Honoring Our Country Stars
The Grammy Awards were filled with controversy as the Dixie Chicks ended up winning not only the general Best Record Grammy, but the Best Song Grammy, Best Country Song Grammy, and Best Country Duo or Group. All this from a genre the Chicks don't even want to be part of. But, Grammy voters, which are from all genres of music, voted for them in all these categories.
Other winners were: Carrie Underwood for Female Vocal performance, Vince Gill for Male Vocal performance, "Jesus Take the Wheel" for Country Song, "Who Says You Can't Go Home" by Bon Jovi with Jennifer Nettles took the Collaboration award, while Doc Watson and Bryan Sutton won Instrumental Grammy for "Whiskey Before Breakfast," and Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder won Best Bluegrass Album for Instrumentals.
At the CMT Music Awards, Carrie Underwood was the big winner, taking home Female Video of the Year for "Before He Cheats." The video also won the General Video of the Year, and her Director, Roman White won for Director of the Year for the video. Rascal Flatts won Group Video of the Year for "What Hurts the Most." Kenny Chesney won Male Video of the Year for "You Save Me." Sugarland won the Duo Video of the Year for "Want To." Jack Ingram won the Wide Open Country Video for "Love You." Taylor Swift won Breakthrough Video for "Tim McGraw." Kris Kristofferson was honored with the Johnny Cash Visionary Award.
At the ACM Awards, Carrie Underwood again was the big winner, taking home Album of the Year for Some Hearts, Video of the Year for "Before He Cheats," and Female Vocalist of the Year. George Strait took home Single for the Year for "Give It Away," and the song won Song of the Year for the songwriters. Brad Paisley won Male Vocalist of the Year. Brooks & Dunn won Duo of the Year, and Rascal Flatts won Group of the Year. Rodney Atkins won New Male Vocalist, Miranda Lambert won New Female Vocalist, and Little Big Town won New Duo or Group. Brooks & Dunn, Vince Gill and Sheryl Crow won Vocal Event of the Year for "Building Bridges." Kenny Chesney took home the Entertainer of the Year once more.
At the CMA Awards, once more... it was Carrie Underwood, winning Female Vocalist, and Single of the Year for "Before He Cheats." Kenny Chesney took home Entertainer of the Year here too. Brad Paisley also took home Male Vocalist here, as he did at the ACMs. Song of the Year was again "Give It Away," which goes to the songwriters. Album of the Year went to George Strait for It Just Comes Natural. Rascal Flatts took home Vocal Group. In a suprising moment, Sugarland took the Duo of the Year from annual winners Brooks & Dunn. Taylor Swift took home the Horizon Award. Brad Paisley's "Online" won for Video of the Year. Tracy Lawrence won his very first CMA Award for Vocal Event of the Year for "Find Out Who Your Friends Are" which he recorded with friends Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw. Musician of the Year was Jerry Douglas.
At the American Music Awards, suprise... Carrie Underwood took home two of the four awards where country artists were nominated. She won Favorite Female Artist and Favorite Album. Rascal Flatts took home Favorite Band or Group, and Tim McGraw took home Favorite Male Artist.
New Opry Members
We saw three artists be invited to join the Grand Ole Opry in 2007. Mel Tillis was first to be inducted on June 9, 2007. Josh Turner was next. His induction took place on October 27, 2007. The final person to be invited was Charlie Daniels, who was asked on November 19, 2007 at the Christmas for Kids concert. His induction will take place on January 19, 2008.
Newest Members of the Country Music Hall of Fame
- Ralph Emery, disc jockey and television host from the 1960s onward.
- Vince Gill, singer-songwriter and musician who rose to prominence in the 1980s.
- Mel Tillis, singer and songwriter who rose to fame in the 1950s.
Top 5 Tours in Country Music
It was no suprise that Kenny Chesney was again the top stadium-filler. He grossed $71 million, playing 55 shows, and selling out each and every one. Tim McGraw & Faith Hill came in second, grossing $52 million, playing 45 shows, and selling out 13. Rascal Flatts were third, grossing $41 million, playing 55 shows, and selling out 26. Toby Keith was fourth, grossing $35 million, playing 60 shows, and selling out 17. Brad Paisley was fifth, grossing $29 million, playing 72 shows, and selling out 32.
Country Marriages
- Joe Nichols married Heather Singleton in September.
- Clay Walker married model Jessica Craig, also in September.
- Darryl Worley married Kimberly Perkins in December.
Country Divorces
- Terri Clark and Greg Kaczor
- Wynonna Judd and Daniel Roach
- Sara Evans and Craig Schelske
- Lorrie Morgan and Sammy Kershaw
Country Births
- Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley welcome their first child, William Huckleberry Paisley in February.
- Little Big Town's Kimberly Roads and hubby Stephen Schlapman welcome daughter Daisy Pearl in July.
- Jason Aldean and wife Jessica welcome second daughter Kendyl in August.
- Shooter Jennings and girlfriend Drea de Matteo welcome their first daughter Alabama Gypsy Rose in November.
Country Deaths
- Clarence "Tater" Tate, 76, former fiddler and bass player in Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys band, Oct. 17.
- Del Reeves, 73, Grand Ole Opry star, Jan. 1.
- Doyle Holly, 70, former bassist for Buck Owens' Buckaroos, Jan. 13.
- Hank Thompson, 82, songwriter, bandleader, member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Nov. 6.
- Jim Porter, 79, steel guitarist and one of the earliest members of Hank Williams' Drifting Cowboys band, Dec. 15.
- John Hughey, 73, former steel guitarist for Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn, Vince Gill and the Time Jumpers, Nov. 18.
- Patrick Bourque, 29, former bassist for Emerson Drive, Sept. 25.
- Pete (Sneaky Pete) Kleinow, 72, steel guitarist and original member of the Flying Burrito Brothers, Jan. 6.
- Porter Wagoner, 80, singer, songwriter, producer, television personality, member of the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame, Oct. 28.
- Ralph Ezell, 54, former bass player for the group Shenandoah, Nov. 30.