Roots rock group the Band were the first country act to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone, in 1968; most recently, Eric Church earned the cover spot in August of 2018.
In 1963, Buck Owens topped the country charts with "Act Naturally," which opened with the prophetic line "They're gonna put me in the movies." But decades before that tune was a hit, country stars were already trading the concert stage for the sound stage.