1984 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1984.
Events
- June 22 — The movie Rhinestone, starring Dolly Parton and Sylvester Stallone, is released to universally negative reviews. The much-hyped movie – about a singer's effort to transform a New York City taxicab driver into a country star within two weeks – flops, but still produces several hit singles, most notably the No. 1 hit "Tennessee Homesick Blues".
- July 28 — With his No. 1 hit "Angel in Disguise", Earl Thomas Conley becomes the first artist in any genre to have four Billboard chart-topping songs from the same album. The album in question is Don't Make it Easy For Me, and in addition to "Angel in Disguise" and the title track, Conley also hit with 1983's "Your Love's on the Line" and "Holding Her and Loving You". The feat is part of Conley's impressive 1980s streak, where he enjoyed 16 No. 1 hits through 1989.
- September 11 — Barbara Mandrell is seriously injured in a car accident. She suffers multiple injuries and takes an 18-month sabbatical from performing to recover.
Top hits of the year
Singles released by American artists
Singles released by Canadian artists
Top new album releases
US | Album | Artist | Record Label |
8 | Atlanta Blue | The Statler Brothers | Mercury/PolyGram |
18 | The Best of Don Williams Volume III | Don Williams | MCA |
22 | The Best Year of My Life | Eddie Rabbitt | Warner Bros. |
14 | Blue Highway | John Conlee | MCA |
18 | By Heart | Conway Twitty | Warner Bros. |
13 | Cafe Carolina | Don Williams | MCA |
1 | City of New Orleans | Willie Nelson | Columbia |
8 | Clean Cut | Barbara Mandrell | MCA |
25 | Conway's Latest Greatest Hits–Vol. 1 | Conway Twitty | Warner Bros. |
1 | Country Boy | Ricky Skaggs | Epic |
1 | Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind | George Strait | MCA |
25 | Doin' What I Feel | Leon Everette | RCA |
24 | EB 84 | The Everly Brothers | Mercury/PolyGram |
3 | Eye of a Hurricane | John Anderson | Warner Bros. |
12 | Faded Blue | Gary Morris | Warner Bros. |
17 | The First Word in Memory | Janie Fricke | Columbia |
22 | Forever You | The Whites | MCA |
1 | Friendship | Ray Charles | Columbia |
21 | The Good Ol' Boys – Alive and Well | Moe Bandy & Joe Stampley | Columbia |
7 | The Great Pretender | Dolly Parton | RCA |
2 | Greatest Hits 2 | The Oak Ridge Boys | MCA |
3 | He Thinks He's Ray Stevens | Ray Stevens | MCA |
4 | Heart Over Mind | Anne Murray | Capitol |
21 | Heartaches, Love & Stuff | Gene Watson | MCA |
9 | Houston to Denver | Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers | Columbia |
7 | It Takes Believers | Mickey Gilley & Charly McClain | Epic |
1 | It's All in the Game | Merle Haggard | Epic |
23 | Just a Little Love | Reba McEntire | MCA |
22 | Just Divorced | David Allan Coe | Columbia |
1 | Kentucky Hearts | Exile | Epic |
25 | Ladies' Choice | George Jones | Epic |
1 | Major Moves | Hank Williams, Jr. | Curb/Warner Bros. |
5 | Meant for Each Other | Barbara Mandrell & Lee Greenwood | MCA |
21 | Music from Songwriter | Willie Nelson & Kris Kristofferson | Columbia |
13 | My Kind of Country | Reba McEntire | MCA |
20 | Never Could Toe the Mark | Waylon Jennings | RCA |
12 | Once Upon a Christmas | Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton | RCA |
10 | One More Try for Love | Ronnie Milsap | RCA |
8 | Pictures | Atlanta | MCA |
8 | Plain Dirt Fashion | Nitty Gritty Dirt Band | Warner Bros. |
24 | ' | Emmylou Harris | Warner Bros. |
22 | Restless | The Bellamy Brothers | Curb/MCA |
18 | Riddles in the Sand | Jimmy Buffett | MCA |
1 | Roll On | Alabama | RCA |
24 | San Antone | Dan Seals | Capitol |
17 | There Is a Season | Vern Gosdin | Compleat |
23 | Til the Bars Burn Down | Johnny Lee | Warner Bros. |
4 | Too Good to Stop Now | John Schneider | MCA |
2 | Treadin' Water | Earl Thomas Conley | RCA |
9 | What About Me? | Kenny Rogers | RCA |
1 | Why Not Me | The Judds | Curb/RCA |
23 | Workin' for a Livin | Johnny Lee | Warner Bros. |
6 | You've Got a Good Love Comin | Lee Greenwood | MCA |
17 | You've Still Got a Place in My Heart'' | George Jones | Epic |
Other top albums
On television
Regular series
- Hee Haw
- That Nashville Music
Specials
Births
- February 5 – Tyler Farr, singer-songwriter since the mid-2010s, with hits including "Whiskey in My Water" and "Redneck Crazy".
- March 30 – Justin Moore, singer-songwriter from the late 2000s onward, who had hits including "Small Town USA" and "If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away".
- April 19 – Matt Stell, singer-songwriter better known for his 2019 single "Prayed for You".
- August 3 – Whitney Duncan, country music singer and reality TV contestant.
- November 26 – Mike Gossin, member of Gloriana.
- December 8 – Sam Hunt, singer-songwriter of the 2010s.
Deaths
- January 28 — Al Dexter, 81, early honky tonk stylist best known for "Pistol Packin' Mama."
- May 11 — Nudie Cohen, 81, famous costume designer for country stars.
- July 30 - Jack Benny Lynn, Son of Loretta Lynn and Oliver Lynn passes away after trying to ford the duck river at his parents Ranch in Hurricane Mills, TN. Lynn was 34 years of age and left behind a wife and 2 children. His mother, Loretta Lynn would not perform for another year after his death.
- September 6 — Ernest Tubb, 70, the "Texas Trubador" and a superstar since the 1940s.
- December 26 — Sheila Andrews, 31, late 70s singer with several minor hits.
Hall of Fame inductees
Country Music Hall of Fame inductees
- Ralph S. Peer
- Floyd Tillman
Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductees
- Wilf Carter
- Tommy Hunter
- Orval Prophet
- William Harold Moon
Major awards
Grammy Awards
- Best Female Country Vocal Performance — "In My Dreams", Emmylou Harris
- Best Male Country Vocal Performance — "That's the Way Love Goes", Merle Haggard
- Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal — "Mama He's Crazy", The Judds
- Best Country Instrumental Performance — "Wheel Hoss", Ricky Skaggs
- Best Country Song — "City of New Orleans", Steve Goodman
Juno Awards
- Country Male Vocalist of the Year — Murray McLauchlan
- Country Female Vocalist of the Year — Anne Murray
- Country Group or Duo of the Year — The Good Brothers
Academy of Country Music
- Entertainer of the Year — Alabama
- Song of the Year — "Why Not Me", Harlan Howard, Brent Maher and Sonny Throckmorton
- Single of the Year — "To All the Girls I've Loved Before", Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias
- Album of the Year — Roll On, Alabama
- Top Male Vocalist — George Strait
- Top Female Vocalist — Reba McEntire
- Top Vocal Duo — The Judds
- Top Vocal Group — Alabama
- Top New Male Vocalist — Vince Gill
- Top New Female Vocalist — Nicolette Larson
- Video of the Year — "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight", Hank Williams, Jr.
Canadian Country Music Association
- Entertainer of the Year — Ronnie Prophet
- Male Artist of the Year — Terry Carisse
- Female Artist of the Year — Marie Bottrell
- Group of the Year — Family Brown
- SOCAN Song of the Year — "Jesus It's Me Again", Dick Damron
- Single of the Year — "A Little Good News", Anne Murray
- Album of the Year — Repeat After Me, Family Brown
- Top Selling Album — Eyes That See in the Dark, Kenny Rogers
- Vista Rising Star Award — Roni Summers
- Duo of the Year — Glory Anne Carriere and Ronnie Prophet
Country Music Association
- Entertainer of the Year — Alabama
- Song of the Year — "Wind Beneath My Wings", Larry Henley and Jeff Silbar
- Single of the Year — "A Little Good News", Anne Murray
- Album of the Year — A Little Good News, Anne Murray
- Male Vocalist of the Year — Lee Greenwood
- Female Vocalist of the Year — Reba McEntire
- Vocal Duo of the Year — Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson
- Vocal Group of the Year — The Statler Brothers
- Horizon Award — The Judds
- Instrumentalist of the Year — Chet Atkins
- Instrumental Group of the Year — Ricky Skaggs Band
Other links
- Country Music Association
- Inductees of the Country Music Hall of Fame