Whatever Happened To The Legendary Tammy Wynette?

She was famously known as 'The First Lady Of Country Music'.

It's hard to believe an entire generation (or two) of young country music fans have never had the chance to see Tammy Wynette. And of course with the current state of country music radio, they don't get to hear her either.

Or do they?

The video below of Tammy singing her signature smash 'Stand By Your Man' has been viewed over 9 million times. Nine Million!!

Born May 5, 1942, near Tremont, Mississippi, Virginia Wynette Pugh would become 'The First Lady of Country Music' as the legendary Tammy Wynette. When Tammy's father died when she was just nine months old, she was raised largely by her Grandparents while her mother worked. It was not the easiest of upbringings.

Tammy went to cosmetology school by day, becoming a hairstylist, and sang in the local clubs by night. It was in 1967 that Tammy had her first Top Ten hit 'Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad'. During 1968 and 1969 Tammy had an incredible 5 #1 hits and, as they say, a star was born. But it was 1968's 'Stand By Your Man' that vaulted Tammy into the music stratosphere. It became not only a country music standard, it was a huge pop music hit as well.

It's well documented the, well, interesting marriage Tammy had with another music legend, George Jones. Tumultuous? Difficult? Troubled? Well, use whichever adjective you like, but musically it was magic as George and Tammy became one of country music's legendary duets.

So whatever happened to this country music icon, the legendary 'First Lady Of Country Music?

Tammy suffered from medical problems for many years and had several major operations. She passed away on April 6, 1998, while sleeping. Her doctor said she died from a blood clot in her lung. Tammy Wynette was just 55 years old.