May 5, 1942 - April 6, 1998

First Lady of Country Music

When Tammy first went to Nashville, it was all dreams. She had no contracts and a difficult time finding a place to stay. After three months of frustration, Tammy wandered into the office of Billy Sherrill of Epic Records. It so happened that Sherrill was looking for someone to record Apartment #9, a song written by Johnny Paycheck. Neither Sherrill or Wynette had any idea what lie ahead.

Soon after signing with Epic in 1966, Apartment #9 was released, but had little chart impact. However, it was the break that Tammy needed. From that point forward, Tammy was rarely absent from the charts, scoring a series of singles that made her one of the dominant female singers of the 60's and 70's. Between 1967 and 1976, Tammy racked up 20 No. 1 singles and only Dolly Parton has more in the country music field.

Success came with a price as during most of career, Wynette struggled with ups and downs, both in her personal life and professional career. She was married to George Jones from 1968 - 1975. Aside from their publicized personal problems, they managed to record a number of big duets, including three No. 1 hits.

Tammy earned the title First Lady of Country Music in 1969, when she became the first female country singer to have a million-selling LP (Tammy's Greatest Hits). Wynette was named Female Vocalist of the Year by CMA in 1968, 1969 and 1970. She also earned two Grammy Awards.

Wynette was highly loved and respected by fans and industry associates alike. Her impact on country music was insurmountable, but not fully realized until after her death in 1998.

There is a fair amount of Tammy's music available on compact disc. If you're looking for her No. 1 chart singles, I recommend Tammy Wynette - 16 Biggest hits, released by Sony Music Entertainment. The CD contains 16 of Tammy's original recordings, including D-I-V-O-R-C-E, Stand By Your Man, and Take Me to Your World.


Tammy Wynette - 16 Biggest Hits is currently available at


Career Highlights

Birth Place - Itawamba County, Mississippi

Major record label - Epic

First Top 10 - Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad (1967)

Biggest Hit - I Don't Wanna Play House (1967)

Chart Run - 1966 - 1993

20 No. 1 Hits - 2nd most for a female artist

Major Awards/Achievements

CMA Female Vocalist - 1968, 1969 and 1970

2 Grammy Awards

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Revised: 11/8/1999 | Thanks for visiting!