Her father was a farmer and local musician. He died of a brain tumor when Wynette was nine months of age. Her mother worked in an office, as a substitute school teacher, as well as on the family farm. After the death of Hollis Pugh, she left Wynette in the care of her parents, Thomas Chester and Flora A. Russell, and moved to Memphis to work in a World War II defense plant. In 1946, she married Foy Lee, a farmer from Mississippi.
Wynette was raised on the Itawamba County farm of her maternal grandparents where she was born. The place was partly on the border with Alabama. She has often claimed that the state line ran right through their property. she jokingly said "my top half came from Alabama and my bottom half came from Mississippi" As a youngster, she worked in the fields picking cotton alongside the hired crews to get in the crop. She grew up with her aunt, Carolyn Russell, who was only five years older than she was. Wynette sang gospel tunes with her grandmother, learned to play the piano and the guitar.
As a child and teenager, country music provided an escape from her hard life. Wynette grew up idolizing Hank Williams, Skeeter Davis, Patsy Cline, and George Jones and would play their records over and over on the inexpensive children's record player she owned, dreaming of one day being a star herself.
Tammy Wynette's 1969 Greatest Hits collection was the first album by a female country artist to sell over one million copies.
She attended Tremont High School, where she was an all-star basketball player. A month before graduation, she married her first husband. He was a construction worker and they moved several times. Her early jobs included working as a waitress, a receptionist, a barmaid, and in a shoe factory. In 1963, she attended beauty school in Tupelo, Mississippi, and became a hairdresser; she would renew her cosmetology license every year for the rest of her life, just in case she should have to go back to a daily job. Her first husband, whom she left before the birth of their third daughter, was not supportive of her ambition to become a country singer, and, is said by Wynette to have told her, "Dream on, Baby."
Her baby developed spinal meningitis and Wynette tried to make extra money by performing at night. In 1965, Wynette sang on the Country Boy Eddie Show on WBRC-TV in Birmingham, Alabama, which led to some appearances with Porter Wagoner. In 1966, she moved with her three girls from Birmingham to Nashville, Tennessee, where she pounded the pavement to get a recording contract. After being turned down repeadedly by every other record company she'd met with, she auditioned for producer Billy Sherrill, who signed her to Epic Records.
Once signed to Epic, Sherrill suggested she consider changing her name to something that might make more of impression with the public. According to her 1979 memoir, "Stand by Your Man," during their meeting, Wynette was wearing her long, blonde hair in a ponytail, and Sherill noted that she put him in mind of Debbie Reynolds in the film "Tammy and the Bachelor," and suggested "Tammy" as a possible name; thus she became Tammy Wynette.
Her first single, "Apartment #9" (written by Johnny Paycheck), was released in late 1966, and reached the top forty on the U.S. country charts. In 1967 she had hits with "Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad," "My Elusive Dreams" (a duet with David Houston), and "I Don't Wanna Play House," all of which reached the country top ten.
Wynette had three number one hits in 1968: "Take Me to Your World," "D-I-V-O-R-C-E," and her best known song, "Stand by Your Man" (which she said she wrote in fifteen minutes). In 1969, she had two additional number one hits: "Singing My Song" and "The Ways to Love a Man." That same year, Wynette earned a Gold record (awarded for albums selling in excess of one million copies) for "Tammy Wynette's Greatest Hits." She was the first female country artist to do so.
Director Bob Rafelson used a number of her songs in the soundtrack of his 1970 film Five Easy Pieces. Her chart success continued into the 1970s with such hits as "Good Lovin' (Makes it Right)" (1971), "He Loves Me All the Way" (1971), "Bedtime Story" (1972), "Kids Say the Darndest Things" (1973), "Woman to Woman" (1974), "You and Me" (1976), "'Til I can Make it on My Own" (1976), and "Womanhood" (1978).
She married her second husband shortly after her first divorce became final. While still married to him, however, she began a relationship with George Jones, a legendary country performer who was known to have a problem with alcoholism. (They first became involved somewhere around 1968.) Eventually Wynette parted with her second husband and married Jones in Ringgold, Georgia, with whom she had a daughter, Georgette (born in 1970.) It was a difficult marriage, however, due largely to Jones' drinking, and they were divorced in 1975; During their years together, they recorded a number of duet albums, starting in 1971, the first being the Top-10 hit "Take Me" (...to your darkest room, bolt every window and lock every door). They would continue to record together, even after their divorce, through the mid 1990s.
Aside from her music, Wynette's private life was as tumultuous as many of her songs. Over the course of her life, she had had five husbands: Euple Byrd (married 1959–divorced 1966); Don Chapel (married 1967–annulled 1968); George Jones (married 1969–divorced 1975); Michael Tomlin (married 1976–annulled 1976); and George Richey (married 1978–her death 1998).
She and Byrd had three children, Gwendolyn Lee ("Gwen") Byrd (born 1961), Jacquelyn Faye ("Jackie") Byrd (born 1962) and Tina Denise Byrd (born 1965), and she and Jones had one child, Tamala Georgette Jones (born 1970).
Tammy had a well publicized relationship with actor Burt Reynolds in the 1970s. Her fourth marriage, to Michael Tomlin, lasted only six weeks. She then married George Richey, who became her manager and lasting love of her life. In 1978, she was mysteriously abducted by a masked man at a Nashville shopping center, driven 80 miles south in her luxury car, beaten and released. No one was ever arrested or identified. But it is has been suspected for many years by Tammy herself, that George Jones had one of his men do that.
She also had a number of serious physical ailments beginning in the 1970s, including operations on her gall bladder, kidney and on the nodules on her throat.
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Wynette dominated the country charts. She had seventeen number one hits. Along with Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton, she helped redefine the role and place of female country singers. Beginning in the early 1980s, however, her chart success began to wane. While her singles and albums continued to reach the country top forty, they occurred with less frequency than the previous decade. Meanwhile, her medical problems continued, including inflammations of her bile duct. In 1986, she acted on the CBS TV soap opera Capitol. In 1988, she filed for bankruptcy as a result of a bad investment in two Florida shopping centers. Her 1987 album "Higher Ground" broke through with a new contemporary sound, broadening her audience..
She recorded a song with the British electronica group The KLF in late 1991 titled "Justified and Ancient (Stand by the JAMs)," which became a number one hit in eighteen countries the following year. In the video, scrolling electronic titles said that "Miss Tammy Wynette is the first lady of country music." Wynette appeared in the video seated on a throne. Although some saw the inclusion of Wynette as a novel ploy for attention[citation needed] to the song - The KLF were well known for scams and stunts - her inclusion was a mark of respect from The KLF and not an after-thought or marketing ploy.[citation needed] Wynette's vocal performance was exceptional and the song was probably one of the better dance songs of the early 1990s in terms of melodic construction and performance.[citation needed]
In 1992, future First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton said during a 60 Minutes interview that she wasn't "some little woman, standing by my man, like Tammy Wynette." The remark set off a firestorm of controversy and Wynette demanded, and received, an apology from Clinton. (Hillary Clinton's remark aside, Wynette was nonetheless a Clinton supporter, and later performed at a Clinton fundraiser.)
The 1993 album Honky Tonk Angels gave her a chance to record with Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn for the first time; though yielding no hit singles, the album did well on the country charts. The following year, she released Without Walls, a collection of duets with a number of country, pop and rock and roll performers, including Wynonna Judd, Elton John, Lyle Lovett, Aaron Neville, Smokey Robinson, Sting and a number of others.
Wynette also designed and sold her own line of jewelry in the 1990s. In 1994, she suffered an abdominal infection that almost killed her. She was in a coma for six days. In 1995, she and George Jones recorded their first new duet album in thirteen years. They last performed together in 1997 at Concerts in the Country Lanierland, Georgia
Wynette lent her vocals on the UK #1 hit Perfect Day in 1997, which was written by Lou Reed.
After years of medical problems, numerous hospitalizations, approximately twenty-six major surgeries and an addiction to large doses of pain medication, Tammy Wynette died at age fifty-five while sleeping on the couch in her living room in Nashville, Tennessee. The coroner declared that she died of natural causes. She is interred in Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Nashville.
In 2002, she was ranked #2 on CMT's 40 Greatest Women in Country Music behind one of her childhood idols, Patsy Cline.
In 2003 a survey of country music writers, producers and stars listed Stand by Your Man as the top country song of all time. Country Music Television broadcast a special for the top 100 songs, with the #1 song performed by Martina McBride.
Judson Baptist Church, who neighbors Wynette's house, purchased the house, which belonged to Hank Williams before he died, and the land for a little over a million dollars. The Wynette house is used as a Youth Center as well as a guest house.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
THANK THE COWBOY FOR THE RIDE
Tammy Wynette Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When he rode up on his broomstick horse
And said, 'You wanna ride?'
His boots made a funny sound
They were his daddy's size
His hat kept slippin' down below his eyes.
We rode off in the sunset, down the sidewalk
His two front teeth were missin'
But he had the cutest smile
And I thank the cowboy for the ride.
He was seventeen the next time he showed up
And I had never seen inside a pick-up truck
Aw, he was tall and handsome
Smilin' cuter than before
And he'd grown up to fit the boots he wore.
We rode off in the sunset, down the highway
We took our time, gettin' home the back way
Later on in the front porch swing
He pulled me to his side
And I thank the cowboy for the ride.
Well, he'd loved me since a child
And I'd always felt the same
So, we settled down
And hitched our dreams together
We raised two broomstick cowboys
And one little cowboy, girl
To know God paints the sunsets of the world.
Spoken:
Well, he's almost sixty-seven
(Ha-ha) I admit to thirty-nine!
He loves me like a child
And I still feel the same
But he smiles a little slower
At the twinkle in my eyes
But we still saddle up from time to time.
We ride off in the sunset, in the evenin's
Stars as bright as if we've never seen them
I never fail to say, before I go to sleep at night
I love you cowboy, thank you for the ride.
I love you cowboy, thank you for the ride...
"Thank the Cowboy for the Ride" is a nostalgic country song by Tammy Wynette that tells the story of a love that began when the two lovers were just children. The song reminisces about the cowboy who, when the singer was just five years old, took her for a ride on his broomstick horse. She laughs at his silly jokes and finds him charming despite his missing teeth. When they meet again when she's a little older and he's now seventeen, they ride off into the sunset together in his pickup truck. Despite their age difference, they fall in love, get married, have children, and grow old together, still taking the occasional ride into the sunset.
Line by Line Meaning
He was pushin' seven, an I was barely five
When we were both children, he came to me on his toy horse and asked if I wanted to play. I was younger than him by a couple of years.
When he rode up on his broomstick horse
He came to me on his pretend horse, as children often do when they want to play cowboys and Indians.
And said, 'You wanna ride?'
He asked me if I wanted to join in his game of pretend horse-riding.
His boots made a funny sound
The sound his boots made was particularly noticeable, maybe because they were his father's boots.
They were his daddy's size
He was wearing his father's boots, which were too big for him.
His hat kept slippin' down below his eyes.
His hat didn't fit him properly and kept sliding down over his eyes, making it hard for him to see.
We rode off in the sunset, down the sidewalk
As children, we pretended to ride off into the sunset on our toy horses on the sidewalk.
I laughed at him every time he talked
I found everything he said amusing and would laugh every time he spoke.
His two front teeth were missin'
He had lost his two front teeth, which made his smile even cuter.
But he had the cutest smile
Despite his missing teeth, he still had an adorable smile.
And I thank the cowboy for the ride.
I am thankful to him for making my childhood more fun and enjoyable by playing with me.
He was seventeen the next time he showed up
The next time I saw him, he was a teenager, and I was still a child.
And I had never seen inside a pick-up truck
I had never seen the inside of a pick-up truck before, as we didn't have one in our family.
Aw, he was tall and handsome
He had grown up to be tall and good-looking, which I found impressive.
Smilin' cuter than before
His smile, which was already pretty cute, had only gotten even more adorable.
And he'd grown up to fit the boots he wore.
He had grown into his father's boots and was now able to wear them properly.
We rode off in the sunset, down the highway
As teenagers, we went for a drive and watched the sunset from the highway.
We took our time, gettin' home the back way
We didn't rush to get home, and he took me down the back roads to enjoy the ride.
Later on in the front porch swing
As adults, we sat on the front porch swing enjoying each other's company.
He pulled me to his side
He embraced me and held me close to him.
Well, he'd loved me since a child
He had loved me since we were both children and had grown up together.
And I'd always felt the same
I had always had the same feelings for him since we were children.
So, we settled down
We decided to get married and start a life together.
And hitched our dreams together
We brought our hopes and dreams together and started building a life based on them.
We raised two broomstick cowboys
We had two sons, who just like us, enjoyed playing cowboys and Indians on their toy horses.
And one little cowboy, girl
We also had a daughter, who was no less of a cowboy than her brothers.
To know God paints the sunsets of the world.
We taught our children to appreciate the beauty of the world around them and to be grateful for it.
He loves me like a child
He still loves me with the same intensity as he did when we were children.
And I still feel the same
My feelings for him haven't changed since we were children.
But he smiles a little slower
He's getting older and his smile may have become a little slower.
At the twinkle in my eyes
But he still finds me as attractive and charming as he did when we were younger.
But we still saddle up from time to time.
We still go out and enjoy each other's company, just like we did when we were younger.
We ride off in the sunset, in the evenin's
We enjoy watching the sunset together in the evenings, just like we did when we were younger.
Stars as bright as if we've never seen them
The stars still look as bright and beautiful as they did when we were younger.
I never fail to say, before I go to sleep at night
Before I go to bed each night, I always express my love for him.
I love you cowboy, thank you for the ride.
Even after all these years, I am still thankful to him for all the wonderful memories we have created together.
Contributed by Alyssa S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jr Vaz
He was pushin' seven an I was barely five
When he rode up on his broomstick horse and said you wanna ride
His boots made a funny sound they were his daddy's size
His hat kept slippin' down below his eyes
We rode off in the sunset, down the sidewalk
I laughed at him every time he talked
His two front teeth were missin' but he had the cutest smile
And I thank the cowboy for the ride
He was seventeen the next time he showed up
And I had never seen inside a pick-up truck
Ah he was tall and handsome smilin' cuter than before
And he'd grown up to fit the boots he wore
We rode off in the sunset down the highway
We took our time gettin' home the back way
Later on in the front porch swing he pulled me to his side
And I thank the cowboy for the ride
Well he'd loved me since a child and I'd always felt the same
So we settled down and hitched our dreams together
We raised two broomstick cowboys and one little cowboy girl
To know God paints the sunsets of the world
Well he's almost sixty-seven ha ha I admit to thirty-nine
He loves me like a child and I still feel the same
But he smiles a little slower at the twinkle in my eyes
But we still saddle up from time to time
We ride off in the sunset in the evenin's
Stars as bright as if we've never seen them
I never fail to say before I go to sleep at night
I love you cowboy thank you for the ride
I love you cowboy thank you for the ride
Anthony Wong
She sings all her songs with so much emotion. Makes you want to keep listening. There's not going to be another Tammy, not in this life.
latokatn506
Well written great singing Tammy was one of a kind very good choice Jamie
Karen Thorpe
Great lady and great voice I love all your songs RIP with George
Jr Vaz
He was pushin' seven an I was barely five
When he rode up on his broomstick horse and said you wanna ride
His boots made a funny sound they were his daddy's size
His hat kept slippin' down below his eyes
We rode off in the sunset, down the sidewalk
I laughed at him every time he talked
His two front teeth were missin' but he had the cutest smile
And I thank the cowboy for the ride
He was seventeen the next time he showed up
And I had never seen inside a pick-up truck
Ah he was tall and handsome smilin' cuter than before
And he'd grown up to fit the boots he wore
We rode off in the sunset down the highway
We took our time gettin' home the back way
Later on in the front porch swing he pulled me to his side
And I thank the cowboy for the ride
Well he'd loved me since a child and I'd always felt the same
So we settled down and hitched our dreams together
We raised two broomstick cowboys and one little cowboy girl
To know God paints the sunsets of the world
Well he's almost sixty-seven ha ha I admit to thirty-nine
He loves me like a child and I still feel the same
But he smiles a little slower at the twinkle in my eyes
But we still saddle up from time to time
We ride off in the sunset in the evenin's
Stars as bright as if we've never seen them
I never fail to say before I go to sleep at night
I love you cowboy thank you for the ride
I love you cowboy thank you for the ride
CountryBoy Williams
GREAT SONG.... R.I.P. SWEET LADY
zippinbye1
I love songs that tell a life story in chapter-like progression, and this one contains many elements of a (happy) country song: young affection, courtship, fruitful life together, and the golden years, not to mention smiles, boots, cowboy hats, pick-up trucks and sunsets. The lyrical phrase "... and they raised two broomstick cowboys and one little cowboy girl, to know that God paints the sunsets of the world" speaks volumes.
Robert Dorroh
Well said, Zippinbye1
Nicky Shaw
Gorgeous
zippinbye1
FYI, this song was penned by Ed Bruce (Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys) and Paul Richey (The Baron). Chris Ledoux recorded it on his Western Underground album in 1991. Never heard Tammy's version until years later. No matter who sings it, it's wonderful story.
David Eades
What a beautiful song lovely Tammy my secret girlfriend