1988 in country music

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1988.

Events

 * May 21 – Country music stars highlight a concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Featured: Alabama, The Judds, George Strait and Randy Travis.
 * December –
 * Record producer Jimmy Bowen establishes the Universal Records label.
 * LS Records releases "Spelling on the Stone", a song about Elvis Presley without an artist credit. The song's lyrics, which call the singer's 1977 death into question, are sung by a vocalist whom many believe to be Presley himself.

No dates

 * Time-Life Records releases the first volume of its "Country USA" series. The series, which would eventually include 23 volumes, each chronicles one year per volume – 1950 through 1972. Each volume – offered on two record albums, or one cassette or compact disc – contains liner notes from some of country music's most respected historians. In many cases, the songs offered on each volume represented the first time they had ever been re-released on compact disc. "Country USA" was offered through television and magazine advertisements.
 * The Country Music Association Awards introduced a new award, Vocal Event of the Year, awarding collaborative efforts by two or more artists who normally don't work together (previously such efforts had to be included with Best Duo or Group nominations). The first recipient was the group of Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, and Linda Ronstadt for their Trio album.
 * MTM Records is sold and disestablished after four years. During its short stay in the music business, two songs released by MTM will top the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart: Judy Rodman's "Until I Met You" (1986) and S-K-O's "Baby's Got a New Baby" (1987).
 * Real Country, a 24-hour satellite music network focusing on classic country and neotraditional country, is planned for a 1989 launch by country star Buck Owens out of his Phoenix Arizona radio studios and carried by the Satellite Music Network. It is heard primarily in smaller- and medium-sized markets. Real Country was later sold to ABC Disney which then moved the operations to its radio headquarters in Dallas, Texas. Real Country was later sold to Citadel and is now owned and distributed by Cumulus Media.

Regular series

 * Dolly (1987–1988, ABC)
 * Hee Haw (1969–1993, syndicated)

Births

 * March 24 – Blanco Brown, country rap/trap performer best known for 2019's "The Git Up."
 * March 30 – Jordan Davis, singer of the 2010s ("Singles You Up")
 * April 29 – Michael Ray, singer-songwriter known for his 2015 debut hit "Kiss You in the Morning".
 * May 24 – Billy Gilman, the youngest artist to ever have a country hit record (2000's "One Voice").
 * July 20 – Julianne Hough, rising country music star and professional dancer, best known for her appearances on Dancing with the Stars.
 * August 21 – Kacey Musgraves, rising country music star of the 2010s.
 * November 17 – Reid Perry, member of The Band Perry.

Deaths

 * August 24 – Nat Stuckey, 54, singer-songwriter whose biggest hit-making time was the 1960s and 1970s (lung cancer).
 * September 20 – Leon McAuliffe, 71, prominent member of Bob Wills' Texas Playboys and a star in his own right.
 * December 6 – Roy Orbison, 52, American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll.

Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

 * Loretta Lynn (1932–2022)
 * Roy Rogers (1911–1998)

Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductees

 * Jack Feeney

Grammy Awards

 * Best Female Country Vocal Performance – "Hold Me", K. T. Oslin
 * Best Male Country Vocal Performance – Old 8×10, Randy Travis
 * Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal – "Give a Little Love". The Judds
 * Best Country Collaboration with Vocals – "Crying", Roy Orbison and k.d. lang
 * Best Country Instrumental Performance – "Sugarfoot Rag", Asleep at the Wheel
 * Best Country Song – "Hold Me", K. T. Oslin
 * Best Bluegrass Recording – "Southern Flavor", Bill Monroe

Juno Awards

 * Country Male Vocalist of the Year – Murray McLauchlan
 * Country Female Vocalist of the Year – k.d. lang
 * Country Group or Duo of the Year – Family Brown

Academy of Country Music

 * Entertainer of the Year – Hank Williams Jr.
 * Song of the Year – "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses", Charles Nelson and Paul Nelson (Performer: Kathy Mattea)
 * Single of the Year – "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses," Kathy Mattea
 * Album of the Year – This Woman, K. T. Oslin
 * Top Male Vocalist – George Strait
 * Top Female Vocalist – K. T. Oslin
 * Top Vocal Duo – The Judds
 * Top Vocal Group – Highway 101
 * Top New Male Vocalist – Rodney Crowell
 * Top New Female Vocalist – Suzy Bogguss
 * Video of the Year – "Young Country", Hank Williams Jr. (Director: Bill Fishman)

ARIA Awards
(presented in Sydney on February 29, 1988)
 * Best Country Album – This Town (Flying Emus)
 * ARIA Hall of Fame – Slim Dusty

Canadian Country Music Association

 * Entertainer of the Year – k.d. lang
 * Male Artist of the Year – Ian Tyson
 * Female Artist of the Year – k.d. lang
 * Group of the Year – Family Brown
 * SOCAN Song of the Year – "One Smokey Rose", Tim Taylor (Performer: Anita Perras)
 * Single of the Year – "One Smokey Rose", Anita Perras
 * Album of the Year – Shadowland, k.d. lang
 * Top Selling Album – Always & Forever, Randy Travis
 * Vista Rising Star Award – Blue Rodeo
 * Duo of the Year – Anita Perras and Tim Taylor

Country Music Association

 * Entertainer of the Year – Hank Williams Jr.
 * Song of the Year – "80's Ladies", K. T. Oslin (Performer: K. T. Oslin)
 * Single of the Year – "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses", Kathy Mattea
 * Album of the Year – Born to Boogie, Hank Williams Jr.
 * Male Vocalist of the Year – Randy Travis
 * Female Vocalist of the Year – K. T. Oslin
 * Vocal Duo of the Year – The Judds
 * Vocal Group of the Year – Highway 101
 * Horizon Award – Ricky Van Shelton
 * Vocal Event of the Year – Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, and Linda Ronstadt
 * Musician of the Year – Chet Atkins

Other links

 * Country Music Association
 * Inductees of the Country Music Hall of Fame