Sep 23, 1996

Mercury releases Terri Clark's remake of "Poor, Poor Pitiful Me"

Oct 15, 1996

Following the closure of A&M Records' country division, sister label Mercury announces that Toby Keith is the only A&M artist it will retain

Oct 18, 1996

Kathy Mattea earns a gold album from the RIAA for "Walking Away A Winner"

Oct 30, 1996

Shania Twain's self-titled debut album is certified gold by the RIAA

Nov 5, 1996

Mercury releases Terri Clark's album "Just The Same" and Harley Allen's "Another River." Allen's album includes "Between The Devil And Me," which becomes a country hit when it's re-recorded by Alan Jackson

Nov 11, 1996

Mercury releases Toby Keith's "Me Too"

Jan 13, 1997

Toby Keith collects a gold album from the RIAA for "Blue Moon"

Jan 17, 1997

Mercury releases Kathy Mattea's "455 Rocket"

Feb 28, 1997

Shania Twain's album "The Woman In Me" is recognized by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipments of more than 9 million copies

Mar 4, 1997

Mercury releases Kim Richey's album "Bitter Sweet." One of the album's cuts, "I Know," is later cited among country's 500 greatest singles of all-time in the Country Music Foundation's book "Heartaches By The Number"