NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Country singer Kitty Wells is being remembered as a pioneer who helped pave the way for the likes of Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, Tanya Tucker, Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood — among many others.
Says Country Music Hall of Famer Jean Shepard: "Without her there wouldn't be a lot of us."
The family of country music's first female superstar says she died peacefully at home today after complications from a stroke. She was 92.
Wells scored the first country No. 1 hit by a solo female artist in the early 1950s with "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels." Her success dashed the notion that women couldn't be headliners.
Wells recorded approximately 50 albums, had 25 Top 10 country hits and went around the world several times. From 1953 to 1968, various polls listed Wells as the No. 1 female country singer until Wynette finally dethroned her.
For who knew Wells, she was a powerful presence. Barbara Mandrell, a country superstar in her own right, said she appreciated Wells being a mentor, adding, "She led the way for all of us."
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224-r-59-(Kitty Wells, performing "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels")--Archive sound of Kitty Wells performing "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels." (16 Jul 2012)
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APPHOTO NYET247: FILE - This Aug. 14, 2008 file photo originally released by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum shows music pioneer Kitty Wells at an exhibit honoring her career in Nashville, Tenn. Wells, the first female superstar of country music, has died at the age of 92. The singer's family says Wells died at her home Monday after complications from a stroke. Her recording of "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" in 1952 was the first No. 1 hit by a woman soloist on the country music charts. Other hits included "Making Believe" and a version of "I Can't Stop Loving You." (AP Photo/Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Donn Jones, file) (14 Aug 2008)
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APPHOTO NYET247: FILE - This May 1986 file photo shows country music singer Kitty Wells in Nashville, Tenn. Wells, the first female superstar of country music, has died at the age of 92. The singer's family says Wells died at her home Monday after complications from a stroke. Her recording of "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" in 1952 was the first No. 1 hit by a woman soloist on the country music charts. Other hits included "Making Believe" and a version of "I Can't Stop Loving You." (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, file) (1 May 1986)
<<APPHOTO NYET247 (05/01/86)>>
