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When Huell Howser Met Tammy Wynette

By Drew Mackie
June 27, 2013
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To refer to Tammy Wynette as "that lady who sang 'Stand by Your Man,'" sells her short. She's a legend in country music and a major figure in pop culture. And though her fans would have heard a lot about her personal life -- her divorce from singer George Jones meant the end of country's biggest supercouple since Johnny Cash and June Carter -- she's remembered today for her amazing voice above anything else.

In these two clips from "Off-Stage," a Huell Howser show that aired on Nashville's WSM-TV in late 70s, however, Huell interviews Wynette specifically about her personal life. Click below to watch, and maybe consider how reserved Wynette seems in comparison to how celebrities today might be when spilling the details of their personal life.

Things to note:

  • At the 0:22 mark, you'll hear a great example of a famous person saying "Yes, essentially, I am seeing this person, and I'm going to reveal this without explicitly revealing it, and you're not getting anything more than this out of me because I'm classy."
  • At 0:56, Wynette pledges that she'll never marry again. She was wrong: She got married a fifth time, and this one lasted. In 1978, Wynette married singer-songwriter George Richey and they stayed together until Wynette's death in 1998. It was her longest marriage.
  • That's her youngest child, Tamala Georgette Jones, daughter of George Jones, that you see delivering orange juice and then hovering in the background. Today, she's all grown up and working as a country singer herself. In case you'd like to see what she looks like today, click here.

Of course, "Stand by Your Man" was her signature song. Have a listen:
Read previous "Retro Huell" posts:

See moreon Huell's official YouTube page. And if you haven't yet, take a moment to sign Huell's memorial page.

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