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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 376-400 of 503 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Decca NA 14865 11/28/1967 Truck driver's sweetheart Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 14866 11/28/1967 You want her, not me Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 14867 11/28/1967 My big truckdrivin' man Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 15127 4/29/1968 Holding on to nothing Kitty Wells ; Johnnie (Johnny) Wright vocalist  
Decca NA 15128 4/29/1968 You and me Kitty Wells ; Johnnie (Johnny) Wright vocalist  
Decca NA 15129 4/29/1968 We must have been out of our minds Kitty Wells ; Johnnie (Johnny) Wright vocalist  
Decca NA 15130 4/29/1968 Ashes of love Kitty Wells ; Johnnie (Johnny) Wright vocalist  
Decca NA 15131 4/29/1968 I can't stop loving you Kitty Wells ; Johnnie (Johnny) Wright vocalist  
Decca NA 15139 5/1/1968 My elusive dreams Kitty Wells ; Johnnie (Johnny) Wright vocalist  
Decca NA 15140 5/1/1968 Happiness means you Kitty Wells ; Johnnie (Johnny) Wright vocalist  
Decca NA 15141 5/1/1968 One by one-1 Kitty Wells ; Johnnie (Johnny) Wright vocalist  
Decca NA 15142 5/1/1968 Living as strangers Kitty Wells ; Johnnie (Johnny) Wright vocalist  
Decca NA 15143 5/2/1968 Happiness hill Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 15144 5/2/1968 Gypsy king Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 15145 5/2/1968 It's written all over your face Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 15149 5/8/1968 When hearts grow hard and cold Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 15150 5/8/1968 You're no angel yourself Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 15151 5/8/1968 Hello there sweet man Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 15152 5/8/1968 Don't call me your darling Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 15237 8/27/1968 Love takes care of me Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 15238 8/27/1968 The easy part's over Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 15239 8/27/1968 I forgot more than you'll ever know Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 15240 8/27/1968 As long as I live Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 15247 8/28/1968 The true and lasting kind Kitty Wells vocalist  
Decca NA 15248 8/28/1968 I wanna live Kitty Wells vocalist  
(Results 376-400 of 503 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Wells, Kitty," accessed May 2, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/350416.

Wells, Kitty. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 2, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/350416.

"Wells, Kitty." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 2 May 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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