1972 in country music

"See also:"
1971 in country music,
1972 in music,
other events of 1972,
1973 in country music, and the List of years in Country Music

Events

* March – For the first time since 1967, Sonny James fails to hit the No. 1 spot on "Billboard magazine's" Hot Country Singles Chart with a single release. His hit, "Only Love (Can Break a Heart)" stops at No. 2. James' record streak would hold for more than 14 years, until Alabama scored its 17th-straight with "40 Hour Week (For a Livin')" in August 1985. "The Southern Gentleman" will return to the No. 1 spot twice more during 1972 — "That's Why I Love You Like I Do" (a retitled remake of his 1957 hit, "You're the Reason I'm In Love," the lesser-known flip side of "Young Love;" and also his last major hit with Capitol Records); and "When the Snow is on the Roses.": During 1972, James inks a recording deal with Columbia Records; "When the Snow..." is his first hit with his new label.
* March – Merle Haggard is pardoned by California Gov. Ronald Reagan for his 1957 robbery; which had landed him a prison term that lasted two-and-a-half years.
* June – The first Fan Fair is held in Nashville, Tennessee.
* June 3 - The Opryland USA country music theme park opens in Nashville.
* June 13 – The Country Music Foundation Library and Media Center is dedicated.
* September – The premiere issue of "Country Music" magazine hits the newsstand. The magazine, which will be issued monthly (later bi-monthly), is an immediate hit with critics and readers.
* October – The Country Music Association moves from NBC to CBS, where it remained until 2006 when the awards show moved to ABC. Loretta Lynn becomes the first woman to win the CMA's Entertainer of the Year award.

No dates

* The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, a California-based country-folk-rock band, releases their landmark "Will the Circle Be Unbroken". The album of folk and country standards, recorded in Nashville alongside traditional country artists, is a huge critical and commercial success. Two additional volumes would be released in 1989 and 2002.
* Music and "Billboard magazine" chart historian Joel Whitburn releases "Top Country Songs 1944-1971." The book, published by Record Research, marks the first time a listing of every song and artist that had ever appeared on the chart had appeared in a single volume. Five more updated volumes will follow (the latest issued in late 2005), as well as two editions focusing on strictly those songs reaching the Top 40 (the original released in 1996, and an updated version in 2006).
* Buck Owens returns to his musical roots when Jerry Brightman is added on pedal steel for records and tours.

Top hits of the year

Number one hits

"(As certified by Billboard magazine)"
*January 8 - “Would You Take Another Chance on Me” — Jerry Lee Lewis
*January 15 - “Carolyn” — Merle Haggard and the Strangers
*February 5 - “One's on the Way” — Loretta Lynn
*February 19 - “It's Four in the Morning” — Faron Young
*March 4 - “Bedtime Story” — Tammy Wynette
*March 11 - “My Hang Up Is You” — Freddie Hart
*April 22 - “Chantilly Lace”/”Think About it Darlin’” — Jerry Lee Lewis
*May 13 - “Grandma Harp” — Merle Haggard and the Strangers
*May 27 - “(Lost Her Love) On Our Last Date” — Conway Twitty
*June 3 - “The Happiest Girl In the Whole USA” — Donna Fargo
*June 24 - “That's Why I Love You Like I Do” — Sonny James
*July 1 - “Eleven Roses” — Hank Williams Jr.
*July 15 - “Made in Japan” — Buck Owens and the Buckaroos
*July 22 - “It’s Gonna Take a Little Bit Longer” — Charley Pride
*August 12 - “Bless Your Heart” — Freddie Hart
*August 26 - “If You Leave Me Tonight I'll Cry” — Jerry Wallace
*September 2 - “Woman (Sensuous Woman)” — Don Gibson: (“If You Leave Me Tonight I’ll Cry” by Jerry Wallace returns to No. 1 on September 9)
*September 16 - “When the Snow is on the Roses” — Sonny James
*September 23 - “I Can't Stop Loving You” — Conway Twitty
*September 30 - “I Ain't Never” — Mel Tillis
*October 14 - “Funny Face” — Donna Fargo
*November 4 - “It’s Not Love (But It’s Not Bad)” — Merle Haggard and the Strangers
*November 11 - “My Man (Understands)” — Tammy Wynette
*November 18 - “She’s Too Good to be True” — Charley Pride
*December 9 - “Got the All Overs for You (All Over Me)” — Freddie Hart
*December 30 - “She’s Got to be a Saint” — Ray Price

Other major hits

*“Ain’t Nothin’ Shakin’ But the Leaves on the Trees” — Billy "Crash" Craddock
*"Ain't That a Shame" – Hank Williams Jr. with The Mike Curb Congregation
*“All His Children” — Charley Pride
*“All the Lonely Women in the World” — Bill Anderson
*“Ann (Don’t Go Runnin’)” — Tommy Overstreet
*“Baby, Don't Get Hooked on Me” — Mac Davis
*“The Best Part of Livin’” — Marty Robbins
*“Borrowed Angel” — Mel Street
*"Burning the Midnight Oil" — Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton
*“The Ceremony” — George Jones and Tammy Wynette
*“Class of ’57" — Statler Brothers
*“Cotton Jenny” — Anne Murray
*“Cry” — Lynn Anderson
*“Delta Dawn” — Tanya Tucker
*“Do You Remember These” — Statler Brothers
*"Don't She Look Good" - Bill Anderson
*“Fool Me” — Lynn Anderson
*“Good Hearted Woman” — Waylon Jennings
*“Heaven is My Woman’s Love” — Tommy Overstreet
*“Here I Am Again” — Loretta Lynn
*“I Can’t See Me Without You” — Conway Twitty
*"I Take It on Home" - Charlie Rich
*"I'll Still Be Waitin' For You" -- Buck Owens
*“I'm a Truck” — Red Simpson
*“I’m Gonna Knock at Your Door” — Billy "Crash" Craddock
*“I’ve Found Someone of My Own” — Cal Smith
*“I’ve Got to Have You” — Sammi Smith
*“If It Ain’t Love Let’s Leave it Alone” — Connie Smith
*“If You Touch Me (You’ve Got to Love Me)” — Joe Stampley
*“Just for What I Am” — Connie Smith
*"Kate" - Johnny Cash
*"The Lawrence Welk-Hee Haw Counter-Revolution Polka" — Roy Clark
*“Listen to a Country Song” — Lynn Anderson
*“Lonely Women Make Good Lovers” — Bob Luman
*“Lonesomest Lonesome” — Ray Price
*"Lookin' Back to See" - Buck Owens and Susan Raye
*"Lost Forever in Your Kiss" - Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton
*"Love is a Good Thing" - Johnny Paycheck
*“Lovin’ You Could Never Be Better” — George Jones
*“Manhattan, Kansas” — Glen Campbell
*"Me and Jesus" — Tom T. Hall (featuring the Mt. Pisgah United Methodist Church Choir)
*“Missing You” — Jim Reeves
*"My Heart Has A Mind of its Own" — Susan Raye
*“Oney” — Johnny Cash
*“Only Love (Can Break a Heart)” — Sonny James
*“A Picture of Me (Without You)” — George Jones
*“Pretend I Never Happened” — Waylon Jennings
*"Pride's Not Hard to Swallow" - Hank Williams Jr.
*“Reach Out Your Hand” — Tammy Wynette
*"Red Red Wine" — Roy Drusky
*"Show Me" - Barbara Mandrell
*"Sing Me a Love Song to Baby" - Billy Walker
*"Soft, Sweet and Warm" - David Houston
*"Someone to Give My Love To" - Johnny Paycheck
*"Sweet Dream Woman" — Waylon Jennings
*"Take Me" - George Jones and Tammy Wynette
*“There’s a Party Going On” — Jody Miller
*“A Thing Called Love” — Johnny Cash
*“This Little Girl of Mine” — Faron Young
*"This Much a Man" - Marty Robbins
*“To Get to You” — Jerry Wallace
*"Together Always" - Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton
*"Tonight My Baby's Comin' Home" — Barbara Mandrell
*“Touch Your Woman” — Dolly Parton
*“We Can Make It” — George Jones
*"What Ain't To Be Just Might Happen" - Porter Wagoner
*“When You Say Love” — Bob Luman
*“Whiskey River” — Johnny Bush
*"White Silver Sands" — Sonny James

Top new album releases

* "" — Johnny Cash (Columbia)
* "Eagles" — The Eagles (Asylum)
* "Good Hearted Woman" — Waylon Jennings (RCA)
* "International Superstar" — Johnny Cash (RCA)
* "Ladies Love Outlaws" — Waylon Jennings (RCA)
* "" — Dolly Parton (RCA)
* "The Right Combination/Burning The Midnight Oil" — Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton (RCA)
* "A Sweeter Love" — Barbara Fairchild (Columbia)
* "A Thing Called Love" — Johnny Cash (Columbia)
* "Together Always" — Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton (RCA)
* "Touch Your Woman" — Dolly Parton (RCA)
* "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" — Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (EMI America)

Other top albums

*"Cry" - Lynn Anderson (Columbia)
*"Garden Party" — Rick Nelson (MCA)
*"The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA" — Donna Fargo (Dot)
*"The Hillbilly Singer" - Skeeter Davis (RCA)
*"If It Ain't Love and Other Dallas Frazier Songs" - Connie Smith (RCA)
*"Wheel of Fortune" - Susan Raye (Capitol)

Christmas albums

* "The Johnny Cash Family Christmas" — Johnny Cash (Columbia)

Births

*February 23 – Steve Holy, 2000s country singer best known for his No. 1 hit "Good Morning Beautiful."
*April 5 – Pat Green, "Texas country"-styled singer/songwriter.
*July 17 – Paul Brandt, Canadian country singer who began enjoying U.S. success in the late 1990s.
*August 16 – Emily Robison, member of the Dixie Chicks (she plays the guitar, banjo and dobro).
*October 28 – Brad Paisley, new traditionalist of the 2000s.

Deaths

*January 28 – T. Texas Tyler, 55, 1940s country star best known for "The Deck of Cards."
*June 23 - Elton Britt, 59, 1940s country star best known for "There's a Star-Spangled Banner Flying Somewhere."

Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

*Jimmie Davis (1899-2000)

Major Awards

Grammy awards

*Best Female Country Vocal Performance -- "Help Me Make it Through the Night," Sammi Smith.
*Best Male Country Vocal Performance -- "When You're Hot, You're Hot," Jerry Reed.
*Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal -- "After the Fire is Gone," Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn.
*Best Country Instrumental Performance -- "Snowbird," Chet Atkins.
*Best Country Song -- "Help Me Make it Through the Night," Kris Kristofferson

Academy of Country Music

*Entertainer Of The Year -- Roy Clark
*Song Of The Year -- "The Happiest Girl In The Whole U.S.A." - Donna Fargo - Yvonne Silver
*Single Of The Year -- "Happiest Girl" - Donna Fargo
*Album Of The Year -- Happiest Girl - Donna Fargo
*Top Male Vocalist -- Merle Haggard
*Top Female Vocalist -- Donna Fargo
*Top Vocal Group -- Statler Brothers
*Top New Male Vocalist -- Johnny Rodriguez
*Top New Female Vocalist -- Tanya Tucker

Country Music Association

*Entertainer of the Year -- Loretta Lynn
*Male Vocalist of the Year -- Charley Pride
*Female Vocalist of the Year -- Loretta Lynn
*Instrumental Group of the Year –- Danny Davis & the Nashville Brass
*Vocal Group of the Year -- Statler Brothers
*Vocal Duo of the Year -- Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn
*Single of the Year -- "The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A.," Donna Fargo
*Song of the Year -- "Easy Lovin'," Freddie Hart
*Album of the Year -- "Let Me Tell You About a Song", Merle Haggard
*Instrumentalist of the Year -- Charlie McCoy

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/2004/hof/default.asp Country Music Hall of Fame]