2015 in country music

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in 2015.

Events

• January 15 — Parodist Cledus T. Judd announces his retirement from the performing aspect of the music business.^[1]
• February 27 — Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher give birth to their son, Isaiah Michael Fisher.
• March 4 — Shania Twain announces that her Rock This Country tour will be her last but that she intends to continue releasing albums
• April — A new syndicated radio program, American Country Countdown Rewind with Bob Kingsley, consisting of Kingsley-hosted ACC programs from 1990-2005, is announced by Nash FM (the media brand and network of country music stations owned by Cumulus Media). The first programs aired the weekend of May 2.^[2][3]
• May — Radio consultant Keith Hill is criticized when stating in an interview that music stations should limit the airplay of female country artists. The story is further ignited when Hill compares female artists to that of "tomatoes in a salad". In response, Sara Evans, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, and Jennifer Nettles criticize Hill's comments via social media.^[4][5][6]
• June 15 — Country Weekly is rebranded as Nash Country Weekly, as part of a co-branding with Nash FM's radio product.^[7]
• June 19 — Almost a year after successfully recovering from cervical cancer, Joey Martin Feek of Joey + Rory is diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer.^[8]
• June 22 — With "Love Me Like You Mean It", Kelsea Ballerini becomes the first female artist to send her debut single to No. 1 on Country Airplay since Carrie Underwood did in 2006, and the first female artist to do so on an independent label.^[9]
• July 9 — Luke Bryan causes controversy in an interview with "HITS Double Daily" for implying that Outlaw country artists (particularly Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, and Willie Nelson) spent their career "laying in the gutter, strung out on drugs." Bryan would later call Jennings' widow Jessi Colter to apologize.^[10][11]
• July 18 — "Girl Crush" by Little Big Town makes country music history by breaking the record of weeks spent at number 1 by a group of three or more members, surpassing the current record holders The Browns and their song The Three Bells.^[12]
• July 20 — Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton announce their divorce after four years of marriage.^[13]
• August 3 — Reba McEntire announces the separation from long-time husband and manager Narvel Blackstock. Although they will be ending their marriage, they will continue to support one another professionally.^[14][15]
• September 25 — Kenny Rogers announces his plans to retire following a Christmas album and a 2016 farewell tour
• September 27 — Producer Dave Brainard is hospitalized after being found unconscious with a broken jaw from a beating.^[16]
• October — Joey Martin Feek of Joey + Rory ends treatment for stage IV colorectal cancer after treatments fail to control growth of tumors.^[17]
• November 2 — Chris Cagle announces his retirement from the music business.^[18]
• November 9 — Joey Martin Feek of Joey and Rory enters Hospice care after terminal cancer diagnosis^[19]

Top hits of the year

The following songs placed within the Top 20 on the Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay or Canada Country charts in 2015:

Singles released by American artists

Singles released by Canadian artists

Top new album releases

The following albums placed on the Top Country Albums charts in 2015:

Other top albums

Deaths

• January 2 — Little Jimmy Dickens, 94, Grand Ole Opry member best known for "May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose" (cardiac arrest)^[42]
• January 12 — A. J. Masters, 64, singer-songwriter (prostate cancer)^[43]
• January 16 — Dixie Hall, 80, bluegrass songwriter and wife of Country Music Hall of Fame member Tom T. Hall (brain tumor)
• January 17 — Don Harron, 90, Canadian comedian and playwright best known to country audiences as "Charlie Farquharson" on television's Hee Haw (cancer).^[44]
• March 9 — Wayne Kemp, 73, writer of Johnny Cash's "One Piece at a Time" among others; also a recording artist for MCA Nashville (various ailments)^[45]
• April 30 — Steven Goldmann, 53, music video director (cancer)^[46]
• May 18 — Elbert West, 46, singer-songwriter^[47]
• June 11 — Jim Ed Brown, 81, Grand Ole Opry star and member of The Browns (cancer)^[48]
• July 20 — Wayne Carson, 72, writer of Elvis Presley's "Always on My Mind," later covered by Willie Nelson^[49]
• July 22 — Daron Norwood, 49, country singer from the 1990s^[50]
• July 29 — Buddy Emmons, 78, steel guitarist^[51]
• July 30 — Lynn Anderson, 67, singer best known for the 1970 crossover hit "Rose Garden." (heart attack)^[52]
• August 4 — Billy Sherrill, 78, record producer best known for his work with George Jones and Tammy Wynette^[53]
• September 4 — Hal Willis, 82, Canadian singer-songwriter, best known for the song "The Lumberjack"^[54]
• September 25 — Hugh Wright, 63, drummer for Boy Howdy (natural causes)^[55]
• October 6 — Billy Joe Royal, 73, country and rock singer best known for his hits "Down in the Boondocks" and "Tell It Like It Is"^[56]
• October 17 — John Jennings, 62, record producer and guitarist best known for his work with Mary Chapin Carpenter (kidney cancer)^[57]
• November 2 — Tommy Overstreet, 78, country singer from the 1970s^[58]
• November 8 — Charlie Dick, 81, widower of Patsy Cline who helped keep alive her legacy in the decades following her death; became a record promoter and publisher in his own right^[59]
• November 15 — Ron Hynes, 64, Canadian country-folk artist, best known for the songs "Sonny's Dream" and "Cryer's Paradise" (cancer)^[60]
• December 6 — Don Chapel, songwriter of hits by George Jones, Conway Twitty, ex-wife Tammy Wynette, and others^[61]
• December 7 — Don Pfrimmer, 78, songwriter (leukemia)^[62]
• December 27 — Craig Strickland, 29, lead singer of Backroad Anthem (hypothermia)

Hall of Fame inductees

Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

• Jim Ed Brown and The Browns (Jim Ed (1934-2015), Bonnie (1937-2016); and Maxine (born (1932)).
• Grady Martin (1929-2001)
• The Oak Ridge Boys (multiple members - currently Duane Allen (born 1943), Joe Bonsall (born 1948), William Lee Golden (born 1939) and Richard Sterban (born 1943)).

Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

• Dianne Leigh
• Elizabeth "Ma" Henning

Major awards

Academy of Country Music

(presented April 3, 2016 in Las Vegas)

• Entertainer of the Year — Jason Aldean
• Top Male Vocalist — Chris Stapleton
• Top Female Vocalist — Miranda Lambert
• Top Vocal Group — Little Big Town
• Top Vocal Duo — Florida Georgia Line
• New Male Vocalist — Chris Stapleton
• New Female Vocalist — Kelsea Ballerini
• New Vocal Duo or Group — Old Dominion
• Album of the Year — Traveller, Chris Stapleton
• Single Record of the Year — "Die a Happy Man", Thomas Rhett
• Song of the Year — "Nobody to Blame", Chris Stapleton
• Video of the Year — "Mr. Misunderstood", Eric Church
• Vocal Event of the Year — "Smokin' and Drinkin'", Miranda Lambert feat. Little Big Town

American Music Awards

(presented November 22 in Los Angeles)

• Favorite Country Male Artist – Luke Bryan
• Favorite Country Female Artist – Carrie Underwood
• Favorite Country Band/Duo/Group – Florida Georgia Line
• Favorite Country Album – Anything Goes, Florida Georgia Line

Canadian Country Music Association

(presented September 13 in Halifax)

• Fans' Choice Award — Johnny Reid
• Male Artist of the Year — Gord Bamford
• Female Artist of the Year — Jess Moskaluke
• Group or Duo of the Year — High Valley
• Songwriter(s) of the Year — "Where a Farm Used to Be", written by Gord Bamford, Buddy Owens and Phil O'Donnell
• Single of the Year — "Where a Farm Used to Be", Gord Bamford
• Album of the Year — Lifted, Dallas Smith
• Top Selling Album — Crash My Party, Luke Bryan
• Top Selling Canadian Album — Yoan, Yoan
• CMT Video of the Year — "Upside Down", Dean Brody
• Rising Star Award — Madeline Merlo
• Roots Artist or Group of the Year — Lindi Ortega
• Interactive Artist of the Year — Brett Kissel

Country Music Association

(presented November 4 in Nashville)

• Single of the Year — "Girl Crush", Little Big Town
• Song of the Year — "Girl Crush", Liz Rose, Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna
• Vocal Group of the Year — Little Big Town
• New Artist of the Year — Chris Stapleton
• Album of the Year — Traveller, Chris Stapleton
• Musician of the Year — Mac McAnally
• Vocal Duo of the Year — Florida Georgia Line
• Music Video of the Year — "Girl in a Country Song", Maddie & Tae
• Male Vocalist of the Year — Chris Stapleton
• Female Vocalist of the Year — Miranda Lambert
• Musical Event of the Year — "Raise 'Em Up", Keith Urban and Eric Church
• Entertainer of the Year — Luke Bryan

CMT Music Awards

(presented June 10 in Nashville)

• Video of the Year — "Something in the Water", Carrie Underwood
• Male Video of the Year — "Play It Again", Luke Bryan
• Female Video of the Year — "Something in the Water", Carrie Underwood
• Group Video of the Year — "Bartender", Lady Antebellum
• Duo Video of the Year — "Dirt", Florida Georgia Line
• Breakthrough Video of the Year — "Leave the Night On", Sam Hunt
• Collaborative Video of the Year — "Somethin' Bad", Miranda Lambert with Carrie Underwood
• Performance of the Year — "Turn the Page", Bob Seger and Jason Aldean from CMT Crossroads

Grammy Awards

(presented February 15, 2016 in Los Angeles)

• Best Country Solo Performance — "Traveller", Chris Stapleton
• Best Country Duo/Group Performance — "Girl Crush", Little Big Town
• Best Country Song — "Girl Crush", Little Big Town
• Best Country Album — Traveller, Chris Stapleton
• Best Bluegrass Album — The Muscle Shoals Recordings, The SteelDrivers
• Best Americana Album — Something More Than Free, Jason Isbell
• Best American Roots Song — "24 Frames", Jason Isbell
• Best American Roots Performance — "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean", Mavis Staples

Juno Awards

(presented April 3, 2016 in Calgary)

• Country Album of the Year — Gypsy Road, Dean Brody

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. TV.

References

Other links

• Country Music Association
• Inductees of the Country Music Hall of Fame