Tammy Wynette: Tragic Country Queen

I enjoyed the in-depth complete life of Tammy Wynette, no sugar coating in this book. The biographer researched her life through talking to so many who really knew her throughout her life. I enjoyed hearing about her music and songs that we don't often hear about that she performed. In fact, I played each song mentioned while I was reading the book, by requesting them and listening to my Alexa. The book is full of interesting facts. I highly enjoyed the complete biography of her life, loves, and sadly lows.

I must confess that ever since I heard that voice- described as a tear - I fell in love. At the time I was only five or six years old. The cotton candy aqua net soaked wigs were her armor, but love sweet bitter love her passion. There has never been and will never be another voice like hers. I understand that her voice was as fragile as her body. That voice even her speaking voice is like a million tiny threads of silk. I adore her. That a major motion picture has never been made is for the future's greater gain. Though I also adore Loretta Lynn, Tammy is just other worldly- just ask Loretta. I found it amazing that both were big enough people to be good friends unlike the behavior of current so called stars. I liked this book and at times I was a bit ashamed of it's gossipy tone. This writer has included every line about her both good and bad. You will not put down this one and cherish every moment with Tammy.I still play her music when I do womanly tasks like cleanin' the house or washin' the clothes. I look at that last line as a tribute not a slur.So much of my childhood is wrapped in the sounds of most of her number one hits. I think I could spell the word d-i-v-o-r-c-e before I could spell my own name. Read this book and laugh, love, and cry with the ladies of the trailer parks of Tennessee! I'm Tennessee born and raised (growing up in the county next to Dolly's) so I can say that.Given the lack of books on her, I welcome good ones like this one. You ca feel the writer's own feelings as he recount some of the more shockingly sad things in this book. None of those bother me more than G Richey's strangle hold on the money making name he selfishly guards. I can sense the love Tammy had for her own children and I cannot believe she would have given her girlspractically nothing. In fact, Richey's new chick and child have it over Tammy's girls, too. Sadly, when you buy any of her material,George gets paid. After he justly goes his latest chick and child will be living it up in a doublewide before you know it. Still, I cannot say that people should not buy her music. It is a double edge sword. I enjoyed this book as a guilty pleasure.

In spite of the glowing reviews posted above, this book is actually very badly written, and in an immature and chauvanistic male voice that is not worthy of Tammy Wynette. James McDonough never met a cliche he didn't use in this book. He down plays abuse as if it never happened, sympathizes with Tammy Wynette's abusers. In spite of the book's 2010 publication date, McDonough refers to gay men in drag as "a colorful contingency of downtown denizens outfitted in gender-bending couture". The silly southern male conceit in which the book is written is exhausting, and ignores the fact that many archetypal southern males write well, enjoy a high degree of cultural literacy and respect women's rights (vis. Tennessee Williams, Thomas Jefferson and Kris Kristofferson). In spite of its poor organization and disjointed flow, this book may actually be worth whatever the used price on Amazon right now. It is chock full of country music analecta. Mr. McDonough has pointed out in interviews that no one has ever come forth to systematically address or document the drug addiction that ultimately took Wynette's life. His book achieve that objective. Finally, the book contains a fascinating passage on p. 264 that presents a thesis for why country music went from being one of America's greatest cultural achievements (i.e., Stand by your man), to one of its most embarrassing trends (i.e., anything on country radio today). McDonough attributes this to monetizaton/investments by larger entertainment interests who had no understanding of the music, and specifically to the efforts of producer Jimmy Bowen. This is a very interesting thesis, since Bowen produced many serious acts from Sinatra to Big Mamma Thorton, to more or less credible acts like George Strait and The Oak Ridge Boys, to acts that are simply a disgrace to the creative endeavor, like Garth Brooks. Waylon Jennings (and Lenny Kaye) reflect in their book, Waylon, that the precipitous decline in country music was also due to increasing television coverage of the genre, wherein attractiveness quickly precluded vocal ability and songwriting. Mr. McDonough's text provides very interesting evidence and interpretation concerning the issue of how the commodification of art actually happens, and the specific strategies by which corporate greed preys on this very essential and basic human need, that of expression and creativity. So if you are interested in country music factoids, you can handle a lot of gossipy, questionable accounts, and are interested in why the music has gone silent, buy this book.

The great merit of that book is that once you finished it,you think that you know her.I did not read other books about her,but i would recommand that one to any fan,they won't be disapointed.Any artist needs someone who beleive in him.For TAMMY,it was BILLY SHERRILL who one day decided after so many rejections from record companies that the lady was talented enough to have a musical career.You can say that if you were to write a biography about a country singer,you would choose TAMMY because she had quite a life,but JIMMY McDONOUGH has done it very well.

I loved this book I'm a really big Tammy fan if you are a must read

This book was incredible. Could not put it down - the author is clearly a fan but manages to keep his writing generally unbiased, truthful & even calls Tammy out on her s*** at times. Not only an inspiring read but you really feel like you knew her when you put the book down, for better or worse.

Love Tammy Wynette and this book was not disappointting

The delivery was awesome! Very pleased with the seller. Perhaps HE should have written the book. It WAS very poorly written and showed me little insight into Tammy Wynette, and her troubled life. It also left me confused, due to its poor, and jumbled narrative. I kept having to turn back, to make sure he had not moved on to something else I didn't care to know about. George and Tammy had a rough 6 years...and she had bad taste in men. That's it? DON'T BUY THIS BOOK.