1971
Sammi Smith was at #1 on the Country charts with her version of the Kris Kristofferson song “Help Me Make It Through the Night.” Kristofferson said that he got the inspiration for the song from an Esquire magazine interview with Frank Sinatra. When asked what he believed in, Frank replied, “Booze, broads, or a bible…whatever helps me make it through the night.” Other cover versions of the song appeared on early 1970s albums by Lynn Anderson, Loretta Lynn, Olivia Newton-John, Skeeter Davis, Tammy Wynette, and Dottie West.
1980
Country music winners at the 22nd Annual Grammy Awards included; Best Country Vocal Performance, Female – Emmylou Harris for Blue Kentucky Girl, Best Country Vocal Performance, Male – Kenny Rogers for “The Gambler”, Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group – The Charlie Daniels Band for “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”, Best Country Instrumental Performance – Doc Watson & Merle Watson for “Big Sandy/Leather Britches” and Best Country Song – Debbie Hupp & Bob Morrison (songwriters) for “You Decorated My Life” performed by Kenny Rogers.
1989Dwight Yoakam was at #1 on the Country charts with “I Sang Dixie” the second single from his album Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room.
2002
Alan Jackson was at #1 on the US Country music album chart with his tenth studio album Drive. The album produced Jackson’s highest-debuting single on the Hot Country Songs charts in the #1 “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)”, a ballad written in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. “Drive (For Daddy Gene)”, “Work in Progress”, and “That’d Be Alright” were also released as singles, peaking at #1, #3, and #2, respectively.
