Wynette, Tammy

orig. Virginia Wynette Pugh

born May 5, 1942, Itawamba county, Miss., U.S.

died April 6, 1998, Nashville, Tenn.

U.S. country music singer.

Her father, a musician, died when she was an infant, and her mother left her to be raised by grandparents. She worked as a beautician before appearing on Porter Wagoner's country music television show. In 1967–68 she had hits with "Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad," "D-I-V-O-R-C-E," and her anthem, "Stand by Your Man." She was married to George Jones (1969–75), with whom she recorded many duet hits; despite their divorce, they continued to collaborate on recordings, including her last album, One (1996). She recorded 20 number-one country hits and 50 albums.

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▪ 1999

      American singer (b. May 5, 1942, Itawamba county, Miss.—d. April 6, 1998, Nashville, Tenn.), was revered as the "first lady of country music" from the 1960s to the '80s. Her powerful and tearful voice captivated listeners, who identified with her heartfelt songs. Wynette's life personified country music's rags-to-riches theme; after her father, a musician, died when she was an infant, her mother moved to Birmingham, Ala., to work in an aircraft factory, leaving her baby to be raised by grandparents on their cotton farm. Wynette, who married (1959) one month before her high-school graduation, worked as a beautician, sang in nightclubs, and appeared on Porter Wagoner's nationally syndicated country music television show. In 1966 she left her husband and moved with their three daughters to Nashville, where she signed a contract with Epic Records. Renamed Tammy by producer Billy Sherrill, she scored her first hit in 1967 with the single "Apartment Number Nine," which was followed by "Your Good Girl's Gonna Be Bad," "I Don't Wanna Play House" (for which she won the first of three Grammy awards), and "D-I-V-O-R-C-E." With Sherrill she co-wrote her anthem, "Stand by Your Man," the 1968 number one smash hit. She married George Jones in 1969, and, known as "Mr. and Mrs. Country Music," they recorded many duet hits, chronicling their marital ups and downs. They continued recording together despite their divorce, and Wynette's last album, One, was recorded (1996) with Jones. Although plagued by personal problems—she was married five times, was abducted from a shopping mall and beaten, filed for bankruptcy, and was treated for prescription-drug addiction and a series of health problems that resulted in some 30 operations—she was the most successful female vocalist in the history of country music. Her recordings had sales of more than $100 million, and she recorded 39 top-10 hits between 1967 and 1988 and 20 number one hits throughout her career. The first female country music artist to sell a million albums, she eventually sold more than 30 million records. Of her 50 albums, 11 soared to number one. Wynette was a three-time winner of the Country Music Association's Female Vocalist of the Year award (1968-70) and was given the 1991 Living Legend Award by Music City News and TNN. During the 1980s her career stalled, but in 1992 she recorded the hit "Justified and Ancient" with the British pop group KLF. She also teamed up with Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn to record the album Honky-Tonk Angels in 1993. Wynette's autobiography, Stand by Your Man, was published in 1979 and filmed in 1982.

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▪ American singer

original name  Virginia Wynette Pugh 

born May 5, 1942, Itawamba county, Miss., U.S.

died April 6, 1998, Nashville, Tenn.

      American singer, who was revered as the “first lady of country music” from the 1950s to the '80s, perhaps best known for her 1968 hit "Stand by Your Man."

      Wynette's life personified the theme of a rags-to-riches country song. Her father, a musician, died when she was an infant, and her mother moved to Birmingham, Ala., to work in an aircraft factory. The young Wynette was left to be raised by her grandparents on their cotton farm. Wynette, who married one month before her high school graduation in 1959, worked as a beautician, sang in nightclubs, and appeared on Porter Wagoner's nationally syndicated country music television show. In 1966 she left her husband and moved with their three daughters to Nashville, Tenn., where she signed a contract with Epic Records.

      Renamed Tammy by producer Bill Sherrill, Wynette recorded her first hit in 1967, the single "Apartment Number Nine," which was followed by "Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad" (1967), "I Don't Wanna Play House" (1967)—for which she won the first of three Grammy Awards (Grammy Award)—and "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" (1968). With Sherill she cowrote her anthem, "Stand by Your Man" (1968), which quickly jumped to the top of the country music charts. She married country music star George Jones (Jones, George) in 1969; known as “Mr. and Mrs. Country Music,” they recorded many duet hits. Despite their divorce in 1975, the two continued recording together, including on Wynette's last album, One (1996).

      Although plagued by personal problems—she was abducted from a shopping mall and beaten, filed for bankruptcy, and was treated for prescription-drug addiction and a series of health problems that resulted in some 30 operations—Wynette was one of the most successful female vocalists in the history of country music. Her recordings had sales of more than $100 million, and she had 20 number one hits throughout her career. She was a three-time winner of the Country Music Association's female vocalist of the year award (1968–70), and in 1998 she was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Wynette's autobiography, Stand by Your Man, was published in 1979 and filmed in 1982.

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