1973 Was The Year Of The Silver Fox In Country Music

If someone asks you where they might find member's of the Country Music Hall of Fame, you might steer them to the 1973 Country Music Association Awards Show.

Let's see who was there.  Artist's with names like Atkins, Cramer, Haggard, Hall, Pride, Twitty, Mandrell, Wynette and Wagoner.

And those were the artist's who didn't win!

The biggest award each year of course is the coveted 'Entertainer of the Year' honor, and in 1973 it went to a future Hall of Famer, the legendary Roy Clark.  And another iconic country music legend was named female vocalist of the year, the Coal Miners Daughter, Loretta Lynn.  Vocal Group of the Year?  Who else?  The Statler Brothers of course!

But really, the night (and in a sense, the entire year) belonged to a man that was known as the Silver Fox.

Charlie Rich may have lost a few pounds that night in October, 1973, what with the number of times he walked up the stairs to accept an award!

One of Country Music's most legendary songs, 'Behind Closed Doors' won both the Song of the Year (which goes to the writer, in this case Kenny O'Dell) and Single of the Year.  But wait...Charlie also won Album of the Year for his album of the same name.

Nope, not done yet, there's one more.  The Silver Fox also walked away with Male Vocalist of the Year.

Quite a night....quite a year, 1973...for the one and only Silver Fox, the late, great Charlie Rich.