Whatever Happened To Kitty Wells?
Before Patsy, before Loretta, before Tammy, before Dolly.... There was Kitty.
Ellen Deason was Country Music's first female superstar. Ellen Deason was Kitty Wells.
Every female Country Music singer (even the one's who have no idea who she is) owe one huge debt of gratitude to this Country Music Icon.
Perhaps it was somehow pre-destined that Kitty would be a Country Music singer since she was born in Music City, Nashville, Tennessee on August 30, 1919. Coming from a musical family, Kitty began singing at an early age and, as they say, never looked back.
At the age of 18 she married Country Star Johnnie Wright (a marriage by the way that lasted nearly 74 years!), and it was 1952 that Kitty Wells had the hit that would make Country Music history.
'It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels' became the first song by a female to top the relatively new Country Music charts. It stayed at #1 for 6 straight weeks.
Kitty continued having hit records, including 'Making believe', one of the greatest song's in Country Music history that has been recorded (and made a hit) by several artist's through the year, including Emmylou Harris. But Kitty's 1955 single remains a favorite for millions.
Kitty's chart success began to fade as the 1960's came to a close, but thankfully she and Johnnie continued to tour around the world thrilling audiences with her great voice and stage presence.
Kitty passed away in 2012 at the age of 92. Thankfully, she left a great catalog of some of the greatest country music ever recorded.
See Also:
More From KXRB
