2003 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 2003.
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Events
- March 10 – During a concert in Martie Maguire – appeared nude (with private parts strategically covered) on the May 2 cover of Entertainment Weekly. Their bodies were covered with words such as "Saddam's Angels" and "Traitor."[1]
- June - Ashley Gearing charts with "Can You Hear Me When I Talk to You?" at the age of twelve years and one month, breaks a record set by Brenda Lee in 1957 as the youngest female artist to have a single on the country charts.[2]
- June 11 – Country Music magazine announces that it will cease publication, effective with the August/September 2003 issue. The final issue's cover artist was Martina McBride, as part of a salute to women in country music. The magazine's sister publication, Country Weekly, which had largely taken over the market for country music-related journalism, picks up part of the slack left by the closure of Country Music, both of which were published by American Media Inc.[3]
- July – The Great American Country. Eventually, Rascal Flatts released an edited version of the video, which aired during daytime hours on the two country music-oriented networks.[4]
- December – The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts honors Loretta Lynn for her lifetime contributions to the arts.
No dates
- Throughout the year, country music was beset by the deaths of notable figures, including .
Top hits of the year
The following songs placed within the Top 20 on the Hot Country Songs charts in 2003:
Top new album releases
The following albums placed within the Top 50 on the Top Country Albums charts in 2003:
Other top albums
US | Album | Artist | Record Label |
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12 | All the Best | Glen Campbell | Capitol Nashville |
17 | Bering Strait | Bering Strait | Universal South |
33 | Bill Gaither Presents: A Gospel Bluegrass Homecoming Volume One |
Various Artists | Gaither |
34 | Bill Gaither Presents: A Gospel Bluegrass Homecoming Volume Two |
Various Artists | Gaither |
17 | Billy Currington | Billy Currington | Mercury Nashville |
15 | Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie Soundtrack | Various Artists | Warner Bros. |
48 | Bluegrass Today | Various Artists | Time Life |
21 | Brian McComas | Brian McComas | Lyric Street |
21 | The Christmas Guest: Songs and Stories of Christmas | Andy Griffith | Sparrow |
20 | Classic Country: Christmas | Various Artists | Time Life |
45 | Classic Country: The '80s | Various Artists | Time Life |
11 | CMT Most Wanted Volume 1 | Various Artists | Capitol Nashville |
40 | Country Music | Marty Stuart | Columbia |
32 | Crazy: The Demo Sessions | Willie Nelson | Sugar Hill |
44 | Delbert McClinton Live | Delbert McClinton | New West |
11 | Drunk in Public | Ron White | Hip-O |
30 | Dusty Drake | Dusty Drake | Warner Bros. |
30 | Elvis: Christmas Peace | Elvis Presley | RCA |
41 | Elvis: Close Up | Elvis Presley | RCA |
24 | The Essential Willie Nelson | Willie Nelson | Legacy |
29 | Fate's Right Hand | Rodney Crowell | Epic |
24 | Farm Fresh Onions | Robert Earl Keen | Koch |
23 | For God and Country | Dolly Parton | Blue Eye |
40 | Full Exposure | Cory Morrow | Write On |
28 | Further Down the Old Plank Road | The Chieftains | RCA |
44 | Genuine | The Derailers | Lucky Dog |
19 | The Gospel Collection | George Jones | Bandit |
40 | Haggard Like Never Before | Merle Haggard | Capitol Nashville |
46 | Heart Full of Country | Various Artists | Capitol Nashville |
37 | Here's Your Sign Reloaded | Bill Engvall | Warner Bros. |
50 | Honesty | Rodney Atkins | Curb |
24 | Horsepower | Chris LeDoux | Capitol Nashville |
16 | I Love It | Craig Morgan | Broken Bow |
39 | I Want My Money Back | Sammy Kershaw | Audium |
24 | I'm One of You | Hank Williams, Jr.
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Asylum-Curb |
19 | I've Always Been Crazy: A Tribute to Waylon Jennings | Various Artists | RCA Nashville |
37 | It'll Come to You… The Songs of John Hiatt | Various Artists | Vanguard |
47 | It's Just the Night | Del McCoury Band | McCoury |
20 | Jennifer Hanson | Jennifer Hanson | Capitol Nashville |
43 | Just an American Boy | Steve Earle | E-Squared |
32 | Live at the Charleston Music Hall | Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder | Skaggs Family |
44 | Livin', Lovin', Losin': Songs of the Louvin Brothers | Various Artists | Universal South |
47 | Lonesome, On'ry and Mean: A Tribute to Waylon Jennings |
Various Artists | Razor & Tie |
32 | The Mavericks | The Mavericks | Sanctuary |
15 | Music Through Heartsongs: Songs Based on the Poems of Mattie J.T. Stepanek |
Billy Gilman | Epic |
25 | Nashville Star: The Finalists | Various Artists | Columbia |
14 | Nut Sack | Rodney Carrington | Capitol Nashville |
30 | One Step Ahead | Rhonda Vincent | Rounder |
18 | The Other Side | Billy Ray Cyrus | Word/Curb |
37 | Pure Country Classics: The #1 Hits | Various Artists | UTV |
14 | Rainbow Man | Jeff Bates | RCA Nashville |
31 | Roy D. Mercer Hits the Road | Roy D. Mercer | Capitol Nashville |
16 | Rules of Travel | Rosanne Cash | Capitol Nashville |
49 | Show | Allison Moorer | Universal South |
19 | A Six Pack of Judd | Cledus T. Judd | Koch |
37 | The Songs of Hank Williams, Jr. | Various Artists | Warner Bros. |
31 | Steal Another Day | Steve Wariner | Selectone |
22 | Streets of Heaven | Sherrié Austin | Broken Bow |
24 | Three Pickers | Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson & Ricky Skaggs |
Rounder |
27 | The Time-Life Treasury of Bluegrass | Various Artists | Time Life |
39 | Ultimate Clint Black | Clint Black | RCA Nashville |
20 | Ultimate Dolly Parton | Dolly Parton | RCA Nashville |
33 | Unearthed | Johnny Cash | Lost Highway |
11 | The Very Best of John Michael Montgomery | John Michael Montgomery | Warner Bros. |
24 | A Very Special Acoustic Christmas | Various Artists | Lost Highway |
33 | Wildwood Flower | June Carter Cash | Dualtone |
48 | You, Me and the Windshield | Marcel | Mercury Nashville |
Births
- September 29 – Callista Clark, country music singer and songwriter of the 2020s ("It's 'Cause I Am").
Deaths
- February 19 – Johnny Paycheck, 64, legendary singer and songwriter, best known for "Take This Job and Shove It." (complications from asthma and emphysema)
- March 17 – Bill Carlisle, 94, singer-songwriter and comedian, lead singer of the Carlisles and stalwart of the Grand Ole Opry.
- April 22 – Boudleaux Bryant.
- May 15 – June Carter Cash, 73, member of the Carter Family and wife of Johnny Cash (complications from heart surgery).
- June 30 – Sam Phillips, 80, founder of Sun Records and major player in emergence of rock and roll and its cross-genre popularity.
- July - Jayne White, 40 of duo JJ White.ayne
- August 22 – Floyd Tillman, 88, 1930s and 1940s singer instrumental in creating the genre's western swing and honky-tonk styles.
- August 26 – Wilma Burgess, 64, country vocalist of the 1960s best known for "Misty Blue."
- September 12 – Johnny Cash, 71, vastly influential singer/songwriter/guitarist whose music transcended musical boundaries; best known for hits like "Ring of Fire," "I Walk the Line," "Hurt," and "A Boy Named Sue" (diabetic complications).
- November 17 – natural causes).
- December 16 – Gary Stewart, 58, rough, outlaw-styled country singer known for his drinking songs ("She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles)") (suicide).
- December 22 – Dave Dudley, 75, best known for his 1960s-era truck driving songs, such as "Six Days on the Road" (heart attack).
Hall of Fame inductees
Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame inductees
Country Music Hall of Fame inductees
- Floyd Cramer (1933–1997)
- Carl Smith(1927–2010)
Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductees
- Sylvia Tyson
- J. Edward Preston
- Fred King
- Charlie Russell
- Art Wallman
Major awards
Grammy Awards
- Best Female Country Vocal Performance – "Keep on the Sunny Side", June Carter Cash
- Best Male Country Vocal Performance – "Next Big Thing", Vince Gill
- Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal – "A Simple Life", Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
- Best Country Collaboration with Vocals – "How's the World Treating You", Alison Krauss and James Taylor
- Best Country Instrumental Performance – "Cluck Old Hen", Alison Krauss & Union Station
- Best Country Song – "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere", Jim "Moose" Brown and Don Rollins
- Best Country Album – Livin', Lovin', Losin' – Songs of the Louvin Brothers, Various Artists (Producer: Carl Jackson)
- Best Bluegrass Album – Live, Alison Krauss & Union Station
Juno Awards
- Country Recording of the Year – Up!, Shania Twain
CMT Flameworthy Video Music Awards
- Video of the Year – "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)", Toby Keith
- Male Video of the Year – "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)", Toby Keith
- Female Video of the Year – "Concrete Angel", Martina McBride
- Group/Duo Video of the Year – "These Days", Rascal Flatts
- Breakthrough Video of the Year – "Brokenheartsville", Joe Nichols
- Hottest Male Video of the Year – "She's My Kind of Rain", Tim McGraw
- Hottest Female Video of the Year – "When the Lights Go Down", Faith Hill
- Cocky Video of the Year – "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)", Toby Keith
- Concept Video of the Year – "I'm Gonna Getcha Good!", Shania Twain
- Fashion Plate Video of the Year – "She's My Kind of Rain", Tim McGraw
- Video Director of the Year – "Deaton Flanigen)
- Special Achievement Award – Johnny Cash
Americana Music Honors & Awards
- Album of the Year – American IV: The Man Comes Around (Johnny Cash)
- Artist of the Year – Johnny Cash
- Song of the Year – "Hurt" (Trent Reznor)
- Instrumentalist of the Year – Jerry Douglas
- Spirit of Americana/Free Speech Award – Kris Kristofferson
- Lifetime Achievement: Songwriting – John Prine
- Lifetime Achievement: Performance – Levon Helm
- Lifetime Achievement: Executive – Sam Phillips
Academy of Country Music
- Entertainer of the Year – Toby Keith
- Song of the Year – "Three Wooden Crosses", Doug Johnson, Kim Williams
- Single of the Year – "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere", Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett
- Album of the Year – Shock'n Y'all, Toby Keith
- Top Male Vocalist – Toby Keith
- Top Female Vocalist – Martina McBride
- Top Vocal Duo – Brooks & Dunn
- Top Vocal Group – Rascal Flatts
- Top New Artist – Dierks Bentley
- Video of the Year – "Beer for My Horses", Toby Keith and Willie Nelson (Director: Michael Salomon)
- Vocal Event of the Year – "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere," Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett
ARIA Awards
(presented in Sydney on October 21, 2003)
Canadian Country Music Association
- Kraft Cheez Whiz Fans' Choice Award – Terri Clark
- Male Artist of the Year – Aaron Lines
- Female Artist of the Year – Shania Twain
- Group or Duo of the Year – Emerson Drive
- SOCAN Song of the Year – "Rocket Girl", Jason McCoy, Denny Carr
- Single of the Year – "I Just Wanna Be Mad", Terri Clark
- Album of the Year – Up!, Shania Twain
- Top Selling Album – Up!, Shania Twain
- CMT Video of the Year – "I'm Gonna Getcha Good!", Shania Twain
- Chevy Trucks Rising Star Award – Aaron Lines
- Roots Artist or Group of the Year – Sean Hogan
Country Music Association
- Entertainer of the Year – Alan Jackson
- Song of the Year – "Three Wooden Crosses", Doug Johnson, Kim Williams
- Single of the Year – "Hurt", Johnny Cash
- Album of the Year – American IV: The Man Comes Around, Johnny Cash
- Male Vocalist of the Year – Alan Jackson
- Female Vocalist of the Year – Martina McBride
- Vocal Duo of the Year – Brooks & Dunn
- Vocal Group of the Year – Rascal Flatts
- Horizon Award – Joe Nichols
- Video of the Year – "Hurt", Johnny Cash (Director: Mark Romanek)
- Vocal Event of the Year – "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere", Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett
- Musician of the Year – Randy Scruggs
Further reading
- Whitburn, Joel, "Top Country Songs 1944–2005 – 6th Edition." 2005.
References
- ^ 'Dixie sluts' fight on with naked defiance
- ^ Fred Bronson (June 21, 2003). "Chart beat". Billboard. p. 72.
- ^ CMT News: "Country Music Magazine Closes," June 11, 2003. Accessed 02-05-2012. [1]
- ^ Rascal Flatts – Saucy Country Video Creates a Storm of Controversy
- ^ "20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: Best of Toby Keith CD".
Other links
- Country Music Association
- Inductees of the Country Music Hall of Fame