2005 in country music explained
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 2005.
Events
- April 30 – Billboard magazine renames the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart "Hot Country Songs." The chart's renaming is part of a major redesign of the 110-year-old magazine.
- May 25 – Oklahoma-born Carrie Underwood becomes the fourth-season winner of "American Idol." Although her first single, "Inside Your Heaven," tops the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the 22-year-old Underwood's influences and music are predominantly country. Late in the year, she entered the top 10 of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the first time with "Jesus, Take the Wheel". Her debut album, Some Hearts, rockets to No. 1 on the album charts.
- May 25 – Garth Brooks proposes to longtime girlfriend and fellow country music star Trisha Yearwood in Bakersfield, California, ending long-standing speculation about their relationship.
- May 27 – Gretchen Wilson guest Miranda Lambert at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio.
- September – Country music acts participate in benefit concerts to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina. On September 9, Dixie Chicks, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood are among the artists participating in "," which airs live on cable and broadcast television stations in the United States and worldwide.
"" is held September 10. Country performers at the 4½-hour concert — which airs live on CMT – include Alan Jackson and Gretchen Wilson.
- October – Koch Records Nashville folds when its parent company goes out of business.
- November 9 – After 27 years as host of "American Country Countdown," radio personality Bob Kingsley steps down, after his production company and ABC Radio Networks (which distributes the show) fail to come to terms in renegotiating a distribution agreement. Kix Brooks, one half of the superstar duo Brooks & Dunn, is named the new host and was slated to take over January 21, 2006. Kingsley's last shows with "ACC" are the December 24 countdown program and "Christmas in America".
- November 18 – The Johnny Cash biopic, Walk the Line, opens nationwide. The movie stars Joaquin Phoenix as "The Man in Black" and Reese Witherspoon as his girlfriend (and wife-to-be) June Carter. The movie is widely praised by critics and a major box office hit, culminating in Reese winning the Best Actress Oscar the following year.
- November 25 – Garth Brooks releases The Limited Series, his second box set to be sold exclusively at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores. The set contains his previous two studio albums, Sevens and Scarecrow; plus his Double Live album; The Lost Sessions, a new album of previously unreleased material; and an All Access DVD containing behind-the-scenes footage of his concerts. The Limited Series is Brooks' first box set to be released under his label, Pearl Records; he had left his longtime label, Capitol Records, earlier in the year.
- December 9 – Garth Brooks and Carrie Underwood are tough acts to follow.
- December 10 – Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood marry at their home in Oklahoma. It is Brooks' second marriage, Yearwood's third.
- December 31 – Bob Kingsley's new countdown program, "Bob Kingsley's Country Top 40", premieres with the annual year-end countdown. The new four-hour show, which aired on many of the same stations that aired "ACC," is distributed by the Jones Radio Network.
No dates
- Mindy McCready endures a rough year, with stories about her personal and legal problems making headlines. They include violent run-ins with her ex-boyfriend, Billy McKnight; various crimes she had been charged with (including fraud, prescription drug crimes, driving under the influence and probation violation) and at least two suicide attempts. Late in the year, Mindy spoke about her problems on The Oprah Winfrey Show and Larry King Live.
- Toby Keith, the flagship artist for DreamWorks Nashville, departs to form his own label, Show Dog Nashville. DreamWorks – which had never really lived up to its expectations – is shut down shortly thereafter by its parent company, Universal Music Group.
- The Country Music Association announces a new TV deal to move the CMA Awards to ABC, after years of being broadcast on CBS.
- Tammy Genovese becomes the head of the Country Music Association, succeeding Ed Benson.
- Country music icon George Jones marks his 50th year in country music.
Top hits of the year
The following songs placed within the Top 20 on the Hot Country Songs or Canada Country charts in 2005:
See also: List of Hot Country Songs number ones of 2005 and List of number-one country singles of 2005 (Canada).
Top new album releases
The following albums placed within the Top 50 on the Top Country Albums charts in 2005:
See also: List of Top Country Albums number ones of 2005.
Other top albums
Deaths
- February 6 – Merle Kilgore, 70, prolific songwriter ("Wolverton Mountain," "Ring of Fire") and manager of Hank Williams Jr. (cancer)
- February 12 – Sammi Smith, 61, best known for "Help Me Make it Through the Night."
- February 25- Goldie Hill, 72, best known for "I Let the Stars Get in My Eyes" and wife of Carl Smith.
- March 2 – Joe Carter, 78, son of A.P. and Sara Carter.
- March 9 – Chris LeDoux, 56, world champion bareback rider who sang about the rodeo circuit and cowboy life.
- May 14 – Jimmy Martin, 77, the "King of Bluegrass."
- June 27 – Robert Byrne, 50, songwriter (unknown causes)[1]
- August 16 – Vassar Clements, 77, legendary fiddle player. (cancer)
Hall of Fame inductees
Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame inductees
Country Music Hall of Fame inductees
Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductees
Major awards
Grammy Awards
(presented February 8, 2006 in Los Angeles)
Juno Awards
(presented April 2, 2006 in Halifax)
CMT Music Awards
(presented April 11 in Nashville)
Americana Music Honors & Awards
Academy of Country Music
(presented May 23, 2006 in Las Vegas)
ARIA Awards
(presented in Sydney on October 23, 2005)
Canadian Country Music Association
(presented September 12 in Calgary)
Country Music Association
(presented November 15 in New York City)
Further reading
- Whitburn, Joel, "Top Country Songs 1944–2005 – 6th Edition." 2005.
References
- Stark, Phyllis, "Toby Keith topped country charts, shook up Music Row," Billboard magazine, December 24, 2005, p. YE-18.
Notes
Other links
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: Robert Byrne . Alabama Music Hall of Fame . January 8, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120224214945/http://www.alamhof.org/robertbyrne.html . February 24, 2012 .
