2006 in country music

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See also: 2005 in country music, 2006 in music, other events of 2006, 2007 in country music and the List of years in Country Music

Contents

[edit] Events

  • January 14 – With the song, "She Let Herself Go," George Strait scores his 40th No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, all of them solo. It ties a 20-year-old record for most No. 1's on the country chart, held by Conway Twitty (35 solo, five duet with Loretta Lynn).
  • January 21 – Kix Brooks, one half of the country superstar duo Brooks & Dunn, takes over as host of "American Country Countdown," succeeding longtime host Bob Kingsley.
  • April — Hank Williams Jr. is arrested in Memphis, Tennessee for assault after attempting to choke a teenage waitress at a hotel there.
  • May — People reports on the engagement of Keith Urban and actress Nicole Kidman. The two are married on June 25. Also during the month, Little Big Town members Jimi Westbrook and Karen Fairchild are wed; their marriage was announced in July.
  • May 3 - Lynn Anderson arrested in New Mexico after causing a traffic accident at a local intersection due to drunk driving. She was later released the next day on a bond. Anderson was later taken to court that year where all her previous charges were dropped, as long as she didn't commit anymore offenses.
  • May 21 – Grand Ole Opry mainstay Billy Walker is killed in a car accident near Fort Deposit, Alabama, when the van he was riding in overturned along Interstate 65. Also killed in the wreck are Walker's wife, Bettie; and two member of his band. His 21-year-old grandson, Joshua Brooks, is critically injured. Walker was returning home from a show near Gulf Shores, Alabama. [1]
  • May 23 – The Tennessean of Nashville reports plans by Academy of Country Music to move its awards show to April, after consistently being drubbed in the ratings by powerhouse American Idol. The ACMs, which aired May 24 on CBS, was aired opposite Fox's American Idol for the fourth year in a row. [2]
  • July 4 - Johnny Cash releases American V which instantly hits #1.
  • August 17 — Los Angeles' lone country music station, KZLA-FM, switches its format to urban pop. [3]
  • August 19 — Keith Urban's "Once in a Lifetime" becomes the highest-ever debuting song on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart during the Broadcast Data Systems-era, ranking at No. 17 in its first week. "Lifetime" breaks the 10-month-old BDS-era standard set by "Good Ride Cowboy" by Garth Brooks.
  • September 12 — Sara Evans and professional partner Tony Dovolani begin competing on ABC's Dancing with the Stars, to rousing reviews. Evans' gig will last four weeks.
  • September 18 – Willie Nelson and several of his band members are charged with misdemeanor drug possession in Louisiana. State police had pulled Nelson's tour bus over for a routine commercial inspection and, after smelling a suspicious odor inside, searched the bus and found marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms. [4]
  • September 30 — George Strait finally breaks Conway Twitty's record by scoring his record 41st No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart with "Give It Away."
Image:DixieChicks-ShutUpAndSing.jpg
Original movie poster for Shut Up and Sing
  • September 30 — The documentary Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing is released. The film chronicles the lives of the Dixie Chicks band members and the fallout that resulted after lead singer Natalie Maines made critical remarks about U.S. President George W. Bush during a 2003 concert in London, England.
  • October 13 — One day after abruptly leaving Dancing with the Stars, news breaks that Sara Evans was seeking a divorce from her husband, Craig Schelske. Allegations Evans levied against Schelske included his affair with the family's ex-nanny, that he watched and downloaded pornography in the house, and his removal of $275,000 from the couple's joint bank account on the day the divorce decree was filed. [5]
  • October 19 — Keith Urban checks himself into a rehabilitation center for alcohol abuse. [6]
  • October 20 — Flicka, an adaptation of the 1941 children's novel, hits the movie theaters. Tim McGraw is in the leading adult male role as Wyoming rancher Rob McGlaughlin.
  • November 6 — The Country Music Association awards airs for the first time on ABC. The awards show had been on CBS since 1972. Keith Urban, who won the Male Vocalist of the Year, is absent due to his rehab stint, and co-host Ronnie Dunn read Urban's acceptance letter. Hall of Fame inductee Kris Kristofferson presented the inductions for 2006 inductees George Strait, Harold Bradley and Sonny James, each of whom gave brief acceptance speeches; Strait also performed his No. 1 hit "Give It Away." Controversy reigned when Faith Hill appeared to react angrily after Carrie Underwood won the Female Vocalist of the Year award. [7]
  • December 3 — The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts honors Dolly Parton for her lifetime contributions to the arts.

[edit] No dates

  • No less than nine acts enjoyed their first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart during 2006, the most since 1991. Those artists were Carrie Underwood, Josh Turner, Bon Jovi along with Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland, Jack Ingram, Jason Aldean, Rodney Atkins, The Wreckers, Heartland and Sugarland. Four of those - Bon Jovi, Nettles, The Wreckers and Heartland - turn the trick with their first charted country single. (Although she previously had two Top 5 hits and a Top 10 hit as a member of Sugarland, Jennifer Nettles made her first entry into the Billboard country singles chart under her own name as part of a collaboration with Bon Jovi, which, in turn, also made their first Billboard country singles chart entry. Sugarland would eventually score their first No. 1 hit at the end of the year.)
During that same 12-month time span, chart veteran George Strait extended his No. 1 string to a Billboard-best 41, beating Conway Twitty's record by 40 No. 1's, while Dolly Parton had her 25th No. 1 (as part of a duet with Brad Paisley) and Kenny Chesney extended his string to 10.

[edit] Top hits of the year

[edit] Number one hits

(As certified by Billboard magazine)

Date Song Name Artist Wks. No. 1 Spec.
Note
January 14 She Let Herself Go George Strait 1 This was Strait's Billboard record-tying 40th No. 1 song on the Hot Country Songs chart, matching only Conway Twitty's record set in 1986.
January 21 Jesus, Take the Wheel Carrie Underwood 6 A
March 4 When I Get Where I'm Going Brad Paisley featuring Dolly Parton 1 B - Dolly Parton
  • At age 60 years, one month and 14 days, Parton became the oldest female to have a song top the Billboard magazine Hot Country Songs chart. She is the third-oldest artist overall behind Willie Nelson (70) and Kenny Rogers (61) to have a No. 1 song.
  • In addition, Parton now has the longest span between first and most recent No. 1 songs (at 35 years, 1 month), breaking a 20-year-old record held by Johnny Cash (1956-1985). Dolly's first chart-topper was "Joshua" in February 1971.
March 11 Your Man Josh Turner 1 A
March 18 Living in Fast Forward Kenny Chesney 3
April 8 What Hurts the Most Rascal Flatts 4
May 6 Who Says You Can't Go Home Bon Jovi with Jennifer Nettles 2 C - Bon Jovi
C - Jennifer Nettles
  • This song marks the first time that a non-country act has hit No. 1 with their first country single since 1977, when Tom Jones did it with "Say You'll Stay Until Tomorrow."
May 20 Wherever You Are Jack Ingram 1 C
May 27 Why Jason Aldean 1 C
  • This song marks the first time since 1991 that no fewer than three artists in a row have gotten their first No. 1 country singles; while Aldean had previously had a Top 10 with "Hicktown" and Jennifer Nettles twice had No. 2 hits (as part of Sugarland), Bon Jovi and Jack Ingram had never cracked the country music Top 40 before.
June 3 Settle For A Slowdown Dierks Bentley 2
June 17 Summertime Kenny Chesney 5
July 22 The World Brad Paisley 3
August 12 If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows) Rodney Atkins 4 1, A
September 9 Leave the Pieces The Wreckers 2 C
September 23 Brand New Girlfriend Steve Holy 1 B
  • Having reached No. 1 in its 36th week on the charts, the song set a new record for the slowest climb to No. 1 by any country song since the inception of BDS in 1990 (a record since broken by Tracy Lawrence with his single "Find Out Who Your Friends Are").
September 30 Give It Away George Strait 2 This was Strait's 41st No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart,
breaking Conway Twitty's 20-year old record of 40 No. 1's.
October 14 Would You Go with Me Josh Turner 2 B
October 28 I Loved Her First Heartland 1 C
November 4 Every Mile a Memory Dierks Bentley 1
November 11 Before He Cheats Carrie Underwood 5
December 16 My Wish Rascal Flatts 1
December 23 Want To Sugarland 2 A
  • 1 - No. 1 song of the year, as determined by Billboard magazine.
  • A - First Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist.
  • B - Last Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist to date.
  • C - Only Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist to date.

[edit] Other major hits

[edit] Top new album releases

[edit] Other top albums

[edit] Deaths

[edit] Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

[edit] Major Awards

[edit] Grammy awards

(Presented February 11, 2007 in Los Angeles) [8]

[edit] Academy of Country Music

(Presented May 15, 2007 in Las Vegas) [9]

[edit] Country Music Association

(presented November 6 in Nashville, Tennessee)

[edit] 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.

[edit] References

[edit] Other links

[edit] External links

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