This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 2007.

Events

* February 11 – It was a big night for country music artists at the

49th Annual Grammy Awards The 49th Annual Grammy Awards was a ceremony honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2005 and ending September 30, 2006 in the United States. The awards were handed out on Sunday, February 11, 2007 at the Staples C ...

in Los Angeles, as they swept the awards in four top categories. The

Dixie Chicks The Chicks (previously known as Dixie Chicks) are an American country music band from Dallas, Texas. Since 1995, the band has consisted of Natalie Maines (lead vocals, guitar) and sisters Martie Maguire (vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar) and ...

won three of those awards: Record of the Year and Song of the Year (both for "

Not Ready to Make Nice "Not Ready to Make Nice" is a song co-written and performed by American country music trio Dixie Chicks. It was released in March 2006 as the first single from the band's seventh studio album, ''Taking the Long Way''. The Dixie Chicks wrote the s ...

," the latter shared with songwriter Dan Wilson) and Album of the Year (''

Taking the Long Way ''Taking the Long Way'' is the seventh studio album by American country music group Dixie Chicks. Released on May 23, 2006, through Columbia Nashville, it was also the group's last album released under the “Dixie Chicks” name. The album debut ...

''). Carrie Underwood took the Best New Artist Award. : Both Underwood and the Dixie Chicks were winners in country-specific categories. The Dixie Chicks won for Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal (for "

") and Best Country Album ("

"). Underwood won for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for "

Jesus, Take the Wheel "Jesus, Take the Wheel" is a song written by Brett James, Hillary Lindsey and Gordie Sampson, and recorded by American country music artist Carrie Underwood. It was released on October 18, 2005 as the first single from Underwood's debut album ' ...

"; the song also earned a Best Country Song award for songwriters Brett James,

Hillary Lindsey Hillary Lee Lindsey is an American singer-songwriter. She has written songs with or for a number of artists including Michelle Branch, Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Shakira, Lady A, Gary Allan, Sara Evans, Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler, Bo ...

and

Gordie Sampson Gordon Francis Sampson (born July 30, 1971) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and producer from Big Pond, Nova Scotia. Beginning his career as a performer on his hometown island of Cape Breton, both in bands and on his own, Sampson has gone on t ...

. : Also, country music pioneer

Bob Wills James Robert Wills (March 6, 1905 – May 13, 1975) was an American Western swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader. Considered by music authorities as the founder of Western swing, he was known widely as the King of Western Swing (although ...

– the longtime leader of the Texas Playboys – was a posthumous recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award. Wills was recognized 32 years after his death. * Week of February 12 – Country music stars team with celebrities during a special celebrity week of '' Wheel of Fortune'', which was taped in Charleston, South Carolina. During the game aired February 13,

Julie Roberts Julie Roberts (born February 1, 1979) is an American country music singer. Signed to Mercury Nashville in 2003, Roberts made her debut with the single "Break Down Here" in February 2004, a Top 20 hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & ...

and contestant partner Peter Buccellato won $124,250 after Buccallato solved the bonus round puzzle for the show's grand prize of $100,000. Roberts donated a matching amount to

St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a pediatric treatment and research facility located in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1962, it is a 501(c)(3) designated nonprofit medical corporation which focuses on children's catastrophic diseases, par ...

. * February 17 –

Hank Williams, Jr. Randall Hank Williams (born May 26, 1949), known professionally as Hank Williams Jr. or Bocephus, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of southern rock, blues, and country. He is the son of ...

filed for divorce from his fourth wife, Mary Jane, whom he married in 1990. * March 19 – Days after an announcement that Lonestar had parted ways with longtime record label

BNA Records BNA Records, formerly known as BNA Entertainment, was a label group that shared ties with Arista Nashville and RCA Nashville from parent company Sony Music Nashville, which itself is a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment. Based in Nashville, ...

, lead singer

Richie McDonald Richard Vance McDonald (born February 6, 1962) is an American country music singer and songwriter. From 1998 until his departure in 2007, he was the lead singer of the group Lonestar, which recorded seven studio albums on BNA Records during his t ...

announces plans to depart the group at the end of the year, in search of a solo career. * March 19 – Professional dancer and country music star-to-be

Julianne Hough Julianne Alexandra Hough (; born July 20, 1988) is an American dancer, actress, and singer. In 2007, she joined the cast of ABC's ''Dancing with the Stars'' as a professional dancer, winning two seasons with her celebrity partners. After leavin ...

made her debut on '' Dancing with the Stars'', a televised dance promotion. Teamed with Olympic gold medal-winning speed skater

Apolo Anton Ohno Apolo Anton Ohno (; born May 22, 1982) is an American retired short track speed skating competitor and an eight-time medalist (two gold, two silver, four bronze) in the Winter Olympics. Ohno is the most decorated American at the Winter Olympics ...

, Hough would go on to win the championship for Season 4. Hough would return in the fall to win a second title, this time with two-time Indianapolis 500 champion

Hélio Castroneves Hélio Castroneves (; born Hélio Alves de Castro Neves; 10 May 1975) is a Brazilian auto racing driver. He has won the Indianapolis 500 a record-equalling four times: in 2001, 2002, 2009, and 2021. He won the 2021 24 Hours of Daytona with Wa ...

. * April 10 – The former home of Johnny Cash and

June Carter Cash June Carter Cash (born Valerie June Carter; June 23, 1929 – May 15, 2003) was an American singer, songwriter and dancer. A five-time Grammy award-winner, she was a member of the Carter Family and the second wife of singer Johnny Cash. Prio ...

is destroyed by fire. * April -

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 ...

is hospitalized for a

pulmonary embolism Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a blockage of an artery in the lungs by a substance that has moved from elsewhere in the body through the bloodstream ( embolism). Symptoms of a PE may include shortness of breath, chest pain particularly upon breathin ...

, causing her to cancel all tours for the rest of the year. * May 10 – Country music superstar

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 ...

announces she is leaving

MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group. Pre-history MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 w ...

where she had been for 16 years with over 12 million albums sold and 5 number 1 singles. She announced she was signing with

Big Machine Records Big Machine Records is an American independent record label, distributed by Universal Music Group. Specializing in country and pop artists, Big Machine is based on Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee. The label was founded in September 2005 by fo ...

. Yearwood and Big Machine CEO

Scott Borchetta Scott Borchetta (born July 3, 1962) is an American record executive and founder of the Big Machine Label Group. He started the label in 2005 with 13 employees, as its president/CEO and encompasses four imprints: Big Machine Records, BMLG Recor ...

met in her intern days at MTM records. Trisha's last top 10 hit with MCA was "

I Would've Loved You Anyway "I Would've Loved You Anyway" is a song written by Mary Danna and Troy Verges, and recorded by American country music singer Trisha Yearwood. It was released in April 2001 as the lead single from her album '' Inside Out''. The song became a Top 5 ...

" in 2001. * September 4 –

Sammy Kershaw Samuel Paul Kershaw (born February 24, 1958) is an American country music artist. He has released 16 studio albums, with three RIAA platinum certifications and two gold certifications among them. More than 25 singles have entered the Top 40 on the ...

enters the Louisiana lieutenant governor's race, running as a Republican. * September 15 – Garth Brooks' song, "

More Than a Memory "More Than a Memory" is a song written by Lee Brice, Billy Montana, and Kyle Jacobs and recorded by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released on August 27, 2007 as his 51st single and first single from his third compilation albu ...

" becomes the first song to debut at No. 1 on 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 Songs chart, since the start of the magazine's all-encompassing country chart in 1958. * October 21 – Country music legend

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 publicist Darlene Bieber confirms that Wagoner had been diagnosed with

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from transformed, malign ...

. Wagoner dies seven days later. * October 30 – The Eagles (band), Eagles release their studio album ''Long Road Out of Eden'', their first compilation of all-new material in 28 years. The album sells over a million copies in its first two weeks.

Top hits of the year

The following songs placed within the Top 20 on the Hot Country Songs or Canada Country charts in 2007:

Deaths

* January 1 – Del Reeves, 74, best known for his "girl-watching" novelty-type songs (e.g., "Girl on the Billboard"). (emphysema) * January 6 – Sneaky Pete Kleinow, 72, pedal steel guitarist for the Flying Burrito Brothers. (complications from Alzheimer's disease) * January 13 – Doyle Holly, 70, member of Buck Owens' Buckaroos; he also had a string of minor hits in the early to mid-1970s. (prostate cancer) * February 2 – Terry McMillan (musician), Terry McMillan, 53, veteran Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville session harmonica player and percussionist. (natural causes) * March 24 – Henson Cargill, 66, country performer best known for 1968 smash "Skip a Rope." (surgical complications) * April 17 – Glenn Sutton, 69, songwriter and producer best known for the hit "Rose Garden (Lynn Anderson song), (I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden"; a chief architect of the countrypolitan sound of the late 1960s/early 1970s. (myocardial infarction, heart attack) * July 3 – Boots Randolph, 80, member of Nashville's famed "A-Team" of musicians; he was the saxophonist (subdural hematoma) * September 26 – Patrick Bourque, 29, bass guitarist for the group Emerson Drive. (suicide) * October 28 –

, 80, rhinestone-suited country music icon, television program host of the 1960s and 1970s, duet partner of Dolly Parton. (

) * November 6 – Hank Thompson (musician), Hank Thompson, 82, Western-swing styled artist best known for "The Wild Side of Life", 1960's "A Six Pack to Go", and others. (

)Curry, Matt, "Hank Thompson dies of lung cancer at 82"
via Associated Press * November 18 – John Hughey, 73, steel guitarist known for his "crying steel" style of playing (Heart complications) * November 29 – Jim Nesbitt, 75, best known for the hits "Please Mr. Kennedy", "A Tiger in My Tank" and "Runnin' Bare". (Extended battle with a heart condition) * November 30 – Ralph Ezell, 54, bass guitarist and co-founding member of the 1980s and 1990s group Shenandoah (band), Shenandoah. (heart attack) * December 16 – Dan Fogelberg, 56, Many pop hits with a few minor country hits, including "Same Old Lang Syne" (prostate cancer)

Hall of Fame inductees

Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame inductees

* Howard Watts ("Cedric Rainwater") * Carl Story

Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

* Ralph Emery (1933-2022), disc jockey and television host from the 1960s onward. * Vince Gill (born 1957), singer-songwriter and musician who rose to prominence in the 1980s. * Mel Tillis (1932–2017), singer and songwriter who rose to fame in the 1950s.

Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

*John Allan Cameron *Sheila Hamilton *Cliff Dumas

Major awards

Grammy Awards

''(presented February 10, 2008 in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles)'' *Best Female Country Vocal Performance – "Before He Cheats", Carrie Underwood *Best Male Country Vocal Performance – "Stupid Boy", Keith Urban *Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal – "How Long (J. D. Souther song), How Long", Eagles (band), Eagles *Best Country Collaboration with Vocals – "Lost Highway", Willie Nelson and Ray Price (musician), Ray Price *Best Country Instrumental Performance – "Throttleneck", Brad Paisley *Best Country Song – "Before He Cheats", Josh Kear and Chris Tompkins *Best Country Album – ''These Days (Vince Gill album), These Days'', Vince Gill *Best Bluegrass Album – ''The Bluegrass Diaries'', Jim Lauderdale

Juno Awards

''(presented April 6, 2008 in Calgary)'' *Country Recording of the Year – ''Risk (Paul Brandt album), Risk'', Paul Brandt

CMT Music Awards

''(presented April 16 in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville)'' *Video of the Year – "Before He Cheats", Carrie Underwood *Male Video of the Year – "You Save Me", Kenny Chesney *Female Video of the Year – "Before He Cheats", Carrie Underwood *Group Video of the Year – "What Hurts the Most", Rascal Flatts *Duo Video of the Year – "Want To," Sugarland (band), Sugarland *Breakthrough Video of the Year – "Tim McGraw (song), Tim McGraw", Taylor Swift *Wide Open Country Video of the Year – "Love You (Jack Ingram song), Love You," Jack Ingram *Video Director of the Year – "Before He Cheats", Carrie Underwood (Director: Roman White) *Johnny Cash Visionary Award – Kris Kristofferson

Americana Music Honors & Awards

*Album of the Year – ''Children Running Through'' (Patty Griffin) *Artist of the Year – Patty Griffin *Duo/Group of the Year – The Avett Brothers *Song of the Year – "Hank Williams' Ghost" (Darrell Scott) *Emerging Artist of the Year – The Avett Brothers *Instrumentalist of the Year – Buddy Miller *Spirit of Americana/Free Speech Award – Mavis Staples *Lifetime Achievement: Trailblazer – Lyle Lovett *Lifetime Achievement: Songwriting – Willie Nelson *Lifetime Achievement: Performance – Joe Ely *Lifetime Achievement: Instrumentalist – Ry Cooder *Lifetime Achievement: Executive – Mary Martin *Lifetime Achievement: Producer/Engineer – Jim Dickinson *Wagonmaster Award –

Academy of Country Music

''(presented May 18, 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Las Vegas)'' *Entertainer of the Year – Kenny Chesney *Song of the Year – "Stay (Sugarland song), Stay", Sugarland (duo), Sugarland *Single of the Year – "Stay", Sugarland *Album of the Year – ''Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (album), Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'', Miranda Lambert *Top Male Vocalist – Brad Paisley *Top Female Vocalist – Carrie Underwood *Top Vocal Duo – Brooks & Dunn *Top Vocal Group – Rascal Flatts *Top New Male Vocalist – Jack Ingram *Top New Female Vocalist – Taylor Swift *Top New Duo or Group – Lady Antebellum *Video of the Year – "Online (Brad Paisley song), Online", Brad Paisley *Vocal Event of the Year – "Find out Who Your Friends Are", Tracy Lawrence, Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney *ACM/Home Depot Humanitarian Award – Rascal Flatts *Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award – Brenda Lee, The Oak Ridge Boys, Conway Twitty,

*Crystal Milestone Award – Garth Brooks *Poets Award – Bill Anderson (singer), Bill Anderson and Fred Rose (songwriter), Fred Rose

ARIA Awards

''(presented in Sydney on October 28, 2007)'' *ARIA Award for Best Country Album, Best Country Album – ''Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing'' (Keith Urban) *ARIA Hall of Fame – Frank Ifield

Canadian Country Music Association

''(presented September 10 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Regina)'' *Kraft Cheez Whiz Fans' Choice Award – Terri Clark *Male Artist of the Year – Brad Johner *Female Artist of the Year – Carolyn Dawn Johnson *Group or Duo of the Year – Emerson Drive *SOCAN Song of the Year – "Hold My Beer", Mitch Merrett, Aaron Pritchett, and Deric Ruttan *Single of the Year – "Moments (Emerson Drive song), Moments", Emerson Drive *Album of the Year – ''Doc Walker (album), Doc Walker'', Doc Walker *Top Selling Album – ''

'',

*CMT Video of the Year – "Moments", Emerson Drive *Chevy Trucks Rising Star Award – Shane Yellowbird *Roots Artist or Group of the Year – Corb Lund and the Hurtin' Albertans, Corb Lund

Country Music Association

''(presented November 7 in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville)'' *Entertainer of the Year – Kenny Chesney *Song of the Year – "Give It Away (George Strait song), Give It Away", Bill Anderson (country music), Bill Anderson, Jamey Johnson and Buddy Cannon *Single of the Year – "Before He Cheats", Carrie Underwood *Album of the Year – ''It Just Comes Natural'', George Strait *Male Vocalist of the Year – Brad Paisley *Female Vocalist of the Year – Carrie Underwood *Vocal Duo of the Year – Sugarland (band), Sugarland *Vocal Group of the Year – Rascal Flatts *Horizon Award – Taylor Swift *Video of the Year – "Online (Brad Paisley song), Online", Brad Paisley (Director: Jason Alexander) *Vocal Event of the Year – "Find Out Who Your Friends Are", Tracy Lawrence with Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney *Musician of the Year – Jerry Douglas (musician), Jerry Douglas