1989 IN COUNTRY MUSIC

''See also:''
1988 in country music,
1989 in music,
other events of 1989,
1990 in country music and the List of years in Country Music

Contents
Events
No date
Top hits of the year
Number one hits
Other major hits
Top new album releases
Christmas albums
Other albums
On television
Regular series
Specials
Births
Deaths
Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees
Major Awards
Grammy awards
Academy of Country Music
Country Music Association
Further reading
Other links
External links

Events



May 9 – Rising country star Keith Whitley is found dead at his home, a victim of alcohol poisoning. News of his death sent shockwaves through the industry, given that he had been hailed as a future superstar who helped bring neotraditionalism to the forefront during the 1980s. His widow, Lorrie Morgan, would become a major superstar after his death.
No date


★ 1989 was one of two years during the 1980s which sprouted the most prolific class of newcomers in country music history (1986 being the other), a trend that had not been seen since the mid-1950s (when artists such as Elvis Presley, George Jones and Johnny Cash first rose to fame). Clint Black was at the head of the class early on, given that he had two of the year's most memorable singles – "A Better Man" and "Killin' Time" – and one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year (''Killin' Time''), and was already selling out shows nationwide. However, Garth Brooks proved to be the 1989 newcomer that stood head and shoulders above everyone else, eventually selling millions of albums, taking worldwide tours and creating some of the most influential music of the 1990s and beyond.
:Another newcomer, Alan Jackson, had a minor hit with his first release that fall, "Blue Blooded Woman;" future singles – all featuring the neotraditional style, would do considerably better, to say the least. Travis Tritt contributed with his brand of rock-influenced country, while Lorrie Morgan (daughter of Grand Ole Opry legend George Morgan) became a star in her own right following the alcohol-poisoning death of her husband, Keith Whitley.

:Other top newcomers of the year were Suzy Bogguss, Lionel Cartwright and Mary Chapin Carpenter.

Top hits of the year


Number one hits

''(As certified by Billboard magazine)''
'Date''Song Name''Artist''Wks. No. 1''Spec.
Note'
January 7Hold MeK.T. Oslin1
January 14Change of HeartThe Judds1
January 21She's Crazy For Leavin'Rodney Crowell1Rodney co-wrote the song with
legendary songwriter Guy Clark.
January 28Deeper Than the HollerRandy Travis1
February 4What I'd SayEarl Thomas Conley1
February 11Song of the SouthAlabama1
February 18Big Wheels in the MoonlightDan Seals1
February 25I Sang DixieDwight Yoakam1B
March 4I Still Believe in YouThe Desert Rose Band1B
March 11Don't You Ever Get Tired of Hurting MeRonnie Milsap1
March 18From a Jack to a KingRicky Van Shelton1
March 25New Fool at an Old GameReba McEntire1
April 1Baby's Gotten Good at GoodbyeGeorge Strait1
April 8I'm No Stranger to the RainKeith Whitley2
April 22The Church on Cumberland RoadShenandoah2A
May 6Young Love (Strong Love)The Judds1
May 13Is It Still OverRandy Travis1
May 20If I Had YouAlabama1
May 27After All This TimeRodney Crowell1
June 3Where Did I Go WrongSteve Wariner1
June 10A Better ManClint Black1'1', A
June 17Love Out LoudEarl Thomas Conley1B
June 24I Don't Want to Spoil the PartyRosanne Cash1BA remake of a Beatles classic.
July 1Come From the HeartKathy Mattea1
July 8Lovin' Only MeRicky Skaggs1B
July 15In a Letter to YouEddy Raven1
July 22What's Going on in Your WorldGeorge Strait1
July 29Cathy's ClownReba McEntire1A remake of the Everly Brothers'
1960 No. 1 pop hit.
August 5Why'd You Come in Here Lookin' Like ThatDolly Parton1
August 12Timber, I'm Falling in LovePatty Loveless1A
August 19Sunday in the SouthShenandoah1
August 26Are You Ever Gonna Love MeHolly Dunn1A
September 2I'm Still CrazyVern Gosdin1B
September 9I Wonder Do You Think of MeKeith Whitley1The first of two No. 1 hits
Keith scored posthoumously.
September 16Nothing I Can Do About It NowWillie Nelson1
September 23Above and Beyond (The Call of Love)Rodney Crowell1BA remake of Buck Owens'
1960 country hit.
September 30Let Me Tell You About LoveThe Judds1B
October 7I Got DreamsSteve Wariner1
October 14Killin' TimeClint Black1
October 21Living ProofRicky Van Shelton1
October 28High CottonAlabama1
November 4Ace in the HoleGeorge Strait1
November 11Burnin' Old MemoriesKathy Mattea1B
November 18Bayou BoysEddy Raven1B
November 25Yellow RosesDolly Parton1
December 2It's Just a Matter of TimeRandy Travis1
December 9If Tomorrow Never ComesGarth Brooks1A
December 16Two Dozen RosesShenandoah1
December 23A Woman in LoveRonnie Milsap1B
December 30Who's Lonely NowHighway 1012B


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.
Other major hits


★ "All the Fun" - Paul Overstreet (#5)

★ "All the Reasons Why" - Highway 101 (#5)

★ "An American Family" - The Oak Ridge Boys (#4)

★ "And So It Goes" - John Denver and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (#14)

★ "Any Way the Wind Blows" - Southern Pacific (#4)

★ "A Better Love Next Time" - Merle Haggard (#4)

★ "Beyond Those Years" - The Oak Ridge Boys (#7)

★ "Big Dreams in a Small Town" - Restless Heart (#3)

★ "Big Love" - The Bellamy Brothers (#5)

★ "Blue Side of Town" - Patty Loveless (#4)

★ "Bridges and Walls" - Oak Ridge Boys (#10)

★ "Burnin' a Hole In My Heart" - Skip Ewing (#3)

★ "Call on Me" - Tanya Tucker (#4)

★ "Come as You Were" - T. Graham Brown (#7)

★ "Country Club" - Travis Tritt (#9)

★ "Cross My Broken Heart" - Suzy Bogguss (#14)

★ "Dear Me" - Lorrie Morgan (#9)

★ "Don't Toss Us Away" - Patty Loveless (#5)

★ "Don't Waste It on the Blues" - Gene Watson (#5)

★ "Down That Road Tonight" - The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (#6)

★ "Fair Shake" - Foster & Lloyd (#5)

★ "Finders Are Keepers" - Hank Williams Jr. (#6)

★ "From the Word Go" - Michael Martin Murphey (#3)

★ "Give Me His Last Chance" - Lionel Cartwright (#3)

★ "The Gospel According to Luke" - Skip Ewing (#10)

★ "The Heart" - Lacy J. Dalton (#13)

★ "Heartbreak Hill" - Emmylou Harris (#8)

★ "Heaven Only Knows" - Emmylou Harris (#16)

★ "Hey Bobby" - K.T. Oslin (#2)

★ "Highway Robbery" - Tanya Tucker (#2)

★ "Hold On (a Little Longer)" - Steve Wariner (#6)

★ "Hole in My Pocket" - Ricky Van Shelton (#4)

★ "Honey I Dare You" - Southern Pacific (#5)

★ "Honky Tonk Heart" - Highway 101 (#6)

★ "Houston Solution" - Ronnie Milsap (#4)

★ "I Got You" - Dwight Yoakam (#5)

★ "(I Wish I Had a) Heart of Stone" - Baillie & the Boys (#4)

★ "I Wish I Was Still in Your Dreams" - Conway Twitty (#4)

★ "(I'm a) One Woman Man" - George Jones (#5)

★ "I've Been Loved By the Best" - Don Williams (#4)

★ "(It's Always Gonna Be) Someday" - Holly Dunn (#11)

★ "It's You Again" - Skip Ewing (#5)

★ "Let It Be You" - Ricky Skaggs (#5)

★ "LIfe As We Knew It" - Kathy Mattea (#4)

★ "Like Father, Like Son" - Lionel Cartwright (#14)

★ "Lonely Side of Love" - Patty Loveless (#6)

★ "Long Shot" - Baillie & the Boys (#5)

★ "Love Has No Right" - Billy Joe Royal (#4)

★ "More Than a Name on a Wall" - The Statler Brothers (#6)

★ "Much Too Young (to Feel This Damn Old)" - Garth Brooks (#8)

★ "My Baby's Gone" - Sawyer Brown (#11)

★ "Never Givin' Up On Love" - Michael Martin Murphey (#9)

★ "Never Had It So Good" - Mary Chapin Carpenter (#8)

★ "Old Coyote Town" - Don Williams (#5)

★ "One Good Well" - Don Williams (#4)

★ "Out of Your Shoes" - Lorrie Morgan (#2)

★ "Promises" - Randy Travis (#17)

★ "The Race is On" - Sawyer Brown (#5)

★ "Say What's in Your Heart" - Restless Heart (#4)

★ "Setting Me Up" - Highway 101 (#7)

★ "She Deserves You" - Baillie & the Boys (#8)

★ "She Don't Love Nobody" - Desert Rose Band (#3)

★ "She's Gone, Gone, Gone" - Glen Campbell (#6)

★ "She's Got a Single Thing in Mind" - Conway Twitty (#2)

★ "Sowin' Love" - Paul Overstreet (#9)

★ "Tell It Like It Is" - Billy Joe Royal (#2)

★ "There Goes My Heart Again" - Holly Dunn (#4)

★ "There's a Tear In My Beer" - Hank Williams Jr. and Hank Williams Sr. (#7)

★ "They Rage On" - Dan Seals (#5)

★ "This Woman" - K.T. Oslin (#5)

★ "'Til Love Comes Again" - Reba McEntire (#4)

★ "'Til You Cry" - Eddy Raven (#4)

★ "Trainwreck of Emotion" - Lorrie Morgan (#20)

★ "The Vows Go Unbroken (Always True to You)" - Kenny Rogers (#8)

★ "Walk Softly on This Heart of Mine" - The Kentucky Headhunters (#25)

★ "Who You Gonna Blame It on This Time" - Vern Gosdin (#2)

★ "You Ain't Down Home" - Jann Browne (#19)

★ "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" - Chris Hillman and Roger McGuinn (#6)

★ "You'll Never Be Sorry" - The Bellamy Brothers (#10)

Top new album releases



★ ''Beyond the Blue Neon'' — George Strait (MCA)

★ ''The Blue Rose of Texas'' — Holly Dunn (Warner Bros.)

★ ''Bluebird'' — Emmylou Harris (Warner Bros.)

★ ''Country Club'' — Travis Tritt (Warner Bros.)

★ ''Garth Brooks'' — Garth Brooks (Capitol)

★ ''Here in the Real World'' — Alan Jackson (Arista)

★ ''Killin' Time'' — Clint Black (RCA))

★ ''Leave the Light On'' — Lorrie Morgan (RCA)

★ ''No Holdin' Back'' — Randy Travis (Warner Bros.)

★ ''One Woman Man'' — George Jones (Epic)

★ ''Paint the Town'' — Highway 101 (Warner Bros.)

★ ''River of Time'' — The Judds (RCA)

★ ''Southern Star'' — Alabama (RCA)

★ ''State of the Heart'' — Mary Chapin Carpenter (Columbia)

★ ''Sweet Sixteen'' — Reba McEntire (MCA)

★ ''Turn the Tide'' — Baillie & the Boys (RCA)

★ ''White Limozeen'' — Dolly Parton (Epic)
Christmas albums


★ ''An Ol' Time Christmas'' — Randy Travis (Warner Bros.)
Other albums


★ ''5:01 Blues'' – Merle Haggard (Epic)

★ ''A Horse Called Music'' — Willie Nelson (Columbia)

★ ''Greatest Hits Vol. 3'' — Hank Williams, Jr.

★ ''Kentucky Thunder'' – Ricky Skaggs (Epic/Sony)

★ ''Pickin' on Nashville'' - Kentucky Headhunters (Mercury)

★ ''Stranger Things Have Happened'' – Ronnie Milsap (RCA)

★ ''When I Call Your Name'' – Vince Gill (MCA)

★ ''Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Vol. 2'' — The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (Universal)

On television


Regular series


★ ''Hee Haw'' (1969-1993, syndicated)
Specials

Births



December 13Taylor Swift, 2006 newcomer, singer-songwriter first known for her song "Tim McGraw."

Deaths



March 8Stuart Hamblen, 80, one of radio's first country music superstars, whose later works reflected his religious convictions.

May 9 - Keith Whitley, 33, honky tonk-styled singer who rose to fame in the mid-1980s (alcohol poisoning)

Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees



Jack Stapp (19121980)

Cliffie Stone (19171998)

Hank Thompson (born 1925)

Major Awards


Grammy awards


★ 'Best Country Vocal Performance, Female' -- "Absolute Torch And Twang" - k.d. lang

★ 'Best Country Vocal Performance, Male' -- "Lyle Lovett And His Large Band" - Lyle Lovett

★ 'Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal' -- "Will The Circle Be Unbroken Vol. 2" - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

★ 'Best Country Vocal Collaboration' -- "There's A Tear In My Beer" - Hank Williams and Hank Williams Jr.

★ 'Best Country Instrumental Performance' -- "Amazing Grace" - Randy Scruggs

★ 'Best Bluegrass Recording' -- "The Valley Road" - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Bruce Hornsby

★ 'Best Country Song' -- "After All This Time" - Rodney Crowell
Academy of Country Music


★ 'Entertainer Of The Year' -- George Strait

★ 'Song Of The Year' -- "Where've You Been" - Kathy Mattea - Jon Vezner, Don Henry

★ 'Single Of The Year' -- "A Better Man" - Clint Black

★ 'Album Of The Year' -- Killin' Time - Clint Black

★ 'Top Male Vocalist' -- Clint Black

★ 'Top Female Vocalist' -- Kathy Mattea

★ 'Top Vocal Duo' -- The Judds

★ 'Top Vocal Group' -- Restless Heart

★ 'Top New Male Vocalist' -- Clint Black

★ 'Top New Female Vocalist' -- Mary Chapin Carpenter

★ 'Top New Vocal Duo Or Group' -- Kentucky HeadHunters

★ 'Video Of The Year' -- "There's A Tear In My Beer" - Hank Williams Jr. w/ Hank Williams Sr. (Director: Ethan Russell)
Country Music Association


★ 'Entertainer of the Year' -- George Strait

★ 'Male Vocalist of the Year' -- Ricky Van Shelton

★ 'Female Vocalist of the Year' -- Kathy Mattea

★ 'Horizon Award' -- Clint Black

★ 'Vocal Group of the Year' -- Highway 101

★ 'Vocal Duo of the Year' -- The Judds

★ 'Vocal Event of the Year' -- Hank Williams and Hank Williams Jr.

★ 'Album of the Year' -- ''Will the Circle Be Unbroken Vol. 2'', Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

★ 'Song of the Year' -- "Chisled in Stone," Max D. Barnes and Vern Gosdin

★ 'Single of the Year' -- "I'm No Stranger to the Rain," Keith Whitley

★ 'Musician of the Year' -- Johnny Gimble

★ 'Music Video of the Year' -- "There's a Tear in My Beer," Hank Williams and Hank Williams Jr.

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



Country Music Hall of Fame

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