Years in Country Music - 1960s

1960s

• 1969 in country music, Premieres of Hee Haw, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, The Johnny Cash Show.
• 1968 in country music, Johnny Cash records At Folsom Prison; crossover success of "Harper Valley PTA"; Tammy Wynette records "Stand by Your Man"; final No. 1 hit for Eddy Arnold; death of Red Foley.
• 1967 in country music, First Country Music Association awards (non-televised this year only); Dolly Parton's chart debut, becomes regular on The Porter Wagoner Show.
• 1966 in country music, Chart debuts of Lynn Anderson, Tammy Wynette; first Academy of Country Music awards show airs (shown on tape-delay on the fading Jimmy Dean Show).
• 1965 in country music, Return of Eddy Arnold goes along with crossover hit "Make The World Go Away."
• 1964 in country music, Plane crash kills Jim Reeves; chart debut of Hank Williams Jr.. Connie Smith begins her eight-week stay at number one with "Once a Day".
• 1963 in country music, Tragedies befall country music, with deaths of Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins (plane crash); Jack Anglin (car accident, en route to Cline's funeral) and Texas Ruby (house fire) all in less than a month's span.
• 1962 in country music, Ray Charles releases Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music.
• 1961 in country music, Country Music Association announces creation of Country Music Hall of Fame; Patsy Cline has first No. 1 hit ("I Fall to Pieces").
• 1960 in country music, Only four songs reach No. 1 on Billboard magazine country chart during the entire year; chart debut of Loretta Lynn; death of Johnny Horton in car accident; premiere of "The Porter Wagoner Show."