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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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