December 10 — Billboard begins a "Country & Western Records Most Played by Folk Disk Jockeys" chart – the first chart ever to track a song's popularity by radio airplay. The first No. 1 song on the new chart is "Mule Train" by Tennessee Ernie Ford. With the new chart, there are three charts gauging a song's popularity, with the sales and jukebox charts also being used.
Note: Several songs were simultaneous No. 1 hits on the separate "Most Played Juke Box Folk (later Country & Western) Records," "Best Selling Retail Folk (later Country & Western) Records) and – starting December 10 – "Country & Western Records Most Played by Folk Disk Jockeys" charts.
January 6 — Joey Miskulin, also known as "Joey the Cowpolka King", member of Riders in the Sky.
January 22 - J.P. Pennington, member of the 1980s group Exile.
May 26 — Hank Williams, Jr., son of country music pioneer Hank Williams who became a star in his own right, fusing elements of honky tonk and blues with rock.
June 17 - Russell Smith, American singer-songwriter (Amazing Rhythm Aces, died 2019).[1]
August 23 — Woody Paul, "King of the Cowboy Fiddlers" member of Riders in the Sky.
August 25 – Henry Paul, lead singer of the 1990s country group BlackHawk.
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)
Whitburn, Joel. "Top Country Songs 1944–2005 – 6th Edition." 2005.
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