2005 in country music

Events

April 30 - Billboard magazine renames the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart "Hot Country Songs." The chart's renaming is part of a major redesign of the 110-year-old magazine.
May 25 - Oklahoma-born Carrie Underwood becomes the fourth-season winner of "American Idol." Although her first single, "Inside Your Heaven," tops the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the 22-year-old Underwood's influences and music are predominantly country. Late in the year, she entered the top 10 of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the first time with "Jesus Take the Wheel." Her debut album, Some Hearts, rockets to No. 1 on the album charts.
May 25 - Garth Brooks proposes to longtime girlfriend and fellow country music star Trisha Yearwood in Bakersfield, California, ending long-standing speculation about their relationship.
October - Koch Records Nashville folds when its parent company goes out of business.
November 25 - Garth Brooks releases The Limited Series, his second box set to be sold exclusively at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores. The set contains his previous two studio albums, Sevens and Scarecrow; plus his Double Live album; The Lost Sessions, a new album of previously unreleased material; and an All Access DVD containing behind-the-scenes footage of his concerts. The Limited Series is Brooks' first box set to be released under his new label, Pearl Records; he had left his longtime label, Capitol Records, earlier in the year.
December 5 - Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood marry at their home in Oklahoma. It is Brooks' second marriage, Yearwood's third.
Toby Keith, the flagship artist for DreamWorks Nashville, departs to form his own label, Show Dog Nashville. DreamWorks – which had never really lived up to its expectations – is shut down shortly thereafter by its parent company, Universal Music Group.
The Country Music Association announces a new TV deal to move the CMA Awards to ABC, after years of being broadcast on CBS.
Tammy Genovese becomes the head of the Country Music Association, succeeding Ed Benson.

Top Hits of the Year

No. 1 Hits

(As certified by Billboard magazine)

January 22 -- "Awful, Beautiful Life" -- Darryl Worley
February 5 -- "Mud on the Tires" -- Brad Paisley
February 12 -- "Bless the Broken Road" -- Rascal Flatts
March 19 -- "Nothin' to Lose" -- Josh Gracin
March 26 -- "That's What I Love About Sunday" -- Craig Morgan
April 23 -- "Anything But Mine" -- Kenny Chesney
May 7 -- "It's Getting Better All the Time" -- Brooks & Dunn
May 14 -- "My Give a Damn's Busted" -- Jo Dee Messina
May 28 -- "Making Memories of Us" -- Keith Urban
July 2 -- "Fast Cars and Freedom" -- Rascal Flatts
July 23 -- "As Good as I Once Was" -- Toby Keith
September 3 -- "Mississippi Girl" – Faith Hill
September 17 -- "Play Something Country – Brooks & Dunn
September 24 -- "A Real Fine Place to Start" – Sara Evans
October 8 -- "Something to be Proud Of" - Montgomery Gentry
October 22 -- "Better Life" - Keith Urban
December 3 -- "Come a Little Closer" – Dierks Bentley
December 17 -- "Tequilla Makes Her Clothes Fall Off" – Joe Nichols

"Come a Little Closer" by Dierks Bentley returns to No. 1 December 24

December 31 -- "Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right" – Billy Currington

Other Major Hits

"Alberta Bound" – Paul Brandt
"Alcohol" - Brad Paisley
"All Jacked Up" – Gretchen Wilson
"Arlington" – Trace Adkins
"Baby Girl" -- Sugarland
"Believe" – Brooks & Dunn
"Best I Ever Had" – Gary Allan
"Big Blue Note" – Toby Keith
"Big Time" -- Big & Rich
"Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On" – Neal McCoy
"Boondocks" – Little Big Town
"Cheatin'" – Sara Evans
"Do You Want Fries With That" –- Tim McGraw
"Don't Ask Me How I Know" –- Bobby Pinson
"Don't Worry 'Bout a Thing" - SHeDaisy
"Drugs or Jesus" -- Tim McGraw
"Georgia Rain" -- Trisha Yearwood
"Gone" -- Montgomery Gentry
"Good Ride Cowboy" – Garth Brooks
"Goodbye Time" - Blake Shelton
"He Gets That From Me" -- Reba McEntire
"Help Somebody" -- Van Zant
"Hicktown" – Jason Aldean
"Homewrecker" -- Gretchen Wilson
"Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" – Trace Adkins
"Honky Tonk U" -- Toby Keith
"How am I Doin'" – Dierks Bentley
"I May Hate Myself in the Morning" -- Lee Ann Womack
"(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden" – Martina McBride
"I'll Take That as a Yes (The Hot Tub Song)" -- Phil Vassar
"If Heaven" -- Andy Griggs
"If Something Should Happen" -- Darryl Worley
"Jesus Take the Wheel" – Carrie Underwood
"Just Might (Make Me Believe)" – Sugarland
"Keg in the Closet" -- Kenny Chesney
"Leaving" – Paul Brandt
"Let Them Be Little" -- Billy Dean
"Like We Never Loved at All" – Faith Hill with Tim McGraw
"Long, Slow Kisses" -- Jeff Bates
"Lot of Leavin' Left to Do" -- Dierks Bentley
"Miss Me Baby" – Chris Cagle
"Monday Morning Church" -- Alan Jackson
"My Old Friend" – Tim McGraw
"My Sister" -- Reba McEntire
"Nothing 'Bout Love Makes Sense" -- LeAnn Rimes
"Pickin' Wildflowers" -- Keith Anderson
"Probably Wouldn't Be This Way" -- LeAnn Rimes
"Redneck Yacht Club" – Craig Morgan
"She Let Herself Go" – George Strait
"Skin (Sarabeth)" – Rascal Flatts
"Somebody's Hero" – Jamie O'Neal
"Something More" -- Sugarland
"Songs About Me" -- Trace Adkins
"Stay With Me (Brass Bed)" – Josh Gracin
"USA Today" – Alan Jackson
"What's a Guy Gotta Do" -- Joe Nichols
"When I Get Where I'm Going" – Brad Paisley featuring Dolly Parton
"When I Think About Cheatin'" -- Gretchen Wilson
"Who You'd Be Today" –- Kenny Chesney
"You'll Be There" -- George Strait
"You're Like Comin' Home" – Lonestar
"You're My Better Half" -- Keith Urban

Top New Album Releases

III – Joe Nichols (Universal South)
All Jacked Up – Gretchen Wilson (Epic/Sony)
Anywhere But Here – Chris Cagle (Capitol)
Be As You Are: Songs From An Old Blue Chair -- Kenny Chesney (BNA)
Coming Home – Lonestar (BNA)
Delicious Surprise -- Jo Dee Messina (Curb)
Doin' Something Right – Billy Currington (Mercury/Polygram)
Fireflies – Faith Hill (Warner Bros.)
Get Right With The Man -- Van Zant (Columbia/Sony)
Glory Train: Songs Of Faith, Worship And Praise – Randy Travis (Word/Curb)
Hillbilly Deluxe – Brooks & Dunn (Arista Nashville)
Honkytonk University –- Toby Keith (DreamWorks)
Jasper County – Trisha Yearwood (MCA Nashville)
Jason Aldean – Jason Aldean (Broken Bow)
Kerosene – Miranda Lambert (Epic)
The Legend of Johnny Cash – Johnny Cash (Legacy/Columbia/American/Island)
Loco Motive – Cowboy Troy (Raybaw/Warner Bros.)
Modern Day Drifter -- Dierks Bentley (Capitol)
My Kind of Livin' – Craig Morgan (Broken Bow)
Put The O Back In Country – Shooter Jennings (Universal South)
Real Fine Place – Sara Evans (RCA)
The Right To Bare Arms – Larry The Cable Guy (Jack/Warner Bros.)
The Road and the Radio – Kenny Chesney (BNA)
The Road to Here – Little Big Town (Equity)
Somewhere Down in Texas – George Strait (MCA Nashville)
Some Hearts – Carrie Underwood (Arista Nashville)
Songs About Me -- Trace Adkins (Capitol)
That's Life – Neal McCoy (903 Music)
Then & Now: The Hits Collection – Tracy Lawrence (Mercury/Polygram)
This Woman – LeAnn Rimes (Curb)
Those Were the Days – Dolly Parton (Blue Eye/Sugar Hill)
Three Chord Country And American Rock & Roll – Keith Anderson (Arista Nashville)
Time Well Wasted – Brad Paisley (Arista Nashville)
Timeless – Martina McBride (RCA)
Totally Country Vol. 4 -- Various Artists (Sony/BMG/WEA/Universal)

Deaths

February 6 — Merle Kilgore, 70, prolific songwriter ("Wolverton Mountain," "Ring of Fire") and manager of Hank Williams Jr.
February 12 — Sammi Smith, 61, best known for "Help Me Make it Through the Night."
March 2 — Joe Carter, 78, son of A.P. and Sara Carter.
March 9 — Chris LeDoux, 56, world champion bareback rider who sang about the rodeo circuit and cowboy life.
May 14 — Jimmy Martin, 77, the "King of Bluegrass."
August 16 – Vassar Clements, 77, legendary fiddle player. (cancer)

Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

Alabama (Randy Owen (born 1949); Teddy Gentry (born 1952); Jeff Cook (born 1949); and Mark Herndon (born 1955)).
DeFord Bailey (1899-1982)
Glen Campbell (born 1936)

Major Awards

Grammy Awards

Best Female Country Vocal Performance -- "Redneck Woman," Gretchen Wilson.
Best Male Country Vocal Peformance -- "Live Like You Were Dying," Tim McGraw.
Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal -- "Top of the World" (live recording), Dixie Chicks.
Best Country Collaboration with Vocals -- "Portland, Oregon," Loretta Lynn and Jack White.
Best Country Instrumental Performance -- "Earl's Breakdown," Nitty Gritty Dirt Band featuring Earl Scruggs, Randy Scruggs, Vassar Clements and Jerry Douglas.
Best Country Song -- "Live Like You Were Dying," Tim Nichols and Craig Wiseman.
Best Country Album -- Van Lear Rose, Loretta Lynn.
Best Bluegrass Album -- Brand New Strings, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder.

Academy of Country Music

(presented May 17 in Las Vegas)

Entertainer of the Year -- Kenny Chesney
Top Male Vocalist -- Keith Urban
Top Female Vocalist -- Gretchen Wilson
Top New Artist -- Gretchen Wilson
Top Vocal Group -- Rascal Flatts
Top Vocal Duo -- Brooks & Dunn
Vocal Event of the Year -- "Whiskey Lullaby", Brad Paisley and Allison Krauss
Single of the Year -- "Live Like You Were Dying", Tim McGraw
Song of the Year -- "Live Like You Were Dying", Tim Nichols and Craig Wiseman
Album of the Year -- Be Here, Keith Urban
Video of the Year -- "Whiskey Lullaby", Brad Paisley and Allison Krauss (director: Rick Schroder).
ACM/Home Depot Humanitarian of the Year -- Neal McCoy

Country Music Association

(presented November 15 in New York City)

Entertainer of the Year -- Keith Urban
Male Vocalist of the Year -- Keith Urban
Female Vocalist of the Year -- Gretchen Wilson
Horizon Award -- Dierks Bentley
Vocal Group of the Year -- Rascal Flatts
Vocal Duo of the Year -- Brooks & Dunn
Vocal Event of the Year -- "Good News, Bad News" George Strait and Lee Ann Womack
Single of the Year -- "I May Hate Myself in the Morning", Lee Ann Womack
Song of the Year -- "Whiskey Lullaby", Bill Anderson and Jon Randall
Album of the Year -- There's More Where That Came From, Lee Ann Womack
Video of the Year -- "As Good As I Once Was" Toby Keith (Director: Michael Salomon)
Musician of the Year -- Jerry Douglas

Sources

Stark, Phyllis, "Toby Keith topped country charts, shook up Music Row," Billboard magazine, December 24, 2005, p. YE-18.

External links

2005 in country music

Events

Top Hits of the Year

No. 1 Hits

Other Major Hits

Top New Album Releases

Deaths

Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

Major Awards

Grammy Awards

Academy of Country Music

Country Music Association

Sources

Further Reading

Other links

External links