Tammy Wynette Tribute Comes Together for New TV Special
It’s always great to see the legends of country music’s past being paid tribute. That’s what will happen on March 30th at the Mother Church of Country Music as a host of performers are coming together to honor Tammy Wynette’s legacy in an event that will be taped for future broadcast via the PBS series Great Performances.
Set to happen on March 30th at the Ryman Auditorium, Forever Yours: The First Lady of Country Music will see a bevy of talent come together, from contemporaries and understudies of Tammy, to some of the new and promising women coming up through the country ranks, and a few big voices from outside of country music. The names announced as part of the tribute so far include:
Wynonna, Randy Houser, Ann Wilson (of Heart), Carter Faith, Kimberly Perry, The War And Treaty, Gretchen Wilson, KT Tunstall, Brittney Spencer, Lucinda Williams, Lorrie Morgan, Terri Clark, Valerie June, Mandy Barnett, Patty Griffin, Debby Boone, Tami Neilson, Jaci Velasquez, Katie Pruitt, The Isaacs, Jamie O’Neal, Kaitlin Butts, Carlene Carter, Georgette Jones, Troubadour Blue, Jason Coleman, and more to be announced.
It’s great to see rising stars like Carter Faith and Kaitlin Butts involved with this, Tammy and George’s only child in Georgette Jones as well, along with Tami Neilson, who has one of the strongest voices in all of music. Randy Houser is in the mix to play the role of George Jones to sing “We’re Gonna Hold On” with Wynonna. The War and Treaty will handle “Golden Ring,” Lucinda Williams will sing “Apartment #9,” and Terri Clark will tackle “Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad.”
There’s a lot of big voices in this tribute lineup. No word just yet when the television special will air. But those who want to be in the audience and witness it first-hand can go to Ryman.com for tickets and more info.
March 19, 2026 @ 8:49 am
Just saw Carter Faith for a sold out hometown show in Charlotte and she was great! Exciting to see.
March 19, 2026 @ 8:52 am
A tribute without Sheryl Crow? I never thought I’d see that. Put extra security on all entrances to make sure she doesn’t sneak onto the stage.
Glad Tammy is getting a night.
March 19, 2026 @ 9:14 am
…honestly, there ought to be a “tammy wynette night” every year there. i usually mention to young female vocalists that if they want to find out for themselves where they stand with their voice and technique to do a recording of “till i can make it on my own” – the tour de france of country songs when it comes to breath and stamina. only martina mcbride could reach (young) tammy’s level – perhaps even surpassed it at times, technically. faith hill and trisha yearwood came close too. there’s a terrific array of female voices scheduled there – not least georgette jones, who’s got a mighty fine voice too. should be a great tribute and a treat.
March 19, 2026 @ 9:34 am
As much as I love Barbara Mandrell with all my heart and soul (who is, and will always be my favorite artist), I actually think Tammy Wynette was the greatest female vocalist in country music. That break in her voice…it can’t be faked, and you felt every ounce of pain she went through. I remember listening to my mom’s Wynette records, and being completely enthralled by her.
Glad to see “outside” voices like Ann Wilson and Jaci Velasquez…and of course, everyone in the country genre. I just heard Debby Boone on the radio a few hours ago (Are You On The Road To Lovin’ Me Again), and I had forgotten about her connection to country music; so glad to see her in the mix. Overall this is going to be a great presentation.
March 21, 2026 @ 6:27 pm
Nope.
1. Connie Smith (who had the pipes and tone for being the undisputed greatest, yet did not achieve this owing to mental challenges),
2. Patsy Cline, who did achieve this distinction notwithstanding the tonedeaf denial of those born just yesterday.
3. Tammy Wynette had the purest non-vibrato flow of tone there ever was.
4. Oh and don’t open your unqualified trap without considering Verna Gay who recently departed this earth. Go listen to her beginning around the one-minute mark of Waylon Jenning’s MacArthur Park and wonder no more how, although it exists, most “greatness” is the No. 1 enemy of all things not-great.
March 19, 2026 @ 10:06 am
Tammi Wynette. Stand By Your Man. An early version from the Wilburn Brothers’ show. Some of the instrumental hooks have yet to be added. Steel guitar arguably better than on the hit version.
In my estimation a top-notch vocal. Of all time. For the quiet, worried lines as much as for the big finale. I think of it as the “yellow dress” SBYM.
To whom it may concern: Sierra Ferrell’s ’26 tour doesn’t start until May 30th.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX4DXbe1YI0
March 19, 2026 @ 10:22 am
You said it better, Country When Country Wasn’t Cool, what I was trying to say 🙂
btw The link in my comment is to Tammi Wynette on the Wilburn Bros.tv show.
March 20, 2026 @ 10:54 am
Thanks to all for your forbearance, in NOT POINTING OUT that I misspelled Tammy Wynette’s name. My apologies to Tammy’s legacy also.
March 19, 2026 @ 10:28 am
Thanks, Claiborne, for the video. Agreed that version is better than the recorded version. Her vocals on the first chorus gave me goose bumps.
March 20, 2026 @ 4:29 pm
Thanks for the link to that video – what a great performance! Is it known – or can we figure out – who the steel player was?
March 21, 2026 @ 6:23 am
I’d bet $1, but not $5,on Curly Chalker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noxhY3q-uYU Curly Chalker Wilburn Bros TV Show
https://www.ctva.biz/US/MusicVariety/WilburnBrothersShow_10_(1972-73).htm
not exactly the right year (1969) but very strong circumstantial evidence 🙂 btw that http://www.ctva.biz website – I’d never seen it – not photogenic, but seems a rich archive
now I’d bet $5, but not $20
March 21, 2026 @ 7:34 am
I’d bet Curly Chalker ?
“Heart Over Mind” Wilburn Bros. w/Curly Chalker on pedal steel in their house band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLn_PC740fU&list=RDpLn_PC740fU&start_radio=1
Curley Chalker clips
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b75msHFynvU&list=RDb75msHFynvU&start_radio=1
list of Wilburn Bros. episodes Tammy Wynette in January 1969
https://ctva.biz/US/MusicVariety/WilburnBrothersShow_06_(1968-69).htm
March 21, 2026 @ 8:04 am
dang me 🙁 first I misspelled Tammy Wynette’s name. and now I’m a wwwDotworld
idiot, double-posting even though I reloaded a bunch of times. AND I almost spelled Curly as Curley! I think there’s different links between the 2 posts. .dang …
might as well throw in a 40-minute video on Chalker’s life:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO-M7IvG8YY&t=1925s
March 19, 2026 @ 4:34 pm
Of course Tammy wynette was the best ever country music singer I even had photo of me and her in Vegas 1980
March 19, 2026 @ 9:14 pm
Why Not?
I won’t go so far as to say Tammy needs “rehabilitating,” but I do have a sense that she’s been denigrated in recent years. I recall Loretta and Tammy being recognized as the two queens of women country singers of the 1960s-’70s. But lately, Dolly Parton has been elevated as the top woman country artist of her era–or of all-time–and coverage of Tammy seems to revolve around her dysfunction in her family/marriage surrounding and after her death. And some quote from George Jones is constantly regurgitaded, to the effect that his best duet partner was Melba Montgomery. (As if a single George Jones utterance is proof of anything. Jones kept going back to Tammy, musically, for years after they split, pretty much until she died.)
Tammy may actually have been more famous than Jones in the broad, American market in the 1970s, due to her appearance throughout the sountdtack of the classic 1970 film, “Five Easy Pieces,” that made Jack Nickolson a star.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bBl8udItO0&list=RD9bBl8udItO0&start_radio=1
March 20, 2026 @ 5:42 am
Ms. Wynette certainly hasn’t been forgotten,but with Reba,Dolly,Alison Krauss,Barbara Mandrell and some other top female performers of the past half-century or so,Tammy has been regarded as not quite their peer,which is patently false. Glad she’s getting a tribute,as “D-I-V-O-R-C-E” and Stand By Your Man”,while different sides of the coin,offer two examples of women’s relationship experience.
March 20, 2026 @ 5:59 am
This sounds awesome. I’m not as familiar with her or her catalog of music as I am with others from her generation. I don’t see her mentioned as much in modern pop culture as Dolly, Loretta which could be due to her passing at 55.
March 20, 2026 @ 6:44 am
Say what y’all will Tammy was a star in her right!! If she would have let go of the drunk sooner, she may have gone further. My sympathies to her children who lost her so soon.
March 20, 2026 @ 8:08 am
I know she’s basically retired at this point – but I would love to see Faith Hill participate in this. I’ve always thought her voice was similar to Tammy’s, especially on her more country songs. They even had a personal relationship in the 90s and Tammy hosted a baby shower for Faith not long before her death.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg00wdE0ivs&list=RDKg00wdE0ivs&start_radio=1