Kitty Wells
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Ellen Muriel Deason (August 30, 1919 – July 16, 2012), known professionally as Kitty Wells, was an American pioneering female
country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
singer. She broke down a barrier for women in country music with her 1952 hit recording " It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels", which also made her the first female country singer to top the U.S. country charts and turned her into the first female country superstar. “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” would also be her first of several pop crossover hits. Wells is the only artist to be awarded top female vocalist awards for 14 consecutive years. Her chart-topping hits continued until the mid-1960s, paving the way for and inspiring a long list of female country singers who came to prominence in the 1960s. Wells ranks as the sixth most successful female vocalist in the history of the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' country charts, according to historian
Joel Whitburn Joel Carver Whitburn (November 29, 1939 – June 14, 2022) was an American author and music historian, responsible for setting up the Record Research, Inc. series of books on record chart placings. Early life Joel Carver Whitburn was born in W ...
's book ''The Top 40 Country Hits''. In 1976, she was inducted into the
Country Music Hall of Fame The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has amass ...
. In 1991, Wells became the third country music artist, after
Roy Acuff Roy Claxton Acuff (September 15, 1903 – November 23, 1992) was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the "King of Country Music", Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedown ...
and
Hank Williams Hiram "Hank" Williams (September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. An early pioneer of country music, he is regarded as one of the most significant and influential musicians of the 20th century. W ...
, and the eighth woman to receive the
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achiev ...
. Wells' success and influence on country music garnered her the title "Queen of Country Music".


Biography


Early life

Wells was born Ellen Muriel Deason on August 30, 1919 as one of six children of Charles Cary Deason and his wife, Myrtle, in
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
. (She is one of the few well known country performers to have been born in Nashville.) Wells began singing as a child, learning guitar from her father, who was a brakeman on the Tennessee Central Railroad. Her father and his brother were musicians, and her mother, Myrtle, was a gospel singer. As a teenager, Wells sang with her sisters, who performed under the name the Deason Sisters, on a local radio station beginning in 1936.Brian Mansfield & Stephen Thomas Erlewine Kitty Wells biography Allmusic.com; retrieved June 12, 2008. At the age of 18 Wells married
Johnnie Wright Johnnie Robert Wright Jr. (May 13, 1914 – September 27, 2011) was an American country music singer-songwriter, who spent much of his career working with Jack Anglin as the popular duo Johnnie & Jack, and was also the husband of country music ...
, a cabinetmaker who aspired to country music stardom (which he would eventually achieve as half of the duo Johnnie & Jack).


Music career

Wells sang with Wright and his sister Louise Wright; the three toured as Johnnie Right and the Harmony Girls. Soon, Wright met Jack Anglin (who married Johnnie's sister Louise), and they became the duo Johnnie & Jack. Their band became known first as the Tennessee Hillbillies and then the Tennessee Mountain Boys. At this time, Wells adopted "Kitty Wells" as her stage name. Johnnie Wright chose the name from the folk ballad "Sweet Kitty Wells" by The Pickard Family. Wells toured with the pair, occasionally performing backup vocals. Before Wells' rise to stardom with "Honky Tonk Angels",
Roy Acuff Roy Claxton Acuff (September 15, 1903 – November 23, 1992) was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the "King of Country Music", Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedown ...
and the Smoky Mountain Boys toured with Wright and Wells for a time. Acuff advised Wright not to make his wife his show's headliner because he thought women could not sell country music records. On ''
Louisiana Hayride ''Louisiana Hayride'' is a radio and later television country music show that was broadcast from the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana; during its heyday from 1948 to 1960, it helped to launch the careers of some ...
'', Wells performed with her husband's duo. Wells, however, did not sing on their records until signing with
RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic ...
in 1949, releasing some of her first singles, including "Death At The Bar" and "Don't Wait For The Last Minute To Pray", neither of which charted. While these early records gained some notice, promoters still were not keen on promoting female singers, so Wells was dropped from the label in 1950.


1952: "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels"

In 1952,
Paul Cohen Paul Joseph Cohen (April 2, 1934 – March 23, 2007) was an American mathematician, best known for his proofs that the continuum hypothesis and the axiom of choice are independent from Zermelo–Fraenkel set theory, for which he was awarded a F ...
, an executive at
Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis after his acquisition of a gramophone manufacturer, The Decca Gramophone Company. It set up an American subsidiary under the Decca name, which bec ...
, approached Wells to record " It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels". Wells was disenchanted with her career prospects and was considering retirement, but agreed to the session (at
Owen Bradley William Owen Bradley (October 21, 1915 – January 7, 1998) was an American musician, bandleader and record producer who, along with Chet Atkins, Bob Ferguson, Bill Porter, and Don Law, was a chief architect of the 1950s and 60s Nashville sou ...
's
studio A studio is a space set aside for creative work of any kind, including art, dance, music and theater. The word ''studio'' is derived from the , from , from ''studere'', meaning to study or zeal. Types Art The studio of any artist, esp ...
on May 3, 1952) because of the $125 union scale recording payment. "I wasn't expecting to make a hit," said Wells later. "I just thought it was another song." "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" was an
answer song An answer song, response song or answer record is a song (usually a recorded track) made in answer to a previous song, normally by another artist. The concept became widespread in blues and R&B recorded music in the 1930s to the 1950s. Answer son ...
to Hank Thompson's "
The Wild Side of Life "The Wild Side of Life" is a song made famous by country music singer Hank Thompson. Originally released in 1952, the song became one of the most popular recordings in the genre's history, spending 15 weeks at number one on the ''Billboard'' co ...
" and its lyrical treatment of seductive, wayward women. Wells' single retorted, "It's a shame that all the blame is on us women." The record's message was controversial at the time and was banned by many radio stations.''Country Music Television.com'
Kitty Wells profile
CMT.com; retrieved June 13, 2008.
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
, in particular, was troubled by the lyric, "It brings back memories of when I was a trustful wife". Wells' slight alteration of "trustful" to "trusting" lifted the network ban on the song. It was temporarily banned from the
Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a regular live country music, country-music Radio broadcasting, radio broadcast originating from Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, on WSM (AM), WSM, held between two and five nights per week, depending on the ...
. Nevertheless, audiences were greatly enamored of the song. The single took off during the summer of 1952, and sold more than 800,000 copies in its initial release. It was the first single by a female singer to peak at number one in the eight-year history of the country music chart, where it remained for six weeks. (Certain female country songs, notably Patsy Montana's million-selling " I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart", antedate the creation of ''Billboard''s country chart in 1944.) "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" also crossed over to ''Billboard's'' pop charts, hitting number 27.Kitty Wells' stor
Wells' Country Music Hall of Fame profile
; retrieved June 12, 2008.
Thanks to her breakthrough, Wells received a membership to the Grand Ole Opry, which had originally banned the single. Writer Bill Friskics-Warren has argued that part of the song's appeal came from its combination of a modern message with a familiar tune, a melody drawn from the
Carter Family The Carter Family was an American folk music group that recorded and performed between 1927 and 1956. Regarded as one of the most important music acts of the early 20th century, they had a profound influence on the development of bluegrass, c ...
's "
I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes "I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes" is the title of a country/folk song by A. P. Carter. A. P. Carter was a collector of old songs and lyrics. ''I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes'' is one of these old songs he discovered and it is said to ...
" (as were "The Wild Side of Life" and Roy Acuff's " The Great Speckled Bird"). Practically anyone could hum along with "Angels" the first time they heard it.


1953–1969: Career peak

"It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" was followed by "Paying For That Back Street Affair", a response to
Webb Pierce Michael Webb Pierce (August 8, 1921 – February 24, 1991) was an American country music vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist of the 1950s, one of the most popular of the genre, charting more number-one hits than any other country and western pe ...
's "Back Street Affair". The single reached number six in the spring of 1953, helping to establish a lasting place at the top of the charts for Wells. Between 1953 and 1955, Wells was popular on the country charts, and was the only female solo artist at the time to be able to maintain her success. In 1953, Wells had two top-10 hits with "
Hey Joe "Hey Joe" is a song from the 1960s that has become a rock standard and been performed in many musical styles by hundreds of different artists. The lyrics are from the point of view of a man on the run and planning to escape to Mexico after sho ...
" and "Cheatin's a Sin". The next year, Wells partnered with country star
Red Foley Clyde Julian "Red" Foley (June 17, 1910 – September 19, 1968) was an American musician who made a major contribution to the growth of country music after World War II. For more than two decades, Foley was one of the biggest stars of the gen ...
for the duet "One By One", which peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' Country Chart, and became her second chart-topper. The song led to a string of hit singles from the duo within the next two decades, including 1954's "As Long as I Live", which peaked at number three. As a solo artist in 1954, Wells had two major hits with the number-eight " Release Me" and the top-15 hit "Thou Shalt Not Steal" (written by
Don Everly Isaac Donald Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021) was an American musician. Everly was one-half of the singing duo The Everly Brothers alongside his younger brother Phil Everly, Phil. Early life Don was born in Brownie, Kentucky on Febru ...
of the
Everly Brothers The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close-harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly and Phillip "Phil" Everly, the duo combined elements of rock and roll, country, an ...
). Record companies were reluctant to issue albums by country's female artists until Wells proved that women could sell.(2006). In ''Will the Circle be Unbroken: Country Music in America''. Paul Kingsbury & Alanna Nash, Editors. New York, NY: Dorling Kindersley. p. 182. She became the first female country singer to issue an LP, starting with 1956's '' Kitty Wells' Country Hit Parade'', which consisted of her biggest hits. Wells released her first studio album in 1957 with '' Winner of Your Heart''. Soon, other female country singers released LPs in the late 1950s and early 1960s. " Making Believe" and "Lonely Side of Town" were also released as singles. Wells' later 1950s releases included " Searching (For Someone Like You)" written by Murphy "Pee Wee" Maddux, and "
I Can't Stop Loving You "I Can't Stop Loving You" is a popular song written and composed by the country musician Don Gibson from his 1958 album ''Oh Lonesome Me'', who first recorded it on December 3, 1957, for RCA Victor Records. It was released in 1958 as the B-side ...
" and "Amigo's Guitar", which she wrote with John D. Loudermilk. In 1957, Wells issued ''Winner of Your Heart''. This was followed by a string of LPs released by
Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis after his acquisition of a gramophone manufacturer, The Decca Gramophone Company. It set up an American subsidiary under the Decca name, which bec ...
between 1957 and 1973. She also partnered with Webb Pierce the same year for two duet singles, including the top-10 hit "Oh So Many Years". The duo did not record together again until 1964 with the top-10 hit "Finally". In 1959, Wells had two top-five hits with "Amigo's Guitar" and "Mommy For A Day". Wells was later awarded a BMI award for writing "Amigo's Guitar". Although not known much for her songwriting, Wells has won two BMI awards, including one for "Amigo's Guitar". She has published more than 60 songs. Wells continued to put much of herself into her songs throughout her career, inspiring other female country singers to record risky material, as well.
Loretta Lynn Loretta Lynn (; April 14, 1932 – October 4, 2022) was an American country music singer and songwriter. In a career spanning six decades, Lynn released multiple gold albums. She had numerous hits such as "Hey Loretta", "The Pill (song), The P ...
was one of her followers in this sense when she recorded "Don't Come Home A Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind)" in 1967.
Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily as a country music, country musician. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton's debut album ...
's 1968 recording " Just Because I'm a Woman", like "Honky Tonk Angels", questioned the male-female double standard. Wells entered the 1960s on top with the songs " Heartbreak U.S.A." and "Day into Night". "Heartbreak USA" peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' Country Chart and became her third and final number-one hit. The follow-up, "Day Into Night", was a top-10 hit the same year. Owen Bradley continued as Wells' producer in the 1960s. Bradley produced some of the biggest-selling country crossover singers of the time. The well-known Nashville Sound vocal group
The Jordanaires The Jordanaires were an American vocal quartet that formed as a gospel group in 1948. Over the years, they recorded both sacred and secular music for recording companies such as Capitol Records, RCA Victor, Columbia Records, Decca Records, Vo ...
can be heard backing Wells on her big country hit from 1961 "Heartbreak USA". In the early '60s, Wells continued to have top-10 hits frequently. In 1962, Wells had three Top 10 hits with " Will Your Lawyer Talk to God", "Unloved Wanted", and "We Missed You". Beginning in 1964, Wells' albums began to chart the
Top Country Albums Top Country Albums is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The 50-position chart lists the most popular country music albums in the country, calculated weekly by Broadcast Data Systems based on physical sales ...
chart, starting with the LP ''Especially for You''. Some of Wells' albums peaked within the top 10 on that chart. That same year, Wells' singles began to return to the top 10 with "This White Circle on My Finger" and "Password", both of which peaked at number seven on the ''Billboard'' Country Chart. In 1965, Wells had her last top-10 hit with "Meanwhile, Down At Joe's", and in 1966, Wells then had her final top-20 hit with "It's All Over But the Crying", which peaked at number 14 on the country charts. During the late 1960s and 1970s, Wells managed to have a string of minor hits and remained a popular concert attraction. She continued with a string of top-40 hits nearly until the end of the decade with her last top-40 single, "My Big Truck Drivin' Man", in 1968. In 1968, Wells recorded a duet album with husband Johnnie Wright called ''We'll Stick Together''. Wells also reunited with
Red Foley Clyde Julian "Red" Foley (June 17, 1910 – September 19, 1968) was an American musician who made a major contribution to the growth of country music after World War II. For more than two decades, Foley was one of the biggest stars of the gen ...
at the end of the decade for a studio album. Her albums continued to chart the Top Country Albums chart until 1969 with ''Guilty Street''. Wells became the first female country star to have her own syndicated television show, with her husband in 1969, '' The Kitty Wells/Johnnie Wright Family Show'', which also featured appearances by their children, including actor Bobby Wright. The program could not compete, though, against shows starring more contemporary male artists such as
Porter Wagoner Porter Wayne Wagoner (August 12, 1927 – October 28, 2007) was an American country music singer known for his flashy Nudie and Manuel suits and blond pompadour. In 1967, he introduced singer Dolly Parton on his television show, ''The Por ...
and
Bill Anderson James William Anderson III (born November 1, 1937) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and television host. His soft-spoken singing voice earned him the nickname "Whispering Bill" from music critics and writers. As a songwriter, hi ...
, and only ran for one year.


1970–2012: Later career and retirement

Wells stayed under the Decca label until 1973. She released three studio albums in 1970 and two in 1971. In 1973, when Decca became
MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc. established in 1972, though MCA had released recordings under that name in the UK from the 1960s. The label achieved success in the 1970s through the 1980s, often by acquiring other ...
, Wells stayed with them for a short time before leaving the label. In 1974, she signed with
Capricorn Records Capricorn Records was an independent record label founded by Phil Walden and Frank Fenter in 1969 in Macon, Georgia. Capricorn Records is often credited by music historians as creating the southern rock genre. History Label and studio fou ...
, a southern rock label of the era, and recorded a blues-flavored album entitled '' Forever Young'' on which she was backed by members of the
Allman Brothers Band Allman may refer to: Music *The Allman Brothers Band, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame southern rock band, formed by Duane and Gregg Allman *The Allman Joys, an early band formed by Duane and Gregg Allman *The Gregg Allman Band People *Allman (surnam ...
and the
Marshall Tucker Band The Marshall Tucker Band is an American rock band from Spartanburg, South Carolina. Noted for incorporating blues, country and jazz into an eclectic sound, the Marshall Tucker Band helped establish the Southern rock genre in the early 1970s. Whi ...
. The album received considerable acclaim and, through its association with the Allmans, brought Wells to the attention of a younger audience. In 1976, Wells was inducted into the
Country Music Hall of Fame The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has amass ...
. In the late 1970s, Wells and husband formed their own record label, Rubocca (the name was a composite of their three children's names:
Ruby Ruby is a pinkish-red-to-blood-red-colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapph ...
, Bobby, and Carol Sue) and released several albums. In 1979, at age 60, she was back on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' charts with "I Thank You for the Roses". Wells remained a successful concert attraction at smaller venues throughout the country and Canada as late as the early 2000s. In 1987, she joined fellow Opry legends
Brenda Lee Brenda Mae Tarpley (born December 11, 1944), known professionally as Brenda Lee, is an American singer. Primarily performing rockabilly, pop, country and Christmas music, she achieved her first ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' hit aged 12 i ...
and
Loretta Lynn Loretta Lynn (; April 14, 1932 – October 4, 2022) was an American country music singer and songwriter. In a career spanning six decades, Lynn released multiple gold albums. She had numerous hits such as "Hey Loretta", "The Pill (song), The P ...
on
k.d. lang Kathryn Dawn Lang (born November 2, 1961), known by her stage name k.d. lang (stylised in all lowercase), is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress. Lang has won Juno Awards and Grammy Awards for her musical pe ...
's "Honky Tonk Angels Medley", which was nominated for a Grammy award in 1989. Wells' 1955 recording "Making Believe" was included in the soundtrack of the film ''
Mississippi Burning ''Mississippi Burning'' is a 1988 American crime thriller film directed by Alan Parker and written by Chris Gerolmo that is loosely based on the 1964 investigation into the deaths of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner in Mississippi. It stars ...
''. In 1991, Wells was awarded from the
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
a ''Lifetime Achievement award''. She, along with Johnnie and Bobby, joined producers
Randall Franks Randall Franks is an American entertainer recognized for his multifaceted career in the arts. He is known for his roles as a film and television actor, author, and as a Bluegrass music, bluegrass singer and musician. Franks is proficient in playi ...
and
Alan Autry Carlos Alan Autry Jr. (also known for a time as Carlos Brown; born July 31, 1952) is an American actor, politician, and former football player. During his brief career in the National Football League, he played as a quarterback and was known as ...
for the '' In the Heat of the Night'' CD "Christmas Time's A Comin'" performing "Jingle Bells" with the cast on the CD released on Sonlite and MGM/UA for one of the most popular Christmas releases of 1991 and 1992 with Southern retailers. In 1993, Wells appeared on
Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily as a country music, country musician. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton's debut album ...
, Loretta Lynn and
Tammy Wynette Tammy Wynette (born Virginia Wynette Pugh; May 5, 1942 – April 6, 1998) was an American country music singer and songwriter, considered among the genre's most influential and successful artists. Along with Loretta Lynn, Wynette helped bring a ...
's collaboration ''
Honky Tonk Angels ''Honky Tonk Angels'' is a collaborative studio album by Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette. It was released on November 2, 1993, by Columbia Records. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on January 5, 1994, for sales of 500,000 co ...
,'' joining in on their recording of the title track. Wells and her husband opened the Family Country Junction Museum and Studio in 1983 in their hometown of Madison, but stopped running it on their own in 2000. Their grandson John Sturdivant Jr. has kept the Junction Recording Studio at its present location, which also houses Junction Records. Wells and her singing-partner husband of 63 years performed their final show together on December 31, 2000, at the Nashville Nightlife Theater; they had announced their retirement earlier that year. Wells was ranked No. 15 on ''CMT's 40 Greatest Women of Country Music'' in 2002. An exhibit honoring Wells at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville ran from August 2008 through June 2009. On May 14, 2008, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" was added to the
National Recording Registry The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservation ...
at the
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
, along with
Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist known for his distinctive and powerful voice, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. Orbison's most successful periods were ...
's "
Oh, Pretty Woman "Oh, Pretty Woman", or simply "Pretty Woman", is a song recorded by Roy Orbison and written by Orbison and Bill Dees. It was released as a single in August 1964 on Monument Records and spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, '' ...
".


Personal life

Wells married
Johnnie Wright Johnnie Robert Wright Jr. (May 13, 1914 – September 27, 2011) was an American country music singer-songwriter, who spent much of his career working with Jack Anglin as the popular duo Johnnie & Jack, and was also the husband of country music ...
in 1937. Kitty and Johnnie had three children,
Ruby Ruby is a pinkish-red-to-blood-red-colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapph ...
,
Bobby Bobby or Bobbie may refer to: People *Bobby (given name), a list of names * Bobby (surname), a list of surnames * Bobby (actress), from Bangladesh * Bobby (rapper) (born 1995), from South Korea * Bobby (screenwriter) (born 1983), Indian screenwrit ...
, and Carol Sue, eight grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, and seven great-great-grandchildren. Carol Sue released a single with Wells in the mid '50s, titled "How Far Is Heaven", which peaked at No. 11 on the ''Billboard'' Country Chart. While two of Wells' children pursued music careers, Carol Sue did not, but she was married to Nashville Music Row executive John Sturdivant Sr. and recorded numerous songs with her family, including performing with Ruby as The Wright Sisters. Ruby recorded an album for the Kapp label and was a member of 'Nita, Rita, and Ruby. Bobby recorded albums for both Decca and ABC. Wells and her husband were lifelong members of the Church of Christ. The couple celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in 2007 by visiting the small courthouse at which they were married in Franklin, Kentucky. Kitty and Johnnie were married 74 years before Johnnie's death in 2011.


Death

Kitty Wells died on July 16, 2012, in
Madison, Tennessee Madison (originally Madison Station) is a former settlement, now a suburban neighborhood of northeast Nashville, in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is incorporated as part of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. The po ...
, from complications of a
stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...
. She was 92. She is interred at Spring Hill Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee.


Achievements and honors

* First solo female country artist to have a number 1 record on the charts * First female country artist to sell one million records * First woman to headline a major tour * First woman to headline a syndicated television variety show * Voted top country female artist for 14 consecutive years * Holds record for single at number 2 on the charts with "Makin' Believe" for 15 weeks * Country Music Hall of Fame Inductee (1976) * NARAS Governor's Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Recording Industry (1981) * Academy of Country Music's Pioneer Award (1985) * NARAS Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1991) * The Music City News Living Legend Award (1993) * Native American Music Hall of Fame Inductee (2002) * National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress for "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" (2008) * In 2019, Kitty Wells was honored in
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
by the channel canal Pouco Recurso News. The grandson of the singer John Sturdivant Jr participated in the tribute to his grandmother, with a video of thanks. * Mentioned fondly in the Gordon Lightfoot song “I Used to Be A Country Singer” (1998)


Discography


Top Ten Singles


References


External links

* *
Kitty Wells at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
accessed December 19, 2016.
Kitty Wells obituary
Grammy.com; accessed September 10, 2014.
Kitty Wells Interview
at NAMM Oral History Collection (July 24, 2004)
Kitty Wells recordings
at the
Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database catalog of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The 78rpm era was the time period in which any flat disc records were being played at ...
. {{DEFAULTSORT:Wells, Kitty 1919 births 2012 deaths 21st-century American women American country singer-songwriters American members of the Churches of Christ American women country singers Burials at Spring Hill Cemetery (Nashville, Tennessee) Country Music Hall of Fame inductees Country musicians from Tennessee Decca Records artists Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Grand Ole Opry members Singer-songwriters from Tennessee Singers from Nashville, Tennessee