With the sexual revolution sweeping the nation, Tammy Wynette found herself at No. 1 singing "Stand by Your Man."
Wynette, who died Monday at 55 while napping at her Nashville home, sang for people like herself - country folks, some of whom had just moved to the city and weren't quite ready for bra-burning.The cause of her death was believed to be a blood clot, spokeswoman Evelyn Shriver said. Wynette had had a series of health problems in recent years.
"Her story is really the story of country music," said Kyle Young of the Country Music Foundation. "From humble beginnings as a hairdresser, to superstardom.
"The strength of her music was she connected with a wide audience, because she really tapped into real situations in people's lives," he said.
Wynette scored many duet hits with George Jones, her husband from 1969-75. They tended to be about either domestic bliss or strife, as did solo Wynette hits like "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" and "My Man." She had a robust voice that could deliver entire songs seemingly on the verge of tears.
Wynette recorded more than 50 albums and sold more than 30 million records, scoring 39 Top 10 hits from 1967-88. Twenty topped the charts.
Country music fans polled for the annual Music City News awards voted Wynette a legend in 1991. She said it was premature.
"I don't consider myself a legend. I think it's kind of overused," said Wynette, who was known as "the first lady of country music."