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This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1956.

Events

January 30 — Despite a 4-inch snowstorm, 17,000 fans attend a Coliseum concert in Denver, Colorado. On the bill are Webb Pierce, Red Foley, the Foggy River Boys, Ray Price, Floyd Cramer, Roy Hill, the Echo Valley Boys and others.^[1]
March 15 — Colonel Tom Parker becomes manager of Elvis Presley.^[2]
March 22 — Carl Perkins is seriously injured in a car accident near Wilmington, Delaware, while en route to perform on The Perry Como Show.^[3]
November 10 — George Jones is named the most promising country and western artist, according to Billboard magazine's annual nationwide disc jockey poll. Elvis Presley is the most played C&W artist.^[4]

No dates

Although he already has had one No. 1 hit (with "I Forgot to Remember to Forget") and several other smaller-scale hits, Elvis Presley's national star power explodes when "Heartbreak Hotel" soars to the top of all three of Billboard's country charts by the end of March. The song also completes a rare feat by topping each of the Billboard pop and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.
With release of Ray Price's "Crazy Arms", the 4/4 shuffle is established and would transform country music, especially honky tonk.

Top hits of the year

Number one hits

United States

(as certified by Billboard)

Date	Single Name	Artist	Wks. No.1	Spec. Note
February 11	Why Baby Why	Red Sovine and Webb Pierce	4	^[2]
February 25	I Forgot to Remember to Forget	Elvis Presley	5	^[A]
March 17	Heartbreak Hotel	Elvis Presley	17	Also reached Number One on the Billboard Pop chart.
March 17	I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby	The Louvin Brothers	2	^[B]
April 7	Blue Suede Shoes	Carl Perkins	3	^[B]
June 23	Crazy Arms	Ray Price	20	^{[1], [2], [A]}
July 14	I Want You, I Need You, I Love You	Elvis Presley	2	Also reached Number One on the Billboard Pop chart.
July 21	I Walk the Line	Johnny Cash	6	^{[2], [A]}
September 15	Don't Be Cruel/Hound Dog	Elvis Presley	10	Also reached Number One on the Billboard Pop and R&B chart.
November 10	Singing the Blues	Marty Robbins	13

Notes

1^ No. 1 song of the year, as determined by Billboard.
2^ Song dropped from No. 1 and later returned to top spot.
A^ First Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist.
B^ Only Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist.

Note: Several songs were simultaneous No. 1 hits on the separate "Most Played C&W in Juke Boxes," "Most Played C&W by Jockeys" and "C&W Best Sellers in Stores" charts.

Other major hits

US	Single	Artist
4	According to My Heart	Jim Reeves
7	Any Old Time	Webb Pierce
5	Be-Bop-A-Lula	Gene Vincent
6	Before I Met You	Carl Smith
4	The Blackboard of My Heart	Hank Thompson
7	Boppin' the Blues	Carl Perkins
15	Casey Jones (The Brave Engineer)	Eddy Arnold
7	Cash on the Barrelhead	The Louvin Brothers
12	The Cat Came Back	Sonny James
3	'Cause I Love You	Webb Pierce
14	Cheated Too	Wilma Lee Cooper and Stoney Cooper
13	Come Back to Me	Jimmy C. Newman
4	Conscience I'm Guilty	Hank Snow
10	Dixie Fried	Carl Perkins
6	Doorstep to Heaven	Carl Smith
3	Eat, Drink, and Be Merry (Tomorrow You'll Cry)	Porter Wagoner
4	Folsom Prison Blues	Johnny Cash
14	The Fool	Sanford Clark
6	Go Away with Me	The Wilburn Brothers
9	God Was So Good	Jimmy C. Newman
5	Hold Everything (Till I Get Home)	Red Sovine
9	Honky-Tonk Man	Johnny Horton
7	Hoping That You're Hoping	The Louvin Brothers
11	How Far Is Heaven	Kitty Wells
5	Hula Rock	Hank Snow
7	I Feel Like Cryin'	Carl Smith
15	I Gotta Know	Wanda Jackson
2	I Take the Chance	The Browns
13	I Want to Be Loved	Johnnie & Jack
8	I Was the One	Elvis Presley
13	I'd Rather Stay Home	Kitty Wells
7	I'm a One-Woman Man	Johnny Horton
11	I'm Moving In	Hank Snow
14	I'm Not Mad, Just Hurt	Hank Thompson
10	I'm So in Love with You	The Wilburn Brothers
11	I've Changed	Carl Smith
2	I've Got a New Heartache	Ray Price
4	I've Got Five Dollars and It's Saturday Night	Faron Young
5	It's a Great Life (If You Don't Weaken)	Faron Young
11	Just as Long as You Love Me	The Browns
3	Just One More	George Jones
5	Little Rosa	Red Sovine and Webb Pierce
7	The Lonely Side of Town	Kitty Wells
10	Love Me	Elvis Presley
3	Love Me Tender	Elvis Presley
13	My Baby Left Me	Elvis Presley
8	My Lips Are Sealed	Jim Reeves
11	Mystery Train	Elvis Presley
9	Only You, Only You	Charlie Walker
2	Poor Man's Riches	Benny Barnes
5	Run Boy	Ray Price
3	Searching (For Someone Like You)	Kitty Wells
9	Seasons of My Heart	Jimmy C. Newman
4	So Doggone Lonesome	Johnny Cash
2	Sweet Dreams	Faron Young
9	Sweet Dreams	Don Gibson
10	Teenage Boogie	Webb Pierce
12	That's All	Tennessee Ernie Ford
5	These Hands	Hank Snow
7	Trouble in Mind	Eddy Arnold
11	Tryin' to Forget the Blues	Porter Wagoner
9	Turn Her Down	Faron Young
11	Twenty Feet of Muddy Water	Sonny James
14	Uncle Pen	Porter Wagoner
14	Waltz of the Angels	Wynn Stewart
4	Wasted Words	Ray Price
7	What Am I Worth	George Jones
8	What Would You Do (If Jesus Came to Your House)	Porter Wagoner
15	What Would You Do (If Jesus Came to Your House)	Red Sovine
9	Why Baby Why	Hank Locklin
9	Wicked Lies	Carl Smith
10	Without Your Love	Bobby Lord
2	Yes I Know Why	Webb Pierce
3	You and Me	Kitty Wells and Red Foley
4	You Are the One	Carl Smith
10	You Don't Know Me	Eddy Arnold
7	You Gotta Be My Baby	George Jones
6	You're Free to Go	Carl Smith
13	You're Not Play Love	The Wilburn Brothers
7	You're Running Wild	The Louvin Brothers
3	You're Still Mine	Faron Young

Top new album releases

Single	Artist	Record Label
Songs of a Love Affair	Jean Shepard	Capitol
Grand Ole Opry's New Star	George Jones	Starday (debut album)

Births

January 18 — Mark Collie, country artist of the early 1990s.
March 26 — Charly McClain, country vocalist of the early-to-mid-1980s.
June 19 — Doug Stone, popular country vocalist during the early- to mid-1990s.
July 6 — John Jorgenson, member of The Desert Rose Band.
July 26 — Scott Hendricks, record producer (Restless Heart, Blake Shelton)
August 12 — Danny Shirley, lead singer of Confederate Railroad
September 22 — Debby Boone, granddaughter of Red Foley who enjoyed country success of her own in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
October 23 — Dwight Yoakam, neotraditionalist since the mid-1980s who helped revitalize interest in the Bakersfield Sound.
December 9 — Sylvia, pop-styled female vocalist of the early-1980s who became best known as "Sylvia."
December 18 – Ron White, comedian, member of Blue Collar Comedy with Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, and Larry the Cable Guy
December 21 — Lee Roy Parnell, alternative country star who enjoyed mainstream country success during the mid-1990s.
December 30 — Suzy Bogguss, folk-styled country artist who rose to fame in the early 1990s.

Deaths

References

^ Rolling Stone Rock Almanac: The Chronicles of Rock & Roll," Collier Books, MacMillan Publishing Co., New York and London, 1983, p. 20. ISBN 0-02-081320-1
^ Rolling Stone Rock Almanac, p. 21.
^ Rolling Stone Rock Almanac, p. 21.
^ Rolling Stone Rock Almanac, p. 25.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1956.
+{{One source|date=May 2015}}This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1956.
-{{Year nav topic|1956|country music}}
+{{YYYY music|1956}}
+{{Year nav topic5|1956|country music}}
 ==Events==
-* January 30—Despite a 4-inch snowstorm, 17,000 fans attend a Coliseum concert in [[Denver, Colorado]]. On the bill are [[Webb Pierce]], [[Red Foley]], the Foggy River Boys, [[Ray Price (musician)|Ray Price]], [[Floyd Cramer]], Roy Hill, the Echo Valley Boys and others.<ref>''Rolling Stone'' Rock Almanac: The Chronicles of Rock & Roll," Collier Books, MacMillan Publishing Co., New York and London, 1983, p. 20. ISBN 0-02-081320-1</ref>
+* January 30 — Despite a 4-inch snowstorm, 17,000 fans attend a Coliseum concert in [[Denver, Colorado]]. On the bill are [[Webb Pierce]], [[Red Foley]], the [[Foggy River Boys]], [[Ray Price (musician)|Ray Price]], [[Floyd Cramer]], Roy Hill, the Echo Valley Boys and others.<ref>''Rolling Stone'' Rock Almanac: The Chronicles of Rock & Roll," Collier Books, MacMillan Publishing Co., New York and London, 1983, p. 20. {{ISBN|0-02-081320-1}}</ref>
-* March 15 -- [[Colonel Tom Parker]] becomes manager of [[Elvis Presley]].<ref>''Rolling Stone'' Rock Almanac, p. 21.</ref>
+* March 15 — [[Colonel Tom Parker]] becomes manager of [[Elvis Presley]].<ref>''Rolling Stone'' Rock Almanac, p. 21.</ref>
-* March 22 -- [[Carl Perkins]] is seriously injured in a car accident near [[Wilmington, Delaware]], while en route to perform on ''The [[Perry Como]] Show''.<ref>''Rolling Stone'' Rock Almanac, p. 21.</ref>
+* March 22 — [[Carl Perkins]] is seriously injured in a car accident near [[Wilmington, Delaware]], while en route to perform on ''The [[Perry Como]] Show''.<ref>''Rolling Stone'' Rock Almanac, p. 21.</ref>
-* November 10 -- [[George Jones]] is named the most promising country and western artist, according to ''[[Billboard magazine|Billboard]]'' magazine's annual nationwide disc jockey poll. Elvis Presley is the most played C&W artist.<ref>''Rolling Stone'' Rock Almanac, p. 25.</ref>
+* November 10 — [[George Jones]] is named the most promising country and western artist, according to ''[[Billboard magazine|Billboard]]'' magazine's annual nationwide disc jockey poll. Elvis Presley is the most played C&W artist.<ref>''Rolling Stone'' Rock Almanac, p. 25.</ref>
 ===No dates===
-* Although he already has had one No. 1 hit (with "[[I Forgot to Remember to Forget]]") and several other smaller-scale hits, [[Elvis Presley]]'s national star power explodes when "[[Heartbreak Hotel]]" soars to the top of all three of ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'''s country charts by the end of March. The song also completes a rare feat by topping each of the ''Billboard'' pop and [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|Rhythm & Blues Records]] charts.
+* Although he already has had one No. 1 hit (with "[[I Forgot to Remember to Forget]]") and several other smaller-scale hits, [[Elvis Presley]]'s national star power explodes when "[[Heartbreak Hotel]]" soars to the top of all three of ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> country charts by the end of March. The song also completes a rare feat by topping each of the ''Billboard'' pop and [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs]] charts.
 * With release of [[Ray Price (musician)|Ray Price]]'s "[[Crazy Arms]]", the 4/4 shuffle is established and would transform country music, especially [[honky tonk]].
 ==Top hits of the year==
 ===Number one hits===
 ====United States====
 ''(as certified by [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]])''
@@ Line 30: / Line 33: @@
 |[[Red Sovine]] and [[Webb Pierce]]
 | style="text-align:center;"|4
-|<sup><span id="ref_2" />[[#endnote 2|'''[2]''']]</sup>
+|<sup><span id="ref_2" ></span>[[#endnote 2|'''[2]''']]</sup>
 |-
 |February 25
@@ Line 36: / Line 39: @@
 |[[Elvis Presley]]
 | style="text-align:center;"|5
-|<sup><span id="ref_A" />[[#endnote A|'''[A]''']]</sup>
+|<sup><span id="ref_A" ></span>[[#endnote A|'''[A]''']]</sup>
 |-
 |March 17
@@ Line 49: / Line 52: @@
 |[[The Louvin Brothers]]
 | style="text-align:center;"|2
-|<sup><span id="ref_B" />[[#endnote B|'''[B]''']]</sup>
+|<sup><span id="ref_B" ></span>[[#endnote B|'''[B]''']]</sup>
 |-
 |April 7
@@ Line 55: / Line 58: @@
 |[[Carl Perkins]]
 | style="text-align:center;"|3
-|<sup><span id="ref_B" />[[#endnote B|'''[B]''']]</sup>
+|<sup><span id="ref_B" ></span>[[#endnote B|'''[B]''']]</sup>
 |-
 |June 23
@@ Line 61: / Line 64: @@
 |[[Ray Price (musician)|Ray Price]]
 | style="text-align:center;"|20
-|<sup><span id="ref_1" />[[#endnote 1|'''[1]''']], <span id="ref_2" />[[#endnote 2|'''[2]''']], <span id="ref_A" />[[#endnote A|'''[A]''']]</sup>
+|<sup><span id="ref_1" ></span>[[#endnote 1|'''[1]''']], <span id="ref_2" ></span>[[#endnote 2|'''[2]''']], <span id="ref_A" ></span>[[#endnote A|'''[A]''']]</sup>
 |-
 |July 14
@@ Line 74: / Line 77: @@
 |[[Johnny Cash]]
 | style="text-align:center;"|6
-|<sup><span id="ref_2" />[[#endnote 2|'''[2]''']], <span id="ref_A" />[[#endnote A|'''[A]''']]</sup>
+|<sup><span id="ref_2" ></span>[[#endnote 2|'''[2]''']], <span id="ref_A" ></span>[[#endnote A|'''[A]''']]</sup>
 |-
 |September 15
@@ Line 90: / Line 93: @@
 |}
+{{refbegin}}
-<div class="references-small">
 ;Notes
-*1<span id="endnote_1" />[[#ref 1|'''^''']] No. 1 song of the year, as determined by ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''.
+*1<span id="endnote_1" ></span>'''[[#ref 1|^]]''' No. 1 song of the year, as determined by ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''.
-*2<span id="endnote_2" />[[#ref 2|'''^''']] Song dropped from No. 1 and later returned to top spot.
+*2<span id="endnote_2" ></span>'''[[#ref 2|^]]''' Song dropped from No. 1 and later returned to top spot.
-*A<span id="endnote_A" />[[#ref A|'''^''']] First ''Billboard'' No. 1 hit for that artist.
+*A<span id="endnote_A" ></span>'''[[#ref A|^]]''' First ''Billboard'' No. 1 hit for that artist.
-*B<span id="endnote_B" />[[#ref B|'''^''']] Only ''Billboard'' No. 1 hit for that artist.
+*B<span id="endnote_B" ></span>'''[[#ref B|^]]''' Only ''Billboard'' No. 1 hit for that artist.
+{{refend}}
-</div>
-:'''''Note''': Several songs were simultaneous No. 1 hits on the separate "Most Played C&W in Juke Boxes," "Most Played C&W by Jockeys" and "C&W Best Sellers in Stores" charts.
+:'''''Note''''': Several songs were simultaneous No. 1 hits on the separate "Most Played C&W in Juke Boxes," "Most Played C&W by Jockeys" and "C&W Best Sellers in Stores" charts.
 ===Other major hits===
@@ Line 107: / Line 110: @@
 |-
 |align="center"|4
-|According to My Heart
+|[[According to My Heart]]
 |[[Jim Reeves]]
 |-
@@ Line 127: / Line 130: @@
 |-
 |align="center"|7
-|Boppin' the Blues
+|[[Boppin' the Blues]]
 |[[Carl Perkins]]
 |-
@@ Line 159: / Line 162: @@
 |-
 |align="center"|10
-|Dixie Fried
+|[[Dixie Fried]]
 |Carl Perkins
 |-
@@ Line 215: / Line 218: @@
 |-
 |align="center"|2
-|I Take the Chance
+|[[I Take the Chance]]
 |[[The Browns]]
 |-
@@ Line 223: / Line 226: @@
 |-
 |align="center"|8
-|I Was the One
+|[[I Was the One]]
 |[[Elvis Presley]]
 |-
@@ Line 255: / Line 258: @@
 |-
 |align="center"|4
-|I've Got Five Dollars and It's Saturday Night
+|[[I've Got Five Dollars and It's Saturday Night]]
 |[[Faron Young]]
 |-
@@ Line 267: / Line 270: @@
 |-
 |align="center"|3
-|Just One More
+|[[Just One More (song)|Just One More]]
 |[[George Jones]]
 |-
@@ Line 315: / Line 318: @@
 |-
 |align="center"|9
-|Seasons of My Heart
+|[[Seasons of My Heart]]
 |Jimmy C. Newman
 |-
@@ Line 363: / Line 366: @@
 |-
 |align="center"|14
-|Waltz of the Angels
+|[[Waltz of the Angels]]
 |[[Wynn Stewart]]
 |-
@@ Line 371: / Line 374: @@
 |-
 |align="center"|7
-|What Am I Worth
+|[[What Am I Worth]]
 |George Jones
 |-
 |align="center"|8
-|What Would You Do? (If Jesus Came to Your House)
+|[[What Would You Do (If Jesus Came to Your House)]]
 |Porter Wagoner
 |-
 |align="center"|15
-|What Would You Do? (If Jesus Came to Your House)
+|What Would You Do (If Jesus Came to Your House)
 |Red Sovine
 |-
@@ Line 411: / Line 414: @@
 |-
 |align="center"|7
-|You Gotta Be My Baby
+|[[You Gotta Be My Baby]]
 |George Jones
 |-
@@ Line 432: / Line 435: @@
 ==Top new album releases==
+{|class="wikitable nob-sortable"
-* ''[[Songs of a Love Affair]]'' - [[Jean Shepard]] (Capitol)
+!width="150"|Single
+!width="90"|Artist
+!width="50"|Record Label
+|-
+|''[[Songs of a Love Affair]]''
+|[[Jean Shepard]]
+|Capitol
+|-
+|''[[Grand Ole Opry's New Star]]''
+|[[George Jones]]
+|Starday ''(debut album)''
+|}
 ==Births==
@@ Line 439: / Line 454: @@
 * June 19 — [[Doug Stone]], popular country vocalist during the early- to mid-1990s.
 * July 6 — [[John Jorgenson]], member of [[The Desert Rose Band]].
+* July 26 — [[Scott Hendricks]], record producer ([[Restless Heart]], [[Blake Shelton]])
+* August 12 — [[Danny Shirley]], lead singer of [[Confederate Railroad]]
 * September 22 — [[Debby Boone]], granddaughter of [[Red Foley]] who enjoyed country success of her own in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
 * October 23 — [[Dwight Yoakam]], neotraditionalist since the mid-1980s who helped revitalize interest in the [[Bakersfield Sound]].
-* December 9 — [[Sylvia (singer)|Sylvia Kirby]], pop-styled female vocalist of the early-1980s who became best known as "Sylvia."
+* December 9 — [[Sylvia (singer)|Sylvia]], pop-styled female vocalist of the early-1980s who became best known as "Sylvia."
+* December 18 – [[Ron White]], comedian, member of Blue Collar Comedy with [[Jeff Foxworthy]], [[Bill Engvall]], and [[Larry the Cable Guy]]
 * December 21 — [[Lee Roy Parnell]], alternative country star who enjoyed mainstream country success during the mid-1990s.
 * December 30 — [[Suzy Bogguss]], folk-styled country artist who rose to fame in the early 1990s.
@@ Line 452: / Line 470: @@
 ===Further reading===
-*Kingsbury, Paul, "Vinyl Hayride: Country Music Album Covers 1947-1989," Country Music Foundation, 2003 (ISBN 0-8118-3572-3)
+*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)
+*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.
+*Whitburn, Joel. "Top Country Songs 1944–2005 – 6th Edition." 2005.
 ==Other links==
 *[[Country Music Association]]
+{{List of years in country music}}
 [[Category:1956 in music|Country]]
-[[Category:Years in country music]]
+[[Category:Country music by year]]