Tammy Wynette always had an uncanny ability to connect with her audiences, endearing herself to countless fans. Not everyone loved Wynette, however, as her personal life and the themes of her songs were often points of criticism. Even her biggest hit, "Stand By Your Man," was bashed by feminists who disliked the songs theme of staying with a man despite a less-than-ideal situation. She was born in Mississippi in 1942 and worked on the family farm from a young age. She wanted to make it big in the music industry, even as a child, so she honed her skills singing and playing a variety of instruments.

Before Wynette had finished high school, she had already married and had given birth to two children in the first three years of marriage. Wynette got her beautician license, which she would keep updated even after hitting it big as a backup. After giving birth to her third child, Wynette's marriage was on the rocks and she moved out. Along with working as a hairdresser, she was also singing on a local television program in the mornings. She started making contacts in Nashville by travelling there and soon moved to Nashville. After many rejections, Wynette signed with Epic Records.

She released her first single in 1966, "Apartment #9," which almost made the top 40. She followed it up with many more top singles throughout the 1960s and ‘70s including 1968's "Stand By Your Man" and "D-I-V-O-R-C-E." During this time, she also had a tumultuous marriage to other country great George Jones, but it ended in divorce in 1975. She married songwriter and producer George Richey in 1978, who she would stay with until her death in 1998. Wynette suffered from numerous health problems throughout her career, but she continued to work on new material despite her illness. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame the same year as her death.