The Righteous Brothers are an American musical duo originally formed by Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield but now comprising Medley and Bucky Heard. Medley formed the group with Hatfield in 1963. They had first performed together in 1962 in the Los Angeles area as part of a five-member group called the Paramours, and adopted the name The Righteous Brothers when they became a duo. Their most active recording period was in the 1960s and '70s, and, after several years inactive as a duo, Hatfield and Medley reunited in 1981 and continued to perform until Hatfield's death in 2003. The music they performed is sometimes dubbed "blue-eyed soul".
William Orville "Lefty" Frizzell was an American country and honky-tonk singer-songwriter.
Judith Kay "Juice" Newton is an American pop and country singer, songwriter, and musician. Newton has received five Grammy Award nominations in the Pop and Country Best Female Vocalist categories – winning once in 1983 – as well as an ACM Award for Top New Female Artist and two consecutive Billboard Female Album Artist of the Year awards. Newton's other awards include a People's Choice Award for "Best Female Vocalist" and the Australian Music Media's "Number One International Country Artist".
Danny Wayland Seals was an American musician. The younger brother of Seals and Crofts member Jim Seals, he first gained fame as one half of the soft rock duo England Dan & John Ford Coley, who charted nine singles between 1976 and 1980, including the No. 2 Billboard Hot 100 hit "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight".
Larry Wayne Gatlin is an American country and Southern gospel singer-songwriter. As part of the Gatlin Brothers trio that included his younger brothers Steve and Rudy, he achieved considerable success within the country music genre, performing on 33 top 40 country singles, a total inclusive of his recordings as a solo artist and with the group.
Dottie West was an American country music singer and songwriter. Along with her friends and fellow recording artists Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, she is considered one of the genre's most influential and groundbreaking female artists. West's career started in the 1960s, with her top-10 hit "Here Comes My Baby Back Again", which won her a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance in 1965, the first woman in country music to receive a Grammy.
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1981.
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1982.
The Walker Brothers were an American pop group formed in Los Angeles in 1964 by John Maus and Noel Scott Engel, and soon after joined by Gary Leeds. They adopted the 'Walker Brothers' name as a show business touch even though none of the members were related. After moving to Britain in 1965, they had several top-10 albums and singles there, including the No. 1 hits "Make It Easy on Yourself" and "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)", both of which also made the US top 20 and Canadian top 2. Between them was the UK No. 3 hit "My Ship is Coming In". They provided a unique counterpoint to the British Invasion by achieving much more success in the UK than in their home country, a period when the popularity of British bands such as The Beatles dominated the U.S. charts.
Vernon Gosdin aka Country music’s “The Voice”, was an American country music singer. He had 19 top-10 solo hits on the country music charts from 1977 through 1990. Three of these hits went to Number One: "I Can Tell By the Way You Dance ", "Set 'Em Up Joe", and "I'm Still Crazy".
William Thomas Medley is an American singer, best known as one half of The Righteous Brothers. He is noted for his bass-baritone voice, exemplified in songs such as "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'". Medley produced a number of the duo's songs, including "Unchained Melody" and "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration".
The Kendalls were an American country music duo, consisting of Royce Kendall and his daughter Jeannie Kendall. Between the 1960s and 1990s, they released 16 albums on various labels, including five on Mercury Records. Between 1977 and 1985, 22 of their singles reached the top 40 on the Billboard country singles charts, including three number-one hits: "Heaven's Just a Sin Away", "Sweet Desire", and "Thank God for the Radio". Eight other singles also reached the top 10. The Kendalls continues performing today as Jeannie Kendall one of the original founding members joined by Carl Acuff Jr. with a newly released CD “You Got Me” in 2022 recorded on Leaping Hawk Record Label. Includes another hit from writer Jerry Gillespie ”Island In The Kitchen” and co writer Dan Willis. Jeannie Kendall is currently signed with Leaping Hawk Records in the Ozarks working with Bonnie and Rune Trulove.
Shelly West is an American country music singer. Her mother was the country music star Dottie West, whose career spanned three decades. The younger West reached her peak in popularity during the 1980s before mostly retiring in the wake of her mother's death.
Melba Joyce Montgomery is an American country music singer and songwriter. She is known for a series of duet recordings made with George Jones, Gene Pitney and Charlie Louvin. She is also a solo artist, having reached the top of the country charts in 1974 with the song, "No Charge". Born in Tennessee but raised in Alabama, Montgomery had a musical upbringing. Along with her two brothers, she placed in a talent contest which brought her to the attention of Roy Acuff. For several years she toured the country as part of his band until she signed with United Artists Records in 1963.
"José Cuervo" is a song written and originally recorded by Cindy Jordan in 1981. It was released as a single by American country music artist Shelly West in February 1983 to commercial success.
"Husbands and Wives" is a song written and first recorded by American country music singer Roger Miller. Miller's original, from his album Words and Music, was released in February 1966 and was a crossover hit for him, reaching Top Ten on the U.S. country and Adult Contemporary charts, as well as Top 40 on the pop charts. Since the release of Miller's original, the song has been covered by several other artists, including The Everly Brothers, Ringo Starr, Neil Diamond, a duet between David Frizzell and Shelly West, Jules Shear, and Brooks & Dunn, whose version was a number-one country hit in 1998.
"I'm Gonna Hire a Wino to Decorate Our Home" is a song written by Dewayne Blackwell, and recorded by American country music artist David Frizzell. It was released in April 1982 as the first single from the album The Family's Fine, But This One's All Mine. The song was Frizzell's only number one on the country chart as a solo artist. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of 14 weeks in country music's top 40.
"I Just Came to Dance" is a song written by Ken Bell, Terry Skinner and J. L. Wallace, and recorded by American country music artists David Frizzell and Shelly West. It was released in July 1982 as the second single from the album The David Frizzell & Shelly West Album. The song reached #4 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
My Elusive Dreams is a studio album by American country artists David Houston and Tammy Wynette. It was released on Epic Records in August 1967 and contained ten tracks. It was the duo's first and only collaborative album together. My Elusive Dreams contained mostly duets between Houston and Wynette. The album was named for the title track, which topped the American country songs chart in 1967. Another single titled "It's All Over" also became a commercially-successful country song. The album received positive reviews following its release.
The following list shows the recipients for the Country Music Association Award for Vocal Duo of the Year. The award is based on the musical performance of the duo on solo country single or album release, as well as the their overall contribution to country music during the eligibility period. For the purposes of the award, a duo is defined as "as an act composed of two people, both of whom normally perform together and neither of whom is known primarily as an individual performing artist", though this was not always the case.
