This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1970.
Events
April 13 - Marty Robbins is awarded Artist of the Decade for the 1960s by the Academy of Country Music September — That Good Ole Nashville Music debuts in syndication. The series will run until 1985.
No Dates
Early in the year, Marty Robbins suffers a major heart attack which almost takes the life of the country star.
Top hits of the year
Number-one hits
United States
(as certified by Billboard)
Notes
1^ No. 1 song of the year, as determined by Billboard. A^ First Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist. B^ Last Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist. C^ Only Billboard No. 1 hit for that artist to date.
Canada
(as certified by RPM)
Notes
2^ Song dropped from No. 1 and later returned to top spot. A^ First RPM No. 1 hit for that artist. B^ Last RPM No. 1 hit for that artist. C^ Only RPM No. 1 hit for that artist.
Other major hits
Singles released by American artists
Singles released by Canadian artists
Top new album releases
{ |class="wikitable sortable" !width="225"|Single !width="225"|Artist !width="90"|Record Label |- |Charley Pride's 10th Album |Charley Pride |RCA |- |Christmas in My Home Town |Charley Pride |RCA |- |Coal Miner's Daughter |Loretta Lynn |Decca |- |The Fightin' Side of Me |Merle Haggard |Capitol |- |For the Good Times |Ray Price |Columbia |- |''Hello Darlin|Conway Twitty |Decca |- |Hello, I'm Johnny Cash |Johnny Cash |Columbia |- |Just Plain Charley |Charley Pride |RCA |- |Love Is a Sometimes Thing |Bill Anderson |Decca |- |Okie From Muskogee |Merle Haggard |Capitol |- |Tammy's Touch |Tammy Wynette |Epic |- |The Johnny Cash Show |Johnny Cash |Columbia |- |The World of Tammy Wynette |Tammy Wynette |Epic |- |}
Other top albums
Births
March 14 — Kristian Bush, member of Sugarland
July 10 — Gary LeVox, lead singer of Rascal Flatts. August 22 – George Canyon, country singer from the late 1990s who enjoyed success in the mid 2000s. August 24 — Kristyn Osborn, member of SHeDAISY August 25 — Jo Dee Messina, female vocalist of the 1990s and 2000s (decade). October 5 — Georgette Jones, the only biological child of George Jones and Tammy Wynette. October 25 — Chely Wright, country singer of the late 1990s and 2000s (decade). November 5 – Heather and Jennifer Kinley, recorded in the late 1990s as the duo The Kinleys November 15 — Jack Ingram, rock-styled country singer-songwriter since the mid-2000s (decade). December 10 — Kevin Sharp, country singer from the 1990s, best known for "Nobody Knows" (d. 2014)
Deaths
January 4 – Clayton McMichen, 69, pioneering fiddle player and member of the Skillet Lickers. April 1 — Paul Cohen, 61, pioneering record producer at Decca Records. September 5 – Curley Williams, 56, songwriter most famous for writing "Half as Much."
Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees
The Original Carter Family – (A. P. Carter 1891–1960, Sara Carter 1898–1979 and Mother Maybelle Carter 1909–1978)
Major awards
Grammy AwardsBest Female Country Vocal Performance — "(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden", Lynn AndersonBest Male Country Vocal Performance — "For the Good Times", Ray PriceBest Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal — "If I Were a Carpenter", Johnny Cash and June CarterBest Country Instrumental Performance — Me & Jerry, Chet Atkins and Jerry ReedBest Country Song — "My Woman, My Woman, My Wife", Marty Robbins (Performer: Marty Robbins)
Juno AwardsCountry Male Vocalist of the Year — Tommy HunterCountry Female Vocalist of the Year — Dianne LeighCountry Group or Duo of the Year — Mercey Brothers
Academy of Country MusicEntertainer of the Year — Merle HaggardSong of the Year — "For the Good Times", Kris Kristofferson (Performer: Ray Price)Single of the Year — "For the Good Times", Ray PriceAlbum of the Year — For the Good Times, Ray PriceTop Male Vocalist — Merle HaggardTop Female Vocalist — Lynn AndersonTop Vocal Group — The KimberleysTop New Male Vocalist — Buddy AlanTop New Female Vocalist — Sammi Smith