Tammy Wynette

Tragic Country Queen

By: Jimmy McDonough

Narrated by: Robertson Dean

Length: 15 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

The 20th century had three great female singers who plumbed the darkest corners of their hearts and transformed private grief into public dramas. In opera, there was the unsurpassed Maria Callas. In jazz, the tormented Billie Holiday. And in country music, there was Tammy Wynette.

“Stand by Your Man,” “D-I-V-O-R-C-E,” “Take Me to Your World” are but a few highlights of Tammy Wynette’s staggering musical legacy, all sung with a voice that became the touchstone for women’s vulnerability, disillusionment, strength, and endurance.

In Tammy Wynette, best-selling biographer Jimmy McDonough tells the story of the small-town girl who grew up to be the woman behind the microphone, whose meteoric rise led to a decades-long career full of tragedy and triumph. Through a high-profile marriage and divorce, her dreadful battle with addiction and illness, and the struggle to compete in a rapidly evolving Nashville, Tammy Wynette turned a brave smile toward the world and churned out masterful hit songs though her life resembled the most heartbreaking among them.

Tammy Wynette is an intimate portrait of a music icon, the Queen of Heartbreak, whose powerful voice simultaneously evoked universal pain and longing even as it belied her own.

©2010 Jimmy McDonough (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

The twentieth century had three great female singers who plumbed the darkest corners of their hearts and transformed private grief into public dramas. In opera, there was the unsurpassed Maria Callas. In jazz, the tormented Billie Holiday. And in country music, there was Tammy Wynette.

“McDonough brings a passionate flair to his language….Combining pop musicology and tabloid gossip, McDonough has crafted a fitting tribute to a country music icon.” ( Publishers Weekly)

“This engaging and potentially controversial study of one of the most significant singers in the history of country music is essential for fans of Wynette and the genre.” ( Library Journal)

Heart wrenching

Very well written and
Interesting all through the book
The end was haunting
The only singer I ever saw my grandma cry over
And now I see how

Great book

I love Tammy and to hear these stories it made me smile and sad for her at time. She was a great legend.

I got very invested in Tammy's story.

But, maybe a widely known spoiler is Tammy's life is very sad. This biography had many indepth details and paired well with Jessica Chastain's George and Tammy mini series.

The Book was

The book was good I didn’t like the reader. The voice made me tired almost sleepy

A must read/Listen for any Country Fan.

This book was exactly what I was hoping for and more. I am already a big George Jones and Tammy Wynette fan. I was looking for a book to read/ listen to that would teach me things I didn't know about them. Wow!! I was blown away. This book is incredibly detailed. it covers not just Tammy , but George Jones and Billy Sherill in great detail as well. I loved this book. The narrator did a great job too. He does voices for when George , Tammy and others. its pretty funny.

I think what i had hoped to gain from the book was personal insight into what it was like to be around George and Tammy and the book delivered perfectly with many tall tales and shared memories from countless first hand sources. There are many Tales from the Tour Bus type moments in the book. I recommend listening to this book with YouTube open. Many of the stories can be made even better if you pause to listen to a song or watch a live performance being discussed. Get ready for a fun ride.

Compelling, but occasionally oddly written.

A very compelling and revealing biography, even though it's clear that Tammy took many of her secrets and story with her, leaving volumes never to be written.
While largely well written, it can be a bit exhaustive when describing some of the important people in her life, or rather, some of the information isn't well integrated into the narrative. Rather, the story screeches to a halt for long asides/biographies of people like Billy Sherill, George Jones, etc.
The author also occasionally makes odd asides, as he describes his own thoughts and opinions on Tammy Wynette as if he were also part of the narrative. It has the effect of a director suddenly walking into frame to tell you his opinions of the shot you just saw. It often comes off as very narcissistic, and once again, brings the narrative to a screeching halt. Still, despite these flaws, you get as complete and honest a picture of Wynette, with both the bad as well as the good, as you're ever likely to get, and despite its occasional lapses, it is well written.
The narrator is good, just a bit slow in his delivery, so I recommend cranking the speed to around 1.40 times the usual.

Loved It!

The author never met Tammy, but was, and is still a big fan. Still, he manages to portray Tammy warts and all. He's never mean spirited and tries to be fair to her and to those in her life, even her last husband George Ritchie, who is not a very sympathetic figure. He's done a ton of research, and loads of interviews, but the book is never dry. Tammy left us way too soon, and under some still questionable circumstances, but what a life! After listening to the book I had to go over to itunes to listen to some snippets of her songs again. The author is right, what a great voice. Tammy, Loretta, Dolly, George Jones. They were truly country before country was cool. Tammy lamented how country music was changing,and not for the better, towards the end of her life in the late 1990's. After listening to this wonderful book, you'll agree 100%.

EYE-OPENING LOOK INTO QUEEN'S LIFE!

I have always loved Tammy Wynette simply because of her voice, but after hearing her story, my heart aches for her! I loved all the stories from her growing up, tumultuous time with George, her career...but I HATED when George Richey became more to her than just someone else in the business. It just seems her life went downhill after that. I would recommend this book to any fan of Tammy's or any fan of country music when people actually had talent. EXCELLENT STORY!

Zzzzz

What a snooze . Jumped all over, hard to follow as it went back and forth in time. With four hours still to go in the story I really struggled with myself to finish.

learmed more about the men in her life than her,,,

just bummed,,, i expected to learn more and get to know her better but i feel no closer. also it was odd hearing a woman's story being told with a man's voice....