Tammy Wynnette Part II

In the 1960’s women were becoming more noticed in the country music world as writers and artists, rather than just as “pretty girl singers” or support acts.  The young Dolly Parton had just moved to Nashville, and started a song writing career as well as singing. Country music was still like the rest of America, a sexist world but there was a beginning of recognition. So it was ironic that Tammy’s best known hit “Stand by Your Man” was seen by many budding feminists as a highly controversial reactionary song.

But the message of the song was somewhat two edged... in that men were apt to stray and make mistakes but that a woman was strong enough “if she loved him” to forgive him and tolerate them.

Tammy divorced her second husband, Don Chapel in 1968 and married George Jones; who was by then a successful artist. The couple were married for several years and were seen as a successful and glamorous “country couple” like Johnny Cash and June Carter.  However, due to George’s alcoholism and difficult behaviour they divorced in the 1970s.  George adopted her daughters... 

Tammy was a woman of her time... in some ways independent and willing to work hard to support herself.. And in other ways she was often submissive.  There were rumours that she suffered domestic violence. But in spite of the "Stand By your Man" song.. she did not stick around all the time.. She walked out on various men to follow her dreams.  She left her first husband, Euple, because he had laughed at her belief that she could be a music star.  However she always renewed her beauty operator’s license every year, just in case she had to go back to earning a living in a day job.

After her divorce from George Jones, she and he continued to work together.. duetting.. 

She had numerous health problems, including scarring from a hysterectomy.. She had to have several major surgeries, though she managed to keep on working and touring.   In the 1980s, due to her many ailments, she developed an addiction to painkillers, which further weakened her health.  She sought treatment in the Betty Ford Clinic.   At the age of 55, she died from a blood clot, asleep on her couch….