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28 Years Ago Today, We Said Goodbye to the First Lady of Country Music and One-Half of the Genre’s Most Talked-About Power Couple
On this day (April 6) in 1998, Tammy Wynette died in her sleep at her Nashville, Tennessee, home. Despite initial reports, she died of heart failure. Wynette left behind an immortal musical legacy that includes 20 chart-topping singles and the countless artists who followed in her footsteps.
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Wynette moved to Nashville in 1966, a divorced mother of three with a dream. Shortly after relocating, she went to Epic Records and pitched a handful of songs to producer Billy Sherrill. Two weeks later, she had inked a deal with the label, with Sherrill overseeing her sessions and writing many of her songs, according to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Later that year, Wynette recorded “Apartment #9,” co-written by Johnny Paycheck. It wasn’t a hit. However, her next release, “Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad,” reached No. 3, kicking off a string of hits. “My Elusive Dreams,” a duet with David Houston, became her first No. 1. She followed that with “I Don’t Wanna Play House,” another No. 1 single.
Wynette released several enduring hits over the next few years. “D-I-V-O-R-C-E,” “Stand by Your Man,” and “The Ways to Love a Man,” among others, reached the top of the country chart before the end of the decade.
Mr. and Mrs. Country Music
Tammy Wynette and George Jones got married in February 1969. His status as an established artist and her quickly rising star made them the most talked-about couple in Nashville. After they tied the knot, they started touring together in a bus with “Mr. & Mrs. Country Music” painted on the side. She was also hailed as the genre’s First Lady.
The couple recorded eight albums as a duo and released multiple successful singles. “We’re Gonna Hold On,” “Golden Ring,” and “Near You” topped the charts.
Unfortunately, their marriage was short-lived. Their divorce was finalized in March 1976. However, their musical partnership continued.
Tammy Wynette’s Final Years
Tammy Wynette’s solo career didn’t suffer during or after her marriage to George Jones. Her chart success stayed steady through the 1970s and early ’80s. However, as the 1980s drew to a close and the ’90s loomed on the horizon, her singles began to slip down the charts. At the same time, her health was declining.
She spent the final day of her life relaxing at home with her husband, George Richey. They were napping on their recliners in the living room of their home. He reportedly woke up and found her unresponsive. That evening, her personal doctor flew to Nashville from Pennsylvania to pronounce her dead. He stated that the country legend died from a blood clot in her lung.
According to a CNN report, Tammy Wynette’s body was later exhumed at the insistence of her daughters. Dr. Bruce Levy, the Davidson County medical examiner, performed an autopsy. “There were no blood clots in her lungs in the autopsy, or under microscopic examination,” he said. He noted that there was evidence of previous clots that “compromised her lungs and put pressure on her heart.” In the end, Dr. Levy said Wynette actually died of heart failure.
No matter how she died, Tammy Wynette left behind a legacy that will outlive even the youngest of her fans. After her passing, Billy Sherrill said, “We once made a record called One of a Kind. There are no more words. The words have all been said.”
Featured Image by Al Clayton/Getty Images
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