March – Tim McGraw's first major hit, "Indian Outlaw," causes considerable controversy due to lyrics about Native Americans, and the single is boycotted at a handful of stations. Nevertheless, the song's notoriety helps spur its popularity and allows it to become just the second major crossover hit in 10 years, reaching No. 15 on the Billboard magazineHot 100 singles chart (in addition to its No. 8 peak on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart); the song will also jumpstart McGraw's fledgling career, which had gotten off to a less-than-stellar start a year earlier.
Incidentally, McGraw's first taste of success comes at approximately the same time as that of his wife-to-be — Faith Hill.
April 12 — The premiere issue of Country Weekly magazine hits the store shelves. Garth Brooks graces the cover of the first issue.
May 9 — Newcomer artist John Berry passes out during a concert and is rushed to a hospital in Atlanta, where an operation is performed to remove a cyst found in the third ventricle of his brain.[1]
October 1 - CMT adds six new music video programs to its schedule: Big Ticket, Signature Series, Jammin' Country, Saturday Nite Dance Ranch, Delivery Room and Top 12 Countdown. All shows would be cancelled in 2001.
Kingsbury, Paul, "The Grand Ole Opry: History of Country Music. 70 Years of the Songs, the Stars and the Stories," Villard Books, Random House; Opryland USA, 1995
Whitburn, Joel, "Top Country Songs 1944–2005 – 6th Edition." 2005.
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