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Kitty Wells

Ellen Muriel Deason (August 30, 1919 – July 16, 2012), known professionally as Kitty Wells, was an American pioneering female country music singer. She broke down a barrier for women in country music with her 1952 hit recording "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels", which also made her the first female country singer to top the U.S. country charts and turned her into the first female country superstar. “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” would also be her first of several pop crossover hits. Wells is the only artist to be awarded top female vocalist awards for 14 consecutive years. Her chart-topping hits continued until the mid-1960s, paving the way for and inspiring a long list of female country singers who came to prominence in the 1960s.

Wells ranks as the sixth most successful female vocalist in the history of the Billboard country charts, according to historian Joel Whitburn's book The Top 40 Country Hits. In 1976, she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In 1991, Wells became the third country music artist, after Roy Acuff and Hank Williams, and the eighth woman to receive the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Wells' success and influence on country music garnered her the title "Queen of Country Music".

Birth and Death Data: Born August 30, 1919 (Nashville), Died July 16, 2012 (Nashville)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1949 - 1972

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, leader

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 226-250 of 503 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Decca NA 12340 1/30/1963 Praying for that back street affair Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 12341 1/30/1963 Whose shoulder will you cry on Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 12342 1/30/1963 After dark Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 12343 1/30/1963 Release me Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 12344 1/31/1963 Jealousy Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 12345 1/31/1963 Three ways (to love you) Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 12346 1/31/1963 I heard the jukebox playing Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 12347 1/31/1963 A wedding ring ago Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 12348 1/31/1963 Touch and go heart Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 12349 1/31/1963 Searching (for someone like you) Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 12353 2/1/1963 Repenting Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 12354 2/1/1963 She's no angel Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 12355 2/1/1963 I can't help wondering Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 12356 2/1/1963 I gave my wedding dress away Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 12357 2/1/1963 I don't claim to be an angel Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 12358 2/1/1963 Lonely side of town Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 12707 10/23/1963 The window up above Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 12708 10/23/1963 Ring of fire Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 12709 10/23/1963 Act naturally Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 12710 10/23/1963 Talk back trembling lips Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 12711 10/24/1963 Busted Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 12712 10/24/1963 Guilty Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 12713 10/24/1963 Make the world go away Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 12714 10/24/1963 Take these chains from my heart Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 12772 1/3/1964 I've thought of leaving too Kitty Wells vocalist  
(Results 226-250 of 503 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Wells, Kitty," accessed May 9, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/350416.

Wells, Kitty. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 9, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/350416.

"Wells, Kitty." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 9 May 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/350416

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