Human Rights A Day

Anne Murray becomes the first woman and first Canadian to win a country music award. Anne Murray was one of Canada’s first country singers to gain international notoriety. Born June 20, 1945 in Springhill, Nova Scotia, Murray grew up intending to become a phys-ed teacher. She graduated from the University of New Brunswick with a degree in physical education and began teaching – while singing on television as a side job. But when she recorded the single “Snowbird” in 1970, it sold more than a million copies, rocketing her to stardom. Murray moved to Los Angeles for a short while before returning to Canada. During the early 1970s, she straddled the country and pop music worlds until a string of country hits solidified her country music success from 1979 until 1986. It was during this period that Murray was recognized by her peers in the country music business for her successes and contributions to the industry. On October 8, 1984 at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House, the Country Music Association announced that