DiPiero. Tillis recorded unsuccessful ...

*Vocal Duo of the Year —

*Vocal Group of the Year —

Diamond Rio Diamond Rio is an American country music band. The band was founded in 1982 as an attraction for the Opryland USA theme park in Nashville, Tennessee, and was originally known as the Grizzly River Boys, then the Tennessee River Boys. It was fou ...

*Horizon Award —

*Music Video of the Year — " Independence Day",

Martina McBride Martina Mariea McBride (née Schiff, born July 29, 1966) is an American country music singer-songwriter and record producer. She is known for her soprano singing range and her country pop material. McBride was born in Sharon, Kansas, and reloc ...

(Directors: Robert Deaton and George J. Flanigen IV) *Vocal Event of the Year — "

Does He Love You "Does He Love You" is a song written by Sandy Knox and Billy Stritch, and recorded as a duet by American country music artists Reba McEntire and Linda Davis. It was released in August 1993 as the first single from Reba's compilation album '' Gre ...

", Reba McEntire and

Linda Davis Linda Kaye Davis (born November 26, 1962) is an American country music singer. Before beginning a career as a solo artist, she had three minor country singles in the charts as one half of the duo Skip & Linda. In her solo career, Davis has recor ...

*Musician of the Year —

Mark O'Connor Mark O'Connor (born August 5, 1961) is an American fiddle player and composer whose music combines bluegrass, country, jazz and classical. A three-time Grammy Award winner, he has won six Country Music Association Musician Of The Year awards ...

References

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