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Tammy Wynette music biography continued...

Mississippi on May 5, 1942, Wynette was raised on a tobacco farm and had dreams of escaping her hard life and becoming a singer. After making some appearances on local variety television programs, Wynette moved to Nashville in hopes of scoring a record contract. After being turned down repeatedly by every other record company she'd met with, she auditioned for producer Billy Sherrill. Sherrill, who was originally reluctant to sign her, decided to do so, her after finding himself in need of a singer to cover a song given to him, "Apartment No. 9". Wynette was signed to Epic Records in 1966, and came out with the song in December 1966, and just missed the Top 40 on the Country charts, peaking at No. 44. It was followed by "Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad," which became a big hit, peaking at number three. The song launched a string of Top Ten hits beginning with 1967's "I Don't Wanna Play House" which earned Wynette a Grammy award in 1967 for Best Female Country Vocal Performance, and three number 1 songs in 1968 alone-- "Take Me to Your World," "D-I-V-O-R-C-E," and "Stand by Your Man," which became a country standard. The string of hits continued throughout the 70s, when Wynette, along with singer Loretta Lynn, ruled the country charts and was one of the most successful female vocalists of the genre. In addition, her 1969 marriage to country star George Jones created a "first couple" of country music, as they went on to record a number of popular duets to go a long with Wynette's successful solo outings.



After her divorce from Jones in 1975, Wynette's popularity began to wane, though she did have several Top Ten hits in the late 70s. By 1980, she had amassed a total of 21 number one hits on the U.S. country singles charts (17 solo, three with Jones, and one with Houston). Wynette continued to record and perform throughout the 80s and early 90s. She died on April 6, 1998, as one of a handful of artists who helped redefine the role and place of female country singers.