Wells, Kitty (b. 1919)

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Wells, Kitty (b. 1919)

American country singer. Born Ellen Muriel Deason, Aug 30, 1919, in Nashville, TN; m. Johnny Wright (musician), 1937.

Known as the "Queen of Country Music," sang for 1st time over the radio (1936); adopted Kitty Wells as stage name; moved to Knoxville with family and sang on station WNOX; moved to Raleigh, NC, and performed on station WPTF; appeared on initial performance of "The Louisiana Hayride" over station KWKH, Shreveport, LA (1948); made 1st RCA recordings (1949); moved to Nashville; recorded "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" (1952), becoming the 1st female vocalist to have a #1 country music song on national record charts; sang 1st duet with Red Foley (1953), Roy Acuff (1955), Webb Pierce (1956), and Roy Drusky (1960); premiered "The Kitty Wells—Johnny Wright Family Show" (1969); made 1st appearance in Britain at Wembley Festival (1974); went on last concert tour (April 2000). Elected to Country Music Hall of Fame (1976); received Academy of Country Music's Pioneer Award (1986) and National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences' Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award (1991); elected to Grammy Awards Hall of Fame (1997).

See also Women in World History.