2010 in country music

Events

• January 31 – Taylor Swift becomes the youngest person to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year for her sophomore country album Fearless (2008). Fearless additionally wins the award for Best Country Album, while Swift's "White Horse" is awarded Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song.
• February 1 – Loretta Lynn marks 50 years since she signed her first recording contract.
• February 6 – Wynonna Judd announces that she will reunite with her mother, Naomi Judd, to tour and record a studio album for the final time as The Judds by the end of 2010.
• February 6- George Hamilton IV celebrates his 50th Grand Ole Opry Anniversary
• February 13 – Two men in a small pickup truck die from injuries they sustained after colliding with one of Trace Adkins's tour buses. The truck was believed to have crossed the "no passing" line in the center of the road which resulted in the crash. Several members of Adkins' band were aboard the bus, but did not suffer any major injuries. Adkins himself was not on board the bus at the time.
• April 14 – Disney Music Group announces the closure of Lyric Street Records. The label's flagship act, Rascal Flatts, along with Bucky Covington, Kevin Fowler, and Tyler Dickerson follow them within the label's parent company. Three other artists on the roster – Sarah Buxton, Love and Theft and The Parks – are released from the label.
• April 18 – Carrie Underwood becomes the first woman in history to win the Entertainer of the Year award at the Academy of Country Music Awards twice. Underwood previously won the award at the 2009 ceremony.
• May 3 – Chely Wright becomes the first major country artist to come out as homosexual.
• May 4 – Flooding on the Cumberland River in Nashville, Tennessee, causes damage to the Grand Ole Opry House and Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, with several feet of water. Grand Ole Opry performances are moved to the Ryman Auditorium, War Memorial Auditorium and the Two Rivers Baptist Church; all of which were unaffected by the floods. The common areas of the Gaylord Opryland Hotel were destroyed, and parts of the hotel are under 10 feet of water.
• May 11 – Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert become engaged after five years of dating.
• May 26 – Country music legend Willie Nelson cuts his "trademark, waist-length braids."
• May 29 – The Lost Trailers announce that they will disband in September after the final date of their 2010 concert tour.
• June 23 – Kellie Pickler and songwriter Kyle Jacobs become engaged after two and a half years of dating.
• July 10 – Carrie Underwood and Ottawa Senators player Mike Fisher marry in a private ceremony in Georgia.
• October 26 – Billy Ray Cyrus and wife Tish file for divorce in Nashville. According to People magazine, the couple filed for divorce documents on Tuesday, October 26, 2010, citing irreconcilable differences Less than a year later, on March 18, 2011, Cyrus announces on The View that he has dropped the divorce.
• October 30 – Randy Travis and wife Elizabeth file for divorce. According to the Associated Press, Randy filed a petition for dissolution of marriage in Albuquerque, N.M. on Thursday, October 28, citing that a "state of incompatibility exists between the parties".
• November 11 – The Nashville Scene publishes a report from representatives of British progressive rock band The Alan Parsons Project, alleging that the chorus of Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" – which during 2010 became a major crossover smash hit in the U.S. and worldwide – has the same melody as the chorus of Parsons' "Eye In The Sky", a 1982 hit single that peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
• December 5 – The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts honors Merle Haggard for his lifetime contributions to the arts.
• December – The song "Love Like Crazy" by Lee Brice, which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in September, is named the No. 1 country song of 2010, and in doing so becomes the first non-No. 1 song in the chart's 66-year history to earn such an honor. Earlier in the year, "Love Like Crazy" broke the chart's longevity record, spending 55 weeks on the chart and surpassing (by one week) a 62-year-old record, established by Eddy Arnold's "Bouquet of Roses."

Top hits of the year

The following songs placed within the Top 20 on the Hot Country Songs or Canada Country charts in 2010:

Top new album releases

The following albums placed within the Top 50 on the Top Country Albums charts in 2010:

Other top albums

Deaths

• January 16 – Carl Smith, 82, honky tonk-styled star of the 1950s through 1970s.
• January 27 – Shirley Collie Nelson, 78, rockabilly artist, second wife of Willie Nelson.
• May 26 – Judy Lynn, 74, Nashville Sound artist of the 1960s and former beauty pageant queen.
• June 13 – Jimmy Dean, 81, popular country music singer, actor and entrepreneur, best known for his 1961 hit "Big Bad John" and his eponymously named sausage company.
• July 15 – Hank Cochran, 74, songwriter behind hits such as "I Fall to Pieces" and "The Chair" among others.
• July 17 – Fred Carter, Jr., 76, session guitarist and father of country artist Deana Carter.
• July 22 – Margaret Ann Rich, 76, songwriter, wife of the late singer-songwriter Charlie Rich
• July 26 – Ben Keith, 73, session pedal steel guitarist, record producer
• July 31 – George Richey, 74, songwriter and record producer; widower of Tammy Wynette. (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• August 23 – Bill Phillips, 74, singer and songwriter best known for his 1966 country hit, "Put It Off Until Tomorrow", written by Dolly Parton.
• October 24 – Linda Hargrove, 61, singer and songwriter, wrote "Just Get Up and Close the Door" by Johnny Rodriguez.

Hall of Fame inductees

Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame Inductees

• John Hartford
• Louise Scruggs

Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

• Jimmy Dean (August 10, 1928 - June 13, 2010)
• Ferlin Husky (December 3, 1925 - March 17, 2011)
• Billy Sherrill (November 5, 1936 - August 4, 2015)
• Don Williams (May 27, 1939 - September 8, 2017)

Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

• Donna & LeRoy Anderson
• Willie P. Bennett
• Marie Bottrell
• Eddie Eastman
• Don Harron
• Fred McKenna
• Wayne Rostad
• Ray St. Germain
• Joyce Smith
• Tom Tompkins
• Hal & Ginger Willis

Major awards

Academy of Country Music

(presented April 3, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada)

• Entertainer of the Year – Taylor Swift
• Top Male Vocalist – Brad Paisley
• Top Female Vocalist – Miranda Lambert
• Top Vocal Group – Lady Antebellum
• Top Vocal Duo – Sugarland
• Top New Solo Artist – Eric Church
• Top New Duo/Group – The Band Perry
• Top New Artist – The Band Perry
• Album of the Year – Need You Now, Lady Antebellum
• Single Record of the Year – "The House That Built Me", Miranda Lambert
• Song of the Year – "The House That Built Me", Miranda Lambert
• Video of the Year – "The House That Built Me", Miranda Lambert
• Vocal Event of the Year – "As She's Walking Away", Zac Brown Band and Alan Jackson

Americana Music Honors & Awards

• Album of the Year – The List (Rosanne Cash)
• Artist of the Year – Ryan Bingham
• Duo/Group of the Year – The Avett Brothers
• Song of the Year – "The Weary Kind" (Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett)
• Emerging Artist of the Year – Hayes Carll
• Instrumentalist of the Year – Buddy Miller
• Spirit of Americana/Free Speech Award – Mary Chapin Carpenter
• Lifetime Achievement: Songwriting – John Mellencamp
• Lifetime Achievement: Performance – Wanda Jackson
• Lifetime Achievement: Instrumentalist – Greg Leisz
• Lifetime Achievement: Executive – Luke Lewis
• Lifetime Achievement: Producer/Engineer – Brian Ahern

American Country Awards

(presented December 6 in Las Vegas, Nevada)

• Artist of the Year – Carrie Underwood
• Female Artist of the Year – Carrie Underwood
• Male Artist of the Year – Brad Paisley
• Group/Duo of the Year – Lady Antebellum
• Touring Package of the Year – "Play On Tour", Carrie Underwood
• Album of the Year – Play On, Carrie Underwood
• Breakthrough Artist of the Year – Easton Corbin
• Single of the Year – "Need You Now", Lady Antebellum
• Female Single of the Year – "Cowboy Casanova", Carrie Underwood
• Male Single of the Year – "Why Don't We Just Dance", Josh Turner
• Duo/Group Single of the Year – "Need You Now", Lady Antebellum
• Breakthrough Single of the Year – "A Little More Country Than That", Easton Corbin
• Music Video of the Year – "Hillbilly Bone", Blake Shelton feat. Trace Adkins
• Female Music Video of the Year – "Cowboy Casanova", Carrie Underwood
• Male Music Video of the Year – "Hillbilly Bone", Blake Shelton feat. Trace Adkins
• Duo/Group Music Video of the Year – "Need You Now", Lady Antebellum
• Breakthrough Music Video of the Year – "A Little More Country Than That", Easton Corbin

ARIA Awards

(presented in Sydney on November 7, 2010)

• Best Country Album – Wrapped Up Good (The McClymonts)
• ARIA Hall of Fame – John Williamson

Canadian Country Music Association

(presented September 12 in Edmonton)

• Fans' Choice Award – Johnny Reid
• Male Artist of the Year – Gord Bamford
• Female Artist of the Year – Victoria Banks
• Group or Duo of the Year – Doc Walker
• Songwriter(s) of the Year – "Dance With Me", written by Johnny Reid, Victoria Banks, and Tia Sillers
• Single of the Year – "Dance With Me", Johnny Reid
• Album of the Year – Day Job, Gord Bamford
• Top Selling Album – Fearless, Taylor Swift
• Top Selling Canadian Album – Dance with Me, Johnny Reid
• CMT Video of the Year – "Day Job", Gord Bamford
• Rising Star Award – One More Girl
• Roots Artist or Group of the Year – Corb Lund

Country Music Association

(presented November 10 in Nashville)

• Single of the Year – "Need You Now", Lady Antebellum
• Song of the Year – "The House That Built Me", Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin
• Vocal Group of the Year – Lady Antebellum
• New Artist of the Year – Zac Brown Band
• Album of the Year – Revolution, Miranda Lambert
• Musician of the Year – Mac McAnally
• Vocal Duo of the Year – Sugarland
• Music Video of the Year – "The House That Built Me", Miranda Lambert
• Male Vocalist of the Year – Blake Shelton
• Female Vocalist of the Year – Miranda Lambert
• Musical Event of the Year – "Hillbilly Bone", Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins
• Entertainer of the Year – Brad Paisley

CMT Music Awards

(presented June 9 in Nashville)

• Video of the Year – "Cowboy Casanova", Carrie Underwood
• Male Video of the Year – "'Til Summer Comes Around", Keith Urban
• Female Video of the Year – "White Liar", Miranda Lambert
• Group Video of the Year – "Need You Now", Lady Antebellum
• Duo Video of the Year – "Indian Summer", Brooks & Dunn
• USA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year – "Do I", Luke Bryan
• Collaborative Video of the Year – "Hillbilly Bone", Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins
• Performance of the Year – "Temporary Home", Carrie Underwood, from CMT Invitation Only
• Video Director of the Year – Shaun Silva
• Nationwide Is On Your Side Award – Chris Young

CMT Artists of the Year

(presented December 1 in Nashville)

• Jason Aldean
• Lady Antebellum
• Taylor Swift
• Carrie Underwood
• Zac Brown Band

Grammy Awards

(presented February 13, 2011)

• Best Female Country Vocal Performance – "The House That Built Me", Miranda Lambert
• Best Male Country Vocal Performance – "'Til Summer Comes Around", Keith Urban
• Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals – "Need You Now", Lady Antebellum
• Best Country Collaboration with Vocals – "As She's Walking Away", Zac Brown Band and Alan Jackson
• Best Country Instrumental Performance – "Hummingbyrd", Marty Stuart
• Best Country Song – "Need You Now", Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott
• Best Country Album – Need You Now, Lady Antebellum
• Best Bluegrass Album – Mountain Soul II, Patty Loveless

Juno Awards

(presented March 27, 2011 in Toronto)

• Country Album of the Year – A Place Called Love, Johnny Reid

Hollywood Walk of Fame

stars who were honored in 2010

Alan Jackson

Kennedy Center Honors

Country stars who were honored in 2010

Merle Haggard

References

Other links

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

References

1. [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/judds-reuniting-for-one-more-tour/ Judds Reuniting for One More Tour] — [[CBS News]]
2. (February 13, 2010). "Trace Adkins' Tour Bus Involved in Fatal Crash". [[TMZ.com.
3. [https://web.archive.org/web/20100514093818/http://www.cmt.com/news/news-in-brief/1637143/covington-fowler-dickerson-follow-rascal-flatts-to-disney-music-group.jhtml Covington, Fowler, Dickerson Follow Rascal Flatts to Disney Music Group]
4. [https://web.archive.org/web/20100423000727/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iseaNi5A7u-ileQWIEuI9KdFY40gD9F5SSB80 Carrie Underwood wins ACM Entertainer of the Year]
5. [https://web.archive.org/web/20100505234223/http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1638272/chely-wright-acknowledges-her-homosexuality.jhtml Chely Wright Acknowledges Her Homosexuality], [[Country Music Television. CMT News]], May 3, 2010. Accessed March 5, 2010
6. (May 3, 2010). "Nashville flooding hits Grand Ole Opry". USA Today Online.
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9. (May 26, 2010). "Willie Nelson Cuts Off His Braids". yahoo.
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11. Derschowitz, Jessica. (June 23, 2010). "Kyle Jacobs and Kellie Picker are Engaged". [[CBS News]].
12. Finan, Eileen. "Carrie Underwood Gets Married in Southern Style". [[People Magazine.
13. Wendy Geller. "Miley Cyrus' Parents File for Divorce". [[Yahoo! News]].
14. "Billy Ray Cyrus Divorce – He Pulled the Trigger". [[TMZ.com]].
15. (March 18, 2011). "Billy Ray Cyrus Drops Divorce, Praises ''Hannah Montana''".
16. Chris Talbott. (October 30, 2010). "Randy Travis and wife-manager, Elizabeth, divorce". [[The Seattle Times]].
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18. Wendy Geller. (November 18, 2010). "Lady Antebellum's 'Need You Now'--A Ripoff?". Yahoo!-Our Country blog.
19. "Year End Charts – Year-end Singles – Hot Country Songs".
20. Trust, Gary. (September 7, 2010). "Lee Brice Breaks Country Songs Longevity Record".
21. "Chart listing for "Ain't Back Yet"".
22. "Chart listing for "All About Tonight"".
23. "Chart listing for "All Over Me"".
24. "Chart listing for "American Honey"".
25. "Chart listing for "American Saturday Night"".
26. "Chart listing for "Anything Like Me"".
27. "Chart listing for "As She's Walking Away"".
28. "Chart listing for "Backwoods"".
29. "Chart listing for "Beer on the Table"".
30. "Chart listing for "The Boys of Fall"".
31. "Chart listing for "Come Back Song"".
32. "Chart listing for "Consider Me Gone"".
33. "Chart listing for "Crazy Town"".
34. "Chart listing for "Cryin' for Me"".
35. "Chart listing for "Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You"".
36. "Chart listing for "Every Dog Has Its Day"".
37. "Chart listing for "Farmer's Daughter"".
38. "Chart listing for "Fearless"".
39. "Chart listing for "Free"".
40. "Chart listing for "Get Off on the Pain"".
41. "Chart listing for "Gimmie That Girl"".
42. "Chart listing for "Hard Hat and a Hammer"".
43. "Chart listing for "Hell on the Heart"".
44. "Chart listing for "Highway 20 Ride"".
45. "Chart listing for "Hillbilly Bone"".
46. "Chart listing for "Hip to My Heart"".
47. "Chart listing for "History in the Making"".
48. "Chart listing for "The House That Built Me"".
49. "Chart listing for "How I Got to Be This Way"".
50. "Chart listing for "Hurry Home"".
51. "Chart listing for "I Gotta Get to You"".
52. "Chart listing for "I Keep On Loving You"".
53. "Chart listing for "I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes"".
54. "Chart listing for "I'm In"".
55. "Chart listing for "If I Die Young"".
56. "Chart listing for "It's Just That Way"".
57. "Chart listing for "Keep On Lovin' You"".
58. "Chart listing for "A Little More Country Than That"".
59. "Chart listing for "Little White Church"".
60. "Chart listing for "Love Like Crazy"".
61. "Chart listing for "Lover, Lover"".
62. "Chart listing for "The Man I Want to Be"".
63. "Chart listing for "Mine"".
64. "Chart listing for "Only Prettier"".
65. "Chart listing for "Our Kind of Love"".
66. "Chart listing for "Pray for You"".
67. "Chart listing for "Pretty Good at Drinkin' Beer"".
68. "Chart listing for "Rain Is a Good Thing"".
69. "Chart listing for "Roll with It"".
70. "Chart listing for "She Won't Be Lonely Long"".
71. "Chart listing for "Smile"".
72. "Chart listing for "Southern Voice"".
73. "Chart listing for "Still"".
74. "Chart listing for "Stuck Like Glue"".
75. "Chart listing for "Temporary Home"".
76. "Chart listing for "That's How Country Boys Roll"".
77. "Chart listing for "This Ain't No Love Song"".
78. "Chart listing for "This Ain't Nothin'"".
79. "Chart listing for "'Til Summer Comes Around"".
80. "Chart listing for "Today"".
81. "Chart listing for "Trailerhood"".
82. "Chart listing for "The Truth"".
83. "Chart listing for "Turning Home"".
84. "Chart listing for "Twang"".
85. "Chart listing for "Undo It"".
86. "Chart listing for "Unstoppable"".
87. "Chart listing for "Water"".
88. "Chart listing for "Way Out Here"".
89. "Chart listing for "White Liar"".
90. "Chart listing for "Why Don't We Just Dance"".
91. "Chart listing for "Why Wait"".
92. "Chart listing for "Work Hard, Play Harder"".
93. "Chart listing for "Wrong Baby Wrong"".
94. "Chart listing for ''34 Number Ones''".
95. "Chart listing for ''Achin' and Shakin'''".
96. "Chart listing for ''The Age of Miracles''".
97. "Chart listing for ''Album Number Two''".
98. "Chart listing for ''All About Tonight''".
99. "Chart listing for ''All the Women I Am''".
100. "Chart listing for ''American VI: Ain't No Grave''".
101. "Chart listing for ''The Band Perry''".
102. "Chart listing for ''Bullets in the Gun''".
103. "Chart listing for ''Burning the Day''".
104. "Chart listing for ''Charleston SC, 1966''".
105. "Chart listing for ''Chicken & Biscuits''".
106. "Chart listing for ''Country Music''".
107. "Chart listing for ''Country Strong''".
108. "Chart listing for ''Cowboy's Back in Town''".
109. "Chart listing for ''Crazy Heart''".
110. "Chart listing for ''Easton Corbin''".
111. "Chart listing for ''Enjoy Yourself''".
112. "Chart listing for ''Freight Train''".
113. "Chart listing for ''Get Closer''".
114. "Chart listing for ''Get Off on the Pain''".
115. "Chart listing for ''Getting Dressed in the Dark''".
116. "Chart listing for ''The Guitar Song''".
117. "Chart listing for ''Halfway to Heaven''".
118. "Chart listing for ''Happy Hour: The South River Road Sessions''".
119. "Chart listing for ''Haywire''".
120. "Chart listing for ''Hemingway's Whiskey''".
121. "Chart listing for ''Hillbilly Bone''".
122. "Chart listing for ''Hits Alive''".
123. "Chart listing for ''I Got Your Country Right Here''".
124. "Chart listing for ''The Incredible Machine''".
125. "Chart listing for ''iTunes Session EP''".
126. "Chart listing for ''Judge Jerrod & the Hung Jury''".
127. "Chart listing for ''Junky Star''".
128. "Chart listing for ''Loaded: The Best of Blake Shelton''".
129. "Chart listing for ''Love Heals''".
130. "Chart listing for ''Love Like Crazy''".
131. "Chart listing for ''A Merry Little Christmas''".
132. "Chart listing for ''My Best Days''".
133. "Chart listing for ''My Kinda Party''".
134. "Chart listing for ''Need You Now''".
135. "Chart listing for ''Nothing Like This''".
136. "Chart listing for ''Now That's What I Call Country Volume 3''".
137. "Chart listing for ''Now That's What I Call the USA: The Patriotic Country Collection''".
138. "Chart listing for ''Number One Hits''".
139. "Chart listing for ''Pass the Jar: Zac Brown Band and Friends Live from the Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta''".
140. "Chart listing for ''The Reason Why''".
141. "Chart listing for ''Rebel Within''".
142. "Chart listing for ''Shake What God Gave Ya''".
143. "Chart listing for ''She Won't Be Lonely Long''".
144. "Chart listing for ''Speak Now''".
145. "Chart listing for ''Sweet and Wild''".
146. "Chart listing for ''They Call Me Cadillac''".
147. "Chart listing for ''Up on the Ridge''".
148. "Chart listing for ''Way Out Here''".
149. "Chart listing for ''You Get What You Give''".
150. "Chart listing for ''The Band Perry''".
151. "Chart listing for ''Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions''".
152. "Chart listing for ''Mosaic''".
153. (June 13, 2010). "Jimmy Dean Dies at Virginia Home". CBS News.
154. (December 6, 2010). "American Country Awards Winners – The Boot". The Boot.
155. (December 2010). "Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood Toasted as 'CMT Artists of the Year'".