KITTY WELLS

    The "Queen of Country Music" was born Ellen Muriel Deason, in Nashville, Tennessee on August 30, 1919. Kitty created the role for all other female country singers. Her first number one song: "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" recorded in 1952, and made her the first female to sell a million records and reach number one in the country field. She was voted the nation's number one "Country Female Artist", for 14 straight years, by all of the trade publications such as: Billboard, Cashbox , Record World and Downbeat Magazine. No other Country female artist has ever topped her achievements.

    She learned to play the guitar at around age 14 and learned to love country music from her father, Charles Cary Deason, a brakeman for the Tennessee Central Railroad, who used to play the banjo and guitar.

    In 1937, Kitty married Johnny Wright , who is also a legend in Country Music. He was part of the famous duo Johnny and Jack. Jack Anglin, Johnny's duet partner was married to Johnny's sister, Louise. They began a career in country entertainment that has spanned over 60 years. Kitty and Johnny have three children, Ruby, Bobby and Sue.

    She was given the name Kitty Wells, by her husband Johnny in 1943. Johnny got the name from the old folk ballad recorded by the Pickard Family, entitled "Sweet Kitty Wells". Johnny and Kitty made appearances in the early years on radio stations in Raleigh, North Carolina (WPTF), Knoxville, Tennessee (KNOX), Bluefield, West Virginia (WCHS, Decatur, Georgia (WEAS) and at the Louisana Hayride in Shreveport, Louisiana (KWKH). Kitty's first recording session was for RCA Records in 1947.

    Kitty Wells was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville, Tennessess in 1976.