What's better than one country music singer? Two, of course! There were some spectacular country music duos in the 1970s that still retain their powerful appeal today. They had a special quality that made them endlessly listenable and exciting to watch on stage. The songs they sang had a timelessness that made them eternal. Here's to four great country duos from the 1970s that we still love in the 2020s - Johnny and June Carter Cash, "Outlaws" Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings, the Bellamy Brothers, and Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius. They were all among the best of the best country music duos.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Johnny and June Carter Cash
This couple, steeped in music and country tradition, was legendary. June Carter Cash, who will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame this year, and her husband, Johnny, Married from 1968 to 2003, they both died in the same year just four months apart. It was almost as though one of them could not exist minus the other. Per Town & Country, "Easily the most iconic country music romance of all time, Johnny Cash and June Carter had a love story that transcended time, addiction, and the highs and lows of fame."
When I read the following quote from Johnny Cash about his beloved wife when she turned 65, I felt that I understood the totality of what she meant to him. Per the outlet, "You still fascinate and inspire me. You influence me for the better. You're the object of my desire, the #1 Earthly reason for my existence. We got old and got used to each other...We know what the other wants without asking. Sometimes we irritate each other a little bit. Maybe sometimes we take each other for granted. But once in a while, like today, I meditate on it and realize how lucky I am to share my life with the greatest woman I ever met."
Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings
Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings typified the outlaw movement in county music. Their 1978 album, Waylon & Willie, held the number 1 chart position for two and a half months. They were honored with the CMA Award for Duo of the Year two years previously for a song titled "Good Hearted Woman." One of their best-known and loved tunes came in 1978 with "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys." A real classic gem from the outlaw canon from two of that subgenre's most talented proponents.
The Bellamy Brothers
Ever heard a little song called "Let Your Love Flow"? It was a massive, sensational worldwide hit for the Bellamy Brothers in 1976. It was as big as big ever gets in the music industry for this duo. Per The Boot, David Bellamy said, "It was the perfect song for us and became the key to our career...It went to No. 1 in the U.S. on May 8, [1976], and it was the No. 1 song in Germany the end of April, where it stayed at No. 1 for eight weeks. It also took off in Japan, South Africa and Australia. We spent a lot of time flying back and forth to promote it!..We've been blessed to have a lot of hits, but that one kicked everything off. 'Let Your Love Flow' is still the reason we can tour worldwide today."
Jim Ed Brown and Helen Cornelius
Jim Ed Brown was very successful singing with his sisters Maxine and Bonnie. Then, per the Country Music Hall of Fame web site, Brown teamed with Helen Cornelius in 1976. It was a fortuitous partnership.They earned Vocal Duo of the Year honors from the CMA in 1977. "Their best-known hits are 'I Don't Want to Have to Marry You' (1976), 'Saying Hello, Saying I Love You, Saying Goodbye' (1976), 'Lying in Love with You' (1979), and 'Fools' (1979)."
