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Born Virginia Wynette Pugh in Itawamba County,
Miss., on May 5, 1942, Tammy Wynette was raised mostly by her
maternal grandparents after her father died. Amid the drudgery
of farm work, she dreamed of becoming a Grand Ole Opry star,
taught herself to play the guitar, served as pianist at the
Providence Baptist Church and sang in school programs.
Shortly before graduating from high school, she
married Euple Byrd with whom she had three children. For a
while they lived in a log cabin with no indoor plumbing and
only a wood-burning fireplace for cooking and heat. Since Byrd
was often unemployed and moved the family a lot, she worked as
a waitress.
After
separating from Byrd and moving to Birmingham, Ala., to live
with relatives, she worked as a beautician and began singing
on a local TV program. Beginning in 1965, she made several
trips to Nashville looking for a record deal. In 1966, she
moved to Music City and auditioned for Epic Records producer
Billy Sherrill, who signed her after an impromptu audition and
changed her stage name. Beginning with “Apartment #9” in
1966-67, the Wynette-Sherrill team ultimately racked up 20 No.
1 hits.
During the late 1960s, Wynette explored women’s viewpoints in
song. “I Don't Wanna Play House” and “D-I-V-O-R-C-E” voiced
the agonies of women and children torn by family break-ups.
“Stand by Your Man,” which advised women to forgive wayward
men, drew criticism from feminists, but Wynette defended it as
an expression of triumph over adversity. Her winning streak
extended into the mid-70s with hits such as “Good Lovin’
(Makes It Right)” and “Woman to Woman,” and she co-wrote
top-selling songs like “Singing My Song” and “Till I Can Make
It on My Own.” During these years her stormy marriage to
George Jones (whom she wed in 1969 and divorced in 1975)
riveted audiences as much as the couple’s hit duets, including
“We're Gonna Hold On,” “Two Story House” and “Golden Ring.”
Wynette died on April 6, 1998. Three days
later, fans and members of the music industry honored her with
a televised memorial service broadcast from Nashville’s Ryman
Auditorium. Wynette won election to the Country Music Hall of
Fame later that year.
CMT.com
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