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Post by briguy52748 on Dec 17, 2013 10:08:51 GMT -5
BTW, in case it matters and for those keeping track, with the passing of Ray Price, there's six country acts left (by my count) who had No. 1 hits during the 1950s who are either still living or (if in groups) have at least one key member still with us. The passing of Patty Andrews in January 2013 – the last of the Andrews sisters, who were on the very first Billboard country chart No. 1 hit ever, 1944's "Pistol Packin' Mama" as part of a duet with Bing Crosby – closed out the 1940s; all of the singers who had No. 1 hits on the country chart during the 1940s are now deceased.
The list:
• Jean Shepard (from 1953, with "A Dear John Letter" (duet with Ferlin Husky).
• Sonny James (1957, "Young Love," a No. 1 country and pop hit).
• The Everly Brothers (1957, multiple No. 1 hits).
• Jerry Lee Lewis (1957, several No. 1 hits).
• Stonewall Jackson (1959, "Waterloo").
• Jim Ed Brown and the Browns (1959, "The Three Bells (Les Trois Cloches)," also a pop No. 1 hit).
The group is indeed getting smaller.
1963 – with Bill Anderson and George Hamilton IV – is the first year after 1959 to have more than two different artists who had No. 1 hits still living; both are still actively performing; 1964 (Connie Smith and Stonewall Jackson) is the same. With 1965, Sonny James is retired but still living, as are Warner Mack and Priscilla Mitchell; Little Jimmy Dickens, the oldest of the four (at 93) is the only one still performing, and 1965 represents the first year where four country performers with No. 1 hits are still living.
Going further into the 1960s, 1966 has just Sonny James left, while 1967 is the earliest year where five or more performers who topped the country chart that year are still living – James, Anderson (with duet partner Jan Howard, who is also still alive) Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard and Leon Ashley; Anderson, Haggard, Howard and Lynn still perform. 1968 still has Haggard, Lynn, James, Glen Campbell (who is retired and suffering from Alzheimer's) and Jeannie C. Riley.
Closing out the 1960s, 1969 chart-topping artists still around are Haggard, Lynn, James, Campbell, Lewis, Anderson and Charley Pride. That year had 23 No. 1 singles, and those seven artists represent 12 of them, the first year that more than half of the songs were performed by singers who are still alive as of Dec. 17, 2013 (the day I'm typing this).
The number of country chart-topping artists from 1970 onward who are still alive grows significantly larger, especially as the years grow more recent. As far as the most recent chart-topper to have died, that honor falls on Mindy McCready, who in 1996 (at age 20) had "Guys Do It All the Time"; as we all know, she had a very troubled life and killed herself in February.
Brian
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Post by briguy52748 on Jan 3, 2014 15:40:44 GMT -5
As far as the 1970-1979 era in country music, artists known to still be alive (as of today, Jan. 3, 2014):
• 1970: Tom T. Hall, Sonny James (4), Merle Haggard, Jack Blanchard and Misty Morgan (the duo), Charley Pride (3), Hank Williams Jr., Jerry Lee Lewis, Loretta Lynn and Lynn Anderson. (14 of the 23 No. 1 songs represented by living artists)
• 1971: Dolly Parton, Pride (2), Lynn (2, both duets with Conway Twitty, who has been deceased since 1993), James (3), Anderson (2), Freddie Hart, Hall and Haggard. (13 of 20)
• 1972: Lewis (2), Haggard (3), Lynn, Hart (3), Donna Fargo (2), James (2), Hank Jr., Pride (2) and Mel Tillis. (16 of 25)
• 1973: Joe Stampley, Hall, Haggard (3), Lynn (3, including a duet with Twitty), Barbara Fairchild, Anderson, Hart (2), Pride (3), Fargo (2), Roy Clark, Tanya Tucker (2), Jeanne Pruett, Johnny Rodriguez (2), Kris Kristofferson and Marie Osmond. (25 of 35)
• 1974: Hall (2), Parton (4, including one duet with Porter Wagoner who died in 2007), Bill Anderson, Rodriguez, Tucker, James, Melba Montgomery, Ronnie Milsap (2), Mickey Gilley (2), Anne Murray, Bobby Bare, Fargo, Billy "Crash" Craddock, Lynn (2, including a duet with Twitty), Don Williams, Billy Swan and Lynn Anderson. (24 of 41)
• 1975: Craddock, Haggard (3), Milsap (2), Gilley (2), Pride (2), T.G. Sheppard (2), Hall, Parton, Rodriguez (3), Haggard (3), Stampley, B.J. Thomas, Jessi Colter, Linda Ronstadt, Don Williams (2), Tucker (2), Glen Campbell, Lynn (her duet with Twitty), Willie Nelson, Dickey Lee and C.W. McCall (33 of 43, the highest percentage yet)
• 1976: Bill Anderson (and Mary Lou Turner), Nelson (2, including 1 duet with Waylon Jennings who has been deceased since 2002), Haggard (2), Hall, Don Williams (2), Emmylou Harris (2), Gilley (2), Pride, Milsap (2), Crystal Gayle, Stampley, Dave Rowland (along with all members of Sugar), Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius (both of them), Tucker, Lynn and Tillis. (22 of 36). It's worth stating that this point, most of the No. 1 charting artists were still born prior to 1940, with Milsap, Rowland and Cornelius born between 1940 and 1950, and Crystal Gayle the only post-1950 born artist.
• 1977: Craddock, Gayle (2), Milsap (2), Tom Jones, Tillis, Pride (3), Kenny Rogers (2), Campbell, Lynn, Gilley, Don Williams (2), Fargo, Jeannie Kendall (of the Kendalls; her father, who provided harmony, died in 1998) and Parton. (20 of 30).
• 1978: Milsap (3), Lynn, Larry Gatlin (as well as Steve and Rudy), Margo Smith (2), Willie Nelson (3, including 1 duet with Jennings), Gayle (2), Pride, Rogers (3, includes 1 duet with Dottie West who died in 1991), Parton (2), the Statler Brothers (3 members still alive; Lew DeWitt, who was a member of the group in 1978, is deceased), Harris, the Oak Ridge Boys (all 4 mainstays; Steve Sanders, who is deceased as of 1998, was not a member of the group until 1988), Tillis, Dave & Sugar, Barbara Mandrell, Kendall and Janie Fricke (featured vocalist on Charlie Rich's "On My Knees"). (25 of 30, the most yet)
• 1979: Don Williams (2), John Conlee (2), Parton (2), Gayle, Dave & Sugar, Murray (3), Mandrell, Rogers (3, including 1 duet with West), Pride (2), the Bellamy Brothers (both Howard and David), Milsap, Tillis, Charlie Daniels Band (including the leader of the band), Nelson (along with Leon Russell), Moe Bandy (2, including 1 duet with Stampley who is living), Sheppard and Gatlin. (26 of 33).
By my count, 220 of the 317 chart-topping songs from the decade are by artists who are still alive as of Jan. 3, 2014.
Included were groups with at least one prominent member still living (although the Oak Ridge Boys have everyone living, and the three Statler Brothers who remained throughout their history are still alive, although the one member – Lew DeWitt – who was part of the group when "Do You Know You Are My Sunshine" was a No. 1 hit in May 1978 died in 1990.)
By my quick research through the 1980s, an even larger majority of the artists are still living, but as late as 1989 and 1990, there are multiple No. 1-charting artists from those years who are now deceased:
• 1989: Dan Seals ("Big Wheels in the Moonlight"), Keith Whitley ("I'm No Stranger to the Rain" and "I Wonder Do You Think of Me") and Vern Gosdin ("I'm Still Crazy").
• 1990: Whitley ("It Ain't Nothin'"), Rabbitt ("On Second Thought") and Seals ("Love on Arrival" and "Good Times"). Additionally, Steve Sanders of the Oak Ridge Boys, who sang lead on "No Matter How High," is also deceased (although Joe Bonsall, Richard Sterban and Duane Allen – who would reunite later in the decade with William Lee Golden – are still with us).
1991 seems to be the earliest year all artists who had a No. 1 hit during that given year are still alive; same goes with the groups, with each of their prominent members still living. A quick search shows that for the years 1992 through 1995, all No. 1-charting artists/prominent members of groups are still living. 1996 appears to be the most recent year with at least one artist deceased, and the artist in question is Mindy McCready ("Guys Do It All the Time"), who died in February 2013.
Brian
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Post by briguy52748 on Oct 14, 2022 14:45:20 GMT -5
I was going through some old threads of mine and this one came up, from January 2014, shortly after the passing of country music legend Ray Price. In the nearly nine years since this passed, multiple legends on this list of 1970s acts who had No. 1 hits that were still living (at the time of this post) have since passed. First, here's how the Jan. 3, 2014, list looked: As far as the 1970-1979 era in country music, artists known to still be alive (as of today, Jan. 3, 2014): • 1970: Tom T. Hall, Sonny James (4), Merle Haggard, Jack Blanchard and Misty Morgan (the duo), Charley Pride (3), Hank Williams Jr., Jerry Lee Lewis, Loretta Lynn and Lynn Anderson. (14 of the 23 No. 1 songs represented by living artists) • 1971: Dolly Parton, Pride (2), Lynn (2, both duets with Conway Twitty, who has been deceased since 1993), James (3), Anderson (2), Freddie Hart, Hall and Haggard. (13 of 20) • 1972: Lewis (2), Haggard (3), Lynn, Hart (3), Donna Fargo (2), James (2), Hank Jr., Pride (2) and Mel Tillis. (16 of 25) • 1973: Joe Stampley, Hall, Haggard (3), Lynn (3, including a duet with Twitty), Barbara Fairchild, Anderson, Hart (2), Pride (3), Fargo (2), Roy Clark, Tanya Tucker (2), Jeanne Pruett, Johnny Rodriguez (2), Kris Kristofferson and Marie Osmond. (25 of 35) • 1974: Hall (2), Parton (4, including one duet with Porter Wagoner who died in 2007), Bill Anderson, Rodriguez, Tucker, James, Melba Montgomery, Ronnie Milsap (2), Mickey Gilley (2), Anne Murray, Bobby Bare, Fargo, Billy "Crash" Craddock, Lynn (2, including a duet with Twitty), Don Williams, Billy Swan and Lynn Anderson. (24 of 41) • 1975: Craddock, Haggard (3), Milsap (2), Gilley (2), Pride (2), T.G. Sheppard (2), Hall, Parton, Rodriguez (3), Haggard (3), Stampley, B.J. Thomas, Jessi Colter, Linda Ronstadt, Don Williams (2), Tucker (2), Glen Campbell, Lynn (her duet with Twitty), Willie Nelson, Dickey Lee and C.W. McCall (33 of 43, the highest percentage yet) • 1976: Bill Anderson (and Mary Lou Turner), Nelson (2, including 1 duet with Waylon Jennings who has been deceased since 2002), Haggard (2), Hall, Don Williams (2), Emmylou Harris (2), Gilley (2), Pride, Milsap (2), Crystal Gayle, Stampley, Dave Rowland (along with all members of Sugar), Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius (both of them), Tucker, Lynn and Tillis. (22 of 36). It's worth stating that this point, most of the No. 1 charting artists were still born prior to 1940, with Milsap, Rowland and Cornelius born between 1940 and 1950, and Crystal Gayle the only post-1950 born artist. • 1977: Craddock, Gayle (2), Milsap (2), Tom Jones, Tillis, Pride (3), Kenny Rogers (2), Campbell, Lynn, Gilley, Don Williams (2), Fargo, Jeannie Kendall (of the Kendalls; her father, who provided harmony, died in 1998) and Parton. (20 of 30). • 1978: Milsap (3), Lynn, Larry Gatlin (as well as Steve and Rudy), Margo Smith (2), Willie Nelson (3, including 1 duet with Jennings), Gayle (2), Pride, Rogers (3, includes 1 duet with Dottie West who died in 1991), Parton (2), the Statler Brothers (3 members still alive; Lew DeWitt, who was a member of the group in 1978, is deceased), Harris, the Oak Ridge Boys (all 4 mainstays; Steve Sanders, who is deceased as of 1998, was not a member of the group until 1988), Tillis, Dave & Sugar, Barbara Mandrell, Kendall and Janie Fricke (featured vocalist on Charlie Rich's " On My Knees"). (25 of 30, the most yet) • 1979: Don Williams (2), John Conlee (2), Parton (2), Gayle, Dave & Sugar, Murray (3), Mandrell, Rogers (3, including 1 duet with West), Pride (2), the Bellamy Brothers (both Howard and David), Milsap, Tillis, Charlie Daniels Band (including the leader of the band), Nelson (along with Leon Russell), Moe Bandy (2, including 1 duet with Stampley who is living), Sheppard and Gatlin. (26 of 33). By my count, 220 of the 317 chart-topping songs from the decade are by artists who are still alive as of Jan. 3, 2014. Included were groups with at least one prominent member still living (although the Oak Ridge Boys have everyone living, and the three Statler Brothers who remained throughout their history are still alive, although the one member – Lew DeWitt – who was part of the group when " Do You Know You Are My Sunshine" was a No. 1 hit in May 1978 died in 1990.) With the passing a couple of weeks ago of Loretta Lynn, here's who is still with us: • 1970: Jack Blanchard (half of the husband-wife duo with Misty Morgan), Hank Williams Jr. and Jerry Lee Lewis. (3 of the 23 No. 1 songs represented by living artists) • 1971: Dolly Parton. (1 of 20) • 1972: Lewis (2), Donna Fargo (2) and Hank Jr. (5 of 25) • 1973: Joe Stampley, Barbara Fairchild, Tanya Tucker (2), Jeanne Pruett, Johnny Rodriguez (2), Kris Kristofferson and Marie Osmond. (9 of 35) • 1974: Parton (4, including one duet with Porter Wagoner who died in 2007), Bill Anderson, Rodriguez, Tucker, Melba Montgomery, Ronnie Milsap (2), Anne Murray, Bobby Bare, Fargo, Billy "Crash" Craddock and Billy Swan. (14 of 41) • 1975: Craddock, Milsap (2), T.G. Sheppard (2), Parton, Rodriguez (3), Stampley, Jessi Colter, Linda Ronstadt, Tucker (2), Willie Nelson and Dickey Lee. (16 of 43) • 1976: Bill Anderson (and Mary Lou Turner), Nelson (2, including 1 duet with Waylon Jennings who has been deceased since 2002), Emmylou Harris (2), Milsap (2), Crystal Gayle, Stampley, the female singers in the group Dave & Sugar (frontman Dave Rowland died in 2018), Helen Cornelius (duet partner Jim Ed Brown died in 2015) and Tucker. (9 of 36, including Dave & Sugar female singers). It's worth stating that this point, most of the No. 1 charting artists were still born prior to 1940, with Milsap and Cornelius born between 1940 and 1950, and Crystal Gayle (and possibly the female parts of Dave & Sugar) the only post-1950 born artists. • 1977: Craddock, Gayle (2), Milsap (2), Tom Jones, Fargo, Jeannie Kendall (of the Kendalls; her father, who provided harmony, died in 1998) and Parton. (9 of 30). • 1978: Milsap (3), Larry Gatlin (as well as Steve and Rudy), Margo Smith (2), Willie Nelson (3, including 1 duet with Jennings), Gayle (2), Parton (2), the Statler Brothers (2 members still alive of this version; Lew DeWitt and Harold Reid are deceased), Harris, the Oak Ridge Boys (all 4 mainstays; Steve Sanders, who is deceased as of 1998, was not a member of the group until 1988), Dave & Sugar (female members only), Barbara Mandrell, Kendall and Janie Fricke (featured vocalist on Charlie Rich's " On My Knees"). (20 of 30, the most by far of the decade) • 1979: John Conlee (2), Parton (2), Gayle, Dave & Sugar (female members), Murray (3), Mandrell, the Bellamy Brothers (both Howard and David), Milsap, Nelson (along with Leon Russell), Moe Bandy (2, including 1 duet with Stampley who is living), Sheppard and Gatlin. (16 of 33). As of today, Oct. 14, 2022, 102 songs that topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart from 1970-1979 are still living, compared to 220 (of 317) from nine years ago. How times change. Enjoy the true legends. I'll post a 1980s update soon. Also noted in the 2014 post that 1991 was the earliest year I found where all artists who had at least one No. 1 song on the country chart (now called Hot Country Singles & Tracks) were still living. Since then, Joe Diffie (" If the Devil Danced In Empty Pockets)) has passed, making 1992 the most recent year where each of the artists who reached No. 1 on the country chart are still living. 1993 has since lost Doug Supernaw (" I Don't Call Him Daddy") while Diffie had two No. 1 songs in 1994, and 1995 is crossed off the list with the passing of Jeff Carson (" Not On Your Love") earlier this year. Mindy McCready had her only No. 1 hit in 1996; she died in 2013, and Kevin Sharp hit No. 1 in 1997 with a cover of " Nobody Knows" and died in April 2014, just a few weeks after my original post. So after 1992, 1998 is the earliest year where all artists who reached No. 1 at least once during the year are still living. And that's my update. Brian |
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Post by mkarns on Oct 14, 2022 17:30:48 GMT -5
• 1976: Bill Anderson (and Mary Lou Turner), Nelson (2, including 1 duet with Waylon Jennings who has been deceased since 2002), Emmylou Harris (2), Milsap (2), Crystal Gayle, Stampley, the female singers in the group Dave & Sugar (frontman Dave Rowland died in 2018), Helen Cornelius (duet partner Jim Ed Brown died in 2015) and Tucker. (9 of 36, including Dave & Sugar female singers). It's worth stating that this point, most of the No. 1 charting artists were still born prior to 1940, with Milsap and Cornelius born between 1940 and 1950, and Crystal Gayle (and possibly the female parts of Dave & Sugar) the only post-1950 born artists. Joe Stampley was born in 1943, Emmylou Harris in 1947, and Tanya Tucker in 1958. Of now-deceased artists who hit #1 country in 1976, "Cledus Maggard" (Jay Huguely), Tammy Wynette, and Eddie Rabbitt were born in the 1940s. |
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