How Being a Hairdresser Helped Tammy Wynette Get Her Big Break
Tammy Wynette is one of the most well-known country music artists. The singer-songwriter moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1966 to pursue a music career. Before her music career took off, Wynette worked multiple jobs including as a hairdresser. Her work as a hairdresser is what originally helped start her career in country music.
Tammy Wynette worked as a hairdresser before becoming a singer
Wynette married her first husband Euple Byrd when she was 18 years old. When she moved to Nashville, she left Byrd and moved alone with her three daughters.
According to Country Living, Wynette “held a variety of jobs, including as a waitress, shoe-factory employee, cocktail waitress, and hair stylist” before she worked as a singer.
Working as a beautician and hair stylist is what first pushed Wynette to pursue country music.
According to Wide Open Country, Wynette “went to beauty school in Tupelo, Mississippi” and “while working as a hairdresser in Birmingham, Alabama that she was able to perform with Porter Wagoner.”
After working with the country singer, Wynette ended up moving to Nashville.
Tammy Wynette always kept her career as a hair stylist
Her work on The Porter Wagoner Show helped give Wynette name recognition when she first arrived in Nashville. In 1967, she eventually landed her own record deal.
Her first single was called “Apartment #9.” The song was originally recorded by Bobby Austin, but Wynette’s version became the most famous version of the song.
Even as Wynette’s career became more steady, the singer was mindful of how difficult it was to find success as a solo artist. Because of this, Wynette always made sure she could return to work as a beautician as a backup.
According to Country Living, Wynette “renewed her cosmetology license every year until her death, just in case she ever had to go back to earning a living as a beautician.”
A look at the singer’s background and marriages
In addition to her impact on the music industry, Wynette’s tumultuous personal life also caused a lot of public interest.
From a young age, Wynette faced difficulty. She was born in Mississippi in 1942, and her father died when she was less than a year old. After her father’s death, Wynette’s mother moved to Tennessee without her.
Wynette was left to live with her grandparents who she went on to consider her parents. Growing up, she worked on her grandparents’ farm picking cotton.
According to Country Living, “At age 7, she began working long days picking cotton with her family, a lesson in hard work she never forgot. Even after Wynette found fame as a singer, she kept a crystal bowl full of cotton in her home to remind herself of those days in the cotton field.”
Wynette was married a total of five times. After divorcing Byrd, Wynette married Don Chapel in 1967. She went on to marry fellow country music artist George Jones. The two artists married in 1969. They divorced in 1975 but continued collaborating as musicians after their divorce.
In 1977, Wynette married Michael Tomlin, but their marriage was short-lived and only lasted 44 days. She married George Richey in 1978 and was married to Richey until she died in 1998.
