View source for 1943 in country music

{{Short description|none}}
This is a list of notable events in [[country music]] that took place in the year 1943.

{{YYYY music|1943}}
{{Year nav topic5|1943|country music}}

== Events ==
* September – [[Decca Records]] is the first label to come to terms with the American Federation of Musicians, which had been [[1942-43 musicians' strike|on strike]] since August 1942 over music royalties. The first song that was released was "[[Pistol Packin' Mama]]" by [[Bing Crosby]] and the [[Andrews Sisters]].
* October - [[Pistol Packin' Mama]] by [[Al Dexter]] goes where no "[[Hillbilly#Music|Hillbilly]]" record has ever gone, to the top of the National Best Selling Retail Records chart, on October 30.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Billboard October 30, 1943 pg 12 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vwwEAAAAMBAJ |website=google books |date = 30 October 1943|access-date=14 July 2021}}</ref> Dexter's publishing company sued "The Hit Parade" radio show for ignoring their record!<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Wilgus|first=D. K.|date=1970|title=Country-Western Music and the Urban Hillbilly|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/539105|journal=The Journal of American Folklore|volume=83|issue=328|pages=157–179|doi=10.2307/539105|jstor=539105|issn=0021-8715}}</ref>
* [[Maybelle Carter|Mother Maybelle Carter]] reformed the [[Carter Family]]. This time, she was joined by daughters [[Anita Carter|Anita]], [[June Carter Cash|June]] and [[Helen Carter|Helen]].


==Top Hillbilly-Folk (Country) Recordings 1943==

1941 was a great year for the United States recording industry, as bad memories of the Depression-tainted 1930s were replaced by record-setting sales. Then came Pearl Harbor, and on August 1, 1942, a strike by the [[American Federation of Musicians]], [[1942–1944 musicians' strike|which ended all recording sessions]]. Record companies kept business going by releasing promising recordings from their vaults, but by mid-1943, alternate sources were running dry, as the strike continued. Decca was the first company to settle with the union in September, but year-end statistics showed a 50% drop in charted records from 1942. Scan down the "recorded"(date) column, you won't see 1943 very often.

"[[Pistol Packin' Mama]]" by [[Al Dexter]] was easily the top record of the year, becoming the first #1 Hillbilly-Folk record to cross over and reach #1 on the [[Billboard Hot 100#History|Popular Chart]] as well. 1943 featured two of the greatest double-sided Country records ever, "PPM/Rosalita" by Dexter, and the close runner-up, "No Letter Today / Born To Lose" by [[Ted Daffan]], also a top ten crossover hit. Both records stayed on the Hillbilly-Folk chart for over a year, and all four sides made the Popular chart too.

The Top Hillbilly-Folk Records of the Year chart is, like 1942, mostly derived from [[Billboard magazine|The Billboard's]] weekly "American Folk Records" columns of 1943, with raw reports from nationwide jukebox operators, and summaries of the top records in the nation.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Billboard Jan 09, 1943 pg 63 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XQwEAAAAMBAJ&dq=The+Billboard+Jan+09%2C+1943&pg=PT68 |website=google books |date = 9 January 1943|access-date=15 July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Billboard Jan 16, 1943 pg 59 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pQwEAAAAMBAJ&dq=The+Billboard+Jan+16%2C+1943&pg=PT67 |website=google books |date = 16 January 1943|access-date=15 July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Billboard Jan 30, 1943 pg 62 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kgwEAAAAMBAJ&q=The+Billboard+Jan+30%2C+1943 |website=google books |date = 30 January 1943|access-date=15 July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Billboard Feb 06, 1943 pg 64 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lwwEAAAAMBAJ&dq=The+Billboard+Feb+06%2C+1943&pg=PT42 |website=google books |date = 6 February 1943|access-date=15 July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Billboard Feb 13, 1943 pg 63 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qAwEAAAAMBAJ&dq=The+Billboard+Feb+13%2C+1943&pg=PT65 |website=google books |date = 13 February 1943|access-date=15 July 2021}}</ref> Supplemental information came from 'Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954',<ref name=PopMemories>{{Cite book |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |title=Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954 |publisher=Record Research |year=1986}}</ref> record sales reported on the "[[Discography of American Historical Recordings]]" website, and other sources as specified. As always, numerical rankings are approximate.
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
! <big>Rank</big>
! <big>Artist</big>
! <big>Title</big>
! <big>Label</big>
! <big>Recorded</big>
! <big>Released</big>
! <big>Chart Positions</big>
|-
| 1 || [[Al Dexter|Al Dexter and His Troopers]] || "[[Pistol Packin' Mama]]"<ref name=Okeh650>{{Cite web |title=OKeh (by CBS) 78rpm numerical listing discography: 6500 - 6747 (end of series) |url=https://www.78discography.com/OK6500.htm |access-date=2022-04-14 |website=www.78discography.com}}</ref> || Okeh 6708 || {{Start date|1942|3|20}} || {{Start date|1943|4|10}} || US Billboard 1943 #9, US Pop #1 for 1 week, 36 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1943 #1, Hillbilly #1 for 27 weeks, 50 total weeks, 2,500,000 sales,<ref name=PopMemories></ref> Grammy Hall of Fame in 2000
|-
| 2 || [[Ted Daffan|Ted Daffan's Texans]] || "No Letter Today"<ref name=okeh650/> || Okeh 6706 || {{Start date|1942|2|20}} || {{Start date|1943|2}} || US Billboard 1943 #64, US Pop #13 for 1 week, 20 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1943 #2, Hillbilly #1 for 6 weeks, 53 total weeks, 1,000,000 sales<ref name=PopMemories></ref>
|-
| 3 || Al Dexter and His Troopers || "[[Rosalita (Al Dexter song)|Rosalita]]"<ref name=okeh650/> || Okeh 6708 || {{Start date|1942|3|18}} || {{Start date|1943|4|10}} || US Billboard 1943 #178, US Pop #22 for 1 week, 47 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1943 #3, Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 58 total weeks
|-
| 4 || Ted Daffan's Texans || "[[Born to Lose (Ted Daffan song)|Born To Lose]]"<ref name=okeh650/> || Okeh 6706 || {{Start date|1942|2|20}} || {{Start date|1943|2}} || US Billboard 1943 #124, US Pop #19 for 1 week, 1 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1943 #4, Hillbilly #2 for 6 weeks, 72 total weeks, 1,000,000 sales<ref name=PopMemories></ref>
|-
| 5 || [[Bing Crosby]] and the [[Andrews Sisters]] || "Pistol Packin' Mama"<ref>{{Cite web |title=Decca matrix L 3197. Pistol packin' Mama / The Andrews Sisters ; Bing Crosby - Discography of American Historical Recordings |url=https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/2000269620/L_3197-Pistol_packin_Mama |access-date=2022-08-16 |website=adp.library.ucsb.edu}}</ref> || Decca 23277 || {{Start date|1943|9|27}} || {{Start date|1943|10|14}} || US Billboard 1943 #22, US Pop #2 for 4 weeks, 14 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1943 #5, Hillbilly #1 for 12 weeks, 25 total weeks
|-
| 6 || [[Louise Massey|Louise Massey and the Westerners]] || "Honey Song"<ref name=okeh650/> || Okeh 6687 || {{Start date|1941|1|26}} || {{Start date|1942|8|15}} || US Billboard 1943 #123, US Pop #19 for 1 week, 2 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1943 #6, Hillbilly #1 for 3 weeks, 61 total weeks
|-
| 7 || Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys || "[[New San Antonio Rose]]"<ref name=okeh600>{{Cite web |title=OKeh (by CBS) 78rpm numerical listing discography: 6000 - 6500 |url=https://www.78discography.com/OK6000.htm |access-date=2022-04-14 |website=www.78discography.com}}</ref> || Okeh 6274 || {{Start date|1940|4|16}} || {{Start date|1942|7}} || US Billboard 1943 #127, US Pop #19 for 1 week, 1 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1943 #7, Hillbilly #2 for 1 week, 56 total weeks
|-
| 8 || [[Carson Robison]] || "That Old Grey Mare Is Back Where She Used to Be"<ref>{{Cite web |title=Victor matrix BS-075429. The old grey mare is back where she used to be / Carson Robison - Discography of American Historical Recordings |url=https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/200055688/BS-075429-The_old_grey_mare_is_back_where_she_used_to_be |access-date=2022-08-16 |website=adp.library.ucsb.edu}}</ref> || Bluebird 30-0808 || {{Start date|1942|7|17}} || {{Start date|1943|1|8}} || US Billboard 1943 #128, US Pop #19 for 1 week, 1 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1943 #8, Hillbilly #1 for 3 weeks, 31 total weeks
|-
| 9 || [[Floyd Tillman]] || "[[They Took the Stars Out of Heaven]]"<ref>{{Cite web|title=Decca matrix 93739. They took the stars out of heaven / Floyd Tillman - Discography of American Historical Recordings|url=https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/2000285090/93739-They_took_the_stars_out_of_heaven|access-date=2022-01-18|website=adp.library.ucsb.edu}}</ref> || Decca 6090 || {{Start date|1941|4|30}} || {{Start date|1943|5|25}} || US Hillbilly 1943 #9, Hillbilly #1 for 2 weeks, 35 total weeks
|-
| 10 || [[Bob Wills|Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys]] || "Home in San Antone"<ref name=okeh650>{{Cite web|title=OKeh (by CBS) 78rpm numerical listing discography: 6500 - 6747 (end of series)|url=https://www.78discography.com/OK6500.htm|access-date=2022-01-06|website=www.78discography.com}}</ref> || Okeh 6710 || {{Start date|1942|7|14}} || {{Start date|1942|11|30}} || US Billboard 1943 #160, US Pop #21 for 1 week, 1 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1943 #10, Hillbilly #1 for 3 weeks, 36 total weeks
|-
| 11 || [[Bob Atcher|Bob Atcher and Bonnie Blue Eyes]] || "Pins and Needles (In My Heart)"<ref name=okeh650/> || Okeh 6689 || {{Start date|1942|5|5}} || {{Start date|1942|7}} || US Billboard 1943 #132, US Pop #19 for 1 week, 47 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1943 #11, Hillbilly #2 for 1 week, 60 total weeks
|-
| 12 || [[Roy Acuff|Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys]] || "[[Night Train to Memphis]]"<ref name=okeh650/> || Okeh 6693 || {{Start date|1942|5|28}} || {{Start date|1942|9|14}} ||  US Hillbilly 1943 #12, Hillbilly #4 for 1 week, 51 total weeks
|-
| 13 || Gene Autry || "I Hang My Head And Cry"<ref name=okeh650/> || Okeh 6627 || {{Start date|1941|12|13}} || {{Start date|1942|3|27}} || US Hillbilly 1943 #13, Hillbilly #4 for 1 week, 34 total weeks
|-
| 14 || [[Ernest Tubb]] || "You Nearly Lose Your Mind"<ref>{{Cite web|title=Decca matrix L 3101. You nearly lose your mind / Ernest Tubb - Discography of American Historical Recordings|url=https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/2000269524/L_3101-You_nearly_lose_your_mind|access-date=2022-02-03|website=adp.library.ucsb.edu}}</ref> || Decca 6067 || {{Start date|1942|7|17}} || {{Start date|1942|8|17}} || US Hillbilly 1943 #14, Hillbilly #2 for 1 week, 38 total weeks
|-
| 15 || [[Gene Autry]] || "It Makes No Difference Now"<ref name=okeh600/> || Okeh 6274 || {{Start date|1941|6|18}} || {{Start date|1941|7}} || US Hillbilly 1943 #15, Hillbilly #3 for 2 weeks, 33 total weeks
|-
| 16 || [[Jimmie Davis]] || "Columbus Stockade Blues"<ref>{{Cite web|title=Decca 6083 (10-in. double-faced) - Discography of American Historical Recordings|url=https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/objects/detail/314495/Decca_6083|access-date=2022-02-03|website=adp.library.ucsb.edu}}</ref> || Decca 6083 || {{Start date|1942|7|27}} || {{Start date|1943|3|18}} || US Hillbilly 1943 #16, Hillbilly #2 for 1 week, 23 total weeks
|-
| 17 || Ernest Tubb || "I Hate To See You Go"<ref>{{Cite web|title=Decca matrix 93792. I hate to see you go / Ernest Tubb ; Ernest Tubb - Discography of American Historical Recordings|url=https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/2000285143/93792-I_hate_to_see_you_go|access-date=2022-02-03|website=adp.library.ucsb.edu}}</ref> || Decca 6684 || {{Start date|1941|11|17}} || {{Start date|1943|3|11}} || US Hillbilly 1943 #17, Hillbilly #4 for 1 week, 18 total weeks
|-
| 18 || [[Elton Britt]] || "Buddy Boy"<ref>{{Cite web |title=Victor matrix BS-072623. Buddy boy / Elton Britt - Discography of American Historical Recordings |url=https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/200054825/BS-072623-Buddy_boy |access-date=2022-08-16 |website=adp.library.ucsb.edu}}</ref> || Bluebird 9023 || {{Start date|1942|3|19}} || {{Start date|1942|7|24}} || US Hillbilly 1943 #18, Hillbilly #3 for 2 weeks, 33 total weeks
|-
| 19 || Dick Kuhn Orchestra || "Put Your Arms Around Me Honey"<ref>{{Cite web|title=Decca matrix 69971. Put your arms around me, honey-1 / Dick Kuhn Orchestra - Discography of American Historical Recordings|url=https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/2000298084/69971-Put_your_arms_around_me_honey-1|access-date=2022-02-03|website=adp.library.ucsb.edu}}</ref> || Decca 4337 || {{Start date|1941|11|26}} || {{Start date|1943|10}} || US Billboard 1943 #45, US Pop #8 for 1 week, 12 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1943 #19, Hillbilly #2 for 1 week, 11 total weeks
|-
| 20 || Ernest Tubb || "I'll Get Along Somehow"<ref>{{Cite web|title=Decca matrix 92008. I'll get along somehow / Ernest Tubb - Discography of American Historical Recordings|url=https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/2000283359/92008-Ill_get_along_somehow|access-date=2022-02-03|website=adp.library.ucsb.edu}}</ref> || Decca 5825 || {{Start date|1940|11|29}} || {{Start date|1940|12|29}} || US Hillbilly 1943 #20, Hillbilly #4 for 2 weeks, 26 total weeks
|}

Because of the lack of fresh material, many hits from past years made chart returns.
{| class="wikitable"
|align="center"|"[[Wabash Cannonball]] 1939"
|Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys
|-
|align="center"|"[[New San Antonio Rose]] 1940"
|[[Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys]]
|-
|align="center"|"[[Back in the Saddle Again|Back In the Saddle Again 1939]]"
|[[Gene Autry]]
|-
|align="center"|"It Makes No Difference Now 1941"<ref name=okeh600/>
|[[Gene Autry]]
|-
|align="center"|"I'm Knocking At Your Door Again 1941"
|[[Jimmie Davis]]
|-
|align="center"|"[[Sitting on Top of the World]] 1936"
|[[Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys]]
|-
|align="center"|"[[Sitting on Top of the World]] 1935"
|[[Shelton Brothers]]
|-
|align="center"|"The Precious Jewel 1941"
|[[Roy Acuff]] and his Smoky Mountain Boys
|-
|}

== Births ==
* February 4 – [[Jimmy Johnson (session guitarist)|Jimmy Johnson]], American musician ([[Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section]]) and record producer (died [[2019 in country music|2019]]).<ref>[https://www.al.com/life/2019/09/swampers-guitarist-jimmy-johnson-has-died.html Swampers guitarist Jimmy Johnson has died]</ref>
* April 23 – [[Richard Sterban]], member of the country-gospel group [[The Oak Ridge Boys]] (he's the bass).
* April 29 – [[Duane Allen]], member of the country-gospel group The Oak Ridge Boys (he's the second tenor).
* October 11 – [[Gene Watson]], honky tonk-styled vocalist of the 1970s and 1980s.

== Deaths ==
{{main|Deaths in 1943}}
{{Further|Category:1943 deaths}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* 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. "Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890–1954: The History of American Popular Music," Record Research Inc., Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, 1986 ({{ISBN|0-89820-083-0}}).
{{List of years in country music}}

[[Category:1943 in music|Country]]
[[Category:Country music by year]]