This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1938.
Events
Top Hillbilly-Folk (Country) Recordings 1938
The following songs were extracted from records included in Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954, record sales reported on the "Discography of American Historical Recordings" website, and other sources as specified. Numerical rankings are approximate, they are only used as a frame of reference. Rank Artist Title Label Recorded Released Chart Positions 1 Roy Acuff and the Crazy Tennesseans "Wabash Cannon Ball" Vocalion 4466 US BB 1938 #223, US #12 for 1 week, 2 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1938 #1, 1,000,000 sales, National Recording Registry 2005 2 Cliff Bruner's Texas Wanderers "It Makes No Difference Now" Decca 5604 US Hillbilly 1938 #2 3 Shelton Brothers "Aura Lee" Decca 5533 US Hillbilly 1938 #3 (this melody was used for Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender") 4 Hoosier Hot Shots "The Man with the Whiskers" Vocalion 4502 US BB 1938 #207, US #11 for 1 week, 2 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1938 #4 5 Roy Acuff with The Crazy Tennesseans "Great Speckled Bird" Melotone 70159 US BB 1938 #236, US #13 for 1 week, 3 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1938 #5 6 Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys "Steel Guitar Stomp" Vocalion 3997 US Hillbilly 1938 #6 7 Gene Autry "Take Me Back to My Boots and Saddle" Vocalion 4172 US Hillbilly 1938 #7 8 Claude Casey's Pinestate Playboys "Pine State Honky Tonk" Bluebird 7883 US Hillbilly 1938 #8 9 Roy Acuff and the Crazy Tennesseans "Freight Train Blues" Vocalion 4466 US Hillbilly 1938 #9 10 Jimmie Rodgers with Lani McIntire's Hawaiians "The One Rose That's Left in My Heart" Bluebird B-7280 US Hillbilly 1938 #10 11 Roy Rogers "Hi-Ho Silver" Vocalion 4190 US BB 1938 #250, US #13 for 1 week, 2 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1938 #10 12 Jimmie Davis with Charles Mitchell "Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland" Decca 5616 US BB 1938 #253, US #13 for 1 week, 12 total weeks, US Hillbilly 1938 #11 13 Light Crust Doughboys "Beautiful Ohio" Vocalion 4158 US BB 1938 #18, US #2 for 1 week, 8 total weeks 14 Hoosier Hot Shots "Red Hot Fannie" Vocalion 4289 US Hillbilly 1938 #13 15 Girls of the Golden West "Ragtime Cowboy Joe" Vocalion 4292 US Hillbilly 1938 #14 16 Jimmie Revard And His Oklahoma Playboys "Tulsa Waltz" Bluebird 7371 US Hillbilly 1938 #15 17 Joe Werner's Ramblers "Running Around" Bluebird 4994 US Hillbilly 1938 #16 18 Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys "The Maiden's Prayer" Vocalion 3924 US Hillbilly 1938 #17 19 W Lee O'Daniel and His Hillbilly Boys "Beautiful Texas" Vocalion 4185 US Hillbilly 1938 #18 20 Cliff Bruner's Texas Wanderers "Girl Of My Dreams" Decca 5560 US Hillbilly 1938 #19 21 Gene Autry "End of My Round-Up Days" Vocalion 4146 US Hillbilly 1938 #20
Births January 30 – Norma Jean, female singer of the 1960s and regular on The Porter Wagoner Show from 1961 to 1967. March 12 – Lew DeWitt, songwriter and former member of The Statler Brothers (he sang tenor) (died 1990). March 18 – Charley Pride, the most successful African-American country music performer, active since the mid-1960s (died 2020). April 4 – Norro Wilson, prominent songwriter and record producer (died 2017). August 18 – Allen Reynolds, prominent record producer, best known for his association with Garth Brooks. August 21 – Kenny Rogers, pop-styled country crooner who has enjoyed hits since the late 1960s (died 2020).
Further reading Kingsbury, Paul, "Vinyl Hayride: Country Music Album Covers 1947–1989," Country Music Foundation, 2003 () Millard, Bob, "Country Music: 70 Years of America's Favorite Music," HarperCollins, New York, 1993 () Whitburn, Joel. "Top Country Songs 1944–2005 – 6th Edition." 2005.
References