56 Years Ago Today, the “First Lady of Country Music” Released the Heartbreaking Second No. 1 Album of Her Career

Leaving behind her rural Mississippi hometown at 17, Tammy Wynette eventually made her way to the bright lights of Nashville. Despite facing gender discrimination in the male-dominated country music landscape, she landed her first solo No. 1 hit in 1967 with “I Don’t Wanna Play House”. This would mark the first of 21 career chart-toppers for Wynette, including three No. 1 duets with her third husband, George Jones. On this day (April 1970) she released her eighth studio album, Tammy’s Touch, which would eventually climb to the top of the country albums chart.

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Tammy Wynette Was at the Top of Her Game in 1970

Produced by the legendary Billy Sherrill, Tammy’s Touch gave Wynette her second No. 1 country album after 1968’s D-I-V-O-R-C-E. It also gave the First Lady of Country Music her fifth entry on the all-genre Billboard 200, reaching No. 85.

Tammy Wynette entered the 1970s at the peak of her popularity, releasing a series of hit singles including the Grammy-winning signature hit “Stand By Your Man” (1969).

Recorded in the early days of her famously stormy marriage to George Jones, Tammy’s Touch followed the blueprint established by songs like “Stand By Your Man”, with a mixture of covers and original songs revolving around themes of romance and heartbreak.

Sherrill had writing credits on three of the album’s 11 tracks, including both singles. Released in December 1969, “I’ll See Him Through” climbed to No. 2 on the country singles chart.

In April 1970, Wynette followed up with “He Loves Me All the Way”, which spent 14 weeks on the Hot Country Songs charts, including three at No. 1.

[RELATED: 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]

Paying Tribute to Tammy

On April 6, 1998, Tammy Wynette died in her sleep at her Nashville home. Just 55 years old, she had suffered a blood clot in her lung.

Last month, more than two dozen artists—including Terri Clark, Gretchen Wilson, and Wynonna Judd—celebrated the CMA’s three-time Female Vocalist of the Year at the Ryman Auditorium.

Heart’s Ann Wilson concluded the night—billed as The First Lady of Country Music, Tammy Wynette, Forever Yours—with a rafter-shaking performance of “Stand By Your Man”.

Rising star Carter Faith, who performed the 1973 classic “Another Lonely Song” quipped that “every time I go on stage, I pray to God and Tammy Wynette.”

Featured image by David Redfern/Redferns