With all of our Father’s Day festivities, it was challenging to find any time to read. But I managed about 50 pages in Tammy Wynette. Sunday’s reading covered some of the pivotal events in her life.
The first section that I read continued to focus on Wynette’s producer Billy Sherrill, a straight-from-central-casting eccentric with a golden ear. Then, author McDonough recounts Tammy’s big breakthrough in the late 1960s. First, she had a hit with “Apartment #9,” and then “You’re Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad.” McDonough does a good job of discussing Wynette’s talent, but he doesn’t tell the reader why her records started hitting – other than her connection to Sherrill, who was one of Nashville’s top producers.
As soon as Tammy made it, she dumped her second husband () in favor of George Jones. So far, McDonough hasn’t explained why Tammy could never made herself happy in her personal life. McDonough does note that Jones was an idol of Tammy’s from her high school days.
The last section that I read covered Jones’ biography. McDonough portrays “Possum” as a man with a golden voice and a certain rogue’s charm. However, Jones’ judgment (like Wynette’s) left a lot to be desired.
So far, I’m enthralled with McDonough’s book. I’d give it 9.5 out of ten.
After Tammy, I’m interested in reading a bit about Appalachia. I borrowed a book of John Parris’ old columns for the Asheville Citizen-Times & I want to go by the library and borrow Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain. My mother recommended that I read Cold Mountain about 20 years, but I never got around to it.
In a different vein, I’m pretty excited about reading is Willeford by Don Herron. It’s a biography of Charles Willeford. Herron met Willeford and learned his story. I might get that one from Interlibrary loan so that I won’t have a copy sitting around the house.
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