Whether they involve sordid affairs or tragic deaths, these tales from the world
of '60s country music sound like they could be straight out of the wild west.
The 1960s saw a tremendous shift in the DNA of the American nuclear family as divorce
became much more common. At the same time, the new crossover country sound was gaining
serious traction. Many country stars took their shows on the road to capitalize on
their budding success. Performers often felt pressured to juggle their families and careers,
and hectic touring schedules made it difficult for them to keep their families together.
To illustrate how touring can strain a marriage,
look no further than the real-life relationship between Tammy Wynette
and George Jones. Both artists had already been married twice and had toured together
as a duo before eventually splitting from their partners and eloping. Their marriage, however,
was fraught with heartaches, reconciliations, and, ultimately, two separate divorce filings.
Tammy Wynette's 1968 hit "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" explores the impact of divorce on a family,
an all-too common problem for country stars of the time.
While marriages became a battlefield for equality, America was also dealing with the
ugly reality of its colonial past and embittered race relations.
Despite the roots of country music being steeped in the blues and R&B,
many artists of color found themselves excluded from the industry due to racism and segregation.
Black audiences couldn't attend white-only shows,
band members of different races couldn't play together, and many venues refused to
schedule gigs for artists of color. Music by Black artists were sold as "race records" and
kept from white buyers. According to the New York Times, even the famed Grand Ole Opry,
one of country music's most beloved institutions, excluded many artists of color during this period.
Eventually, with the passing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964,
opportunities became more available to marginalized artists. Charley Pride was
one industry-acclaimed artist who overcame adversity and persevered to become a country
superstar. He later told The Dallas Morning News that racism was, quote, "a disease."
"Different reporters would say,
'Charlie, how does it feel to be the Jackie Robinson of country music?"
The private lives of 1960s country stars were forever affected by the double-edged
sword of fame. As their ballads were broadcast across the country,
many artists found that the spotlight also spilled into their personal lives.
Many country artists of the time faced fierce backlashes and drew the ire of their audience when
they appeared to stray from their often-saccharine images. When Wynette and Jones separated,
for instance, prying fans would yell out questions about Jones' absence during Wynette's appearances.
Another more insidious example is that of Johnny Cash and his first wife,
Vivian Liberto. After newspapers leaked photos of Cash's wife following a 1965
arrest, many far-right conservatives attacked Cash and Liberto because they
believed she appeared Black. Despite the couple's insistence that she was Sicilian,
Cash and his family were the subject of racist attacks and death threats from white supremacists.
While whiskey was the muse of countless country tunes, it wasn't the only devil
on many country performers' shoulders. To cope with the unrelenting demands
of their touring schedules, many country artists turned to drugs.
George Jones was just one of country music's biggest stars who notoriously grappled with drug
addiction throughout the 1960s. Initially, Jones seemed able to disappear and then reappear just
in time to fulfill his professional obligations — but after slipping into alcoholism and cocaine
addiction, he eventually became nicknamed "No Show Jones" due to his tendency to miss performances.
Johnny Cash also candidly expressed his struggles with drug addiction throughout
his life. He recalled in his memoirs that it was alarmingly easy to receive
addictive medications from doctors, and that they quickly became a crutch. Cash's son,
John Carter Cash, has stated his belief that both his parents suffered from prescription medication
addictions throughout their careers — but Johnny credited his faith with bringing him through.
"Even at my lowest point I felt like that
God was, his presence was there, and going to pull me through it, for something."
While barriers to discussing mental health are thankfully fading today, in the 1960s,
openly talking about private mental health issues was remarkably rare. Given the frequent references
to heartache, family problems, and loneliness in so many country songs, it's perhaps unsurprising
that many country stars wrestled with depression, anxiety, and addiction in their personal lives.
Many country music singers had a hard time addressing and overcoming their
demons for years because of the constant pressure of fame and the stigma associated
with mental illness. As George Jones poignantly put it in his autobiography,
"My talent, though it brought me fame and fortune, never brought me peace of mind."
Female country artists had it especially rough. According to
author Jimmy McDonough's "Tammy Wynette: Tragic Country Queen," Wynette endured 12
episodes of electroshock treatment while pregnant in 1964 to combat debilitating
depression — an incident she kept close to her chest as her celebrity increased.
While many country songs of the era portray troubled men letting alcohol and drugs distort
their judgment, the silent reality was different for many female artists. Domestic violence was
often downplayed or outright ignored by many in the industry. As a result,
many abusers were allowed to continue their careers without real repercussions.
Part of the reason for this is that domestic violence was often considered a private problem,
and abusive behavior typically went unchecked. Another significant
factor is likely the 1960s country music industry being so heavily male-dominated,
which perhaps led to a tolerance of such behaviors.
In her book about her marriage to Johnny Cash, Vivian Liberto describes her ex-husband
allegedly getting physical with her. Another harrowing example again involves Tammy Wynette,
who claimed to have been kidnapped and beaten by a stranger at gunpoint. Her daughter Georgette
Jones later alleged that Wynette was covering up abuse from her fifth husband, George Richey.
Another notorious relationship in the industry involved Loretta Lynn and her
husband and manager, Oliver "Doolittle" Lynn. Throughout Loretta's career,
their rocky marriage was riddled with drunkenness, cheating,
and physical violence. Lynn later wrote in her autobiography "Still Woman Enough",
"I put up with it because of six kids."
"I didn't pay no attention to him. I could whip him. If he hit me once,
I hit him twice. He knew it, too."
One of the most famous love stories in all of country music,
the romance between Johnny Cash and June Carter, was born out of an affair — both
had been married to other people when they first met. Their happy ending wasn't so happy, though,
and it wasn't the end of Cash's infidelities. According to Robert Hilburn's book "Johnny Cash:
The Life," it's believed Cash even had an affair with June Carter's sister Anita.
Loretta Lynn, for her part, often used the heartbreak of her stormy marriage and her
husband's serial infidelities to create lasting songs connecting with a large section of her
audience. "Fist City" is a prime example of one of Lynn's hits concerning her husband's
affairs. Bizarrely, Loretta conceded to the Wall Street Journal that as her spouse and manager,
Oliver was frequently entitled to a share of her royalties and earnings — implying that,
in a strange way, he ultimately got paid for his adultery too.
Women were frequently underrepresented in 1960s country music, often serving as backup vocalists
rather than songwriters headlining national tours. Looking back through the prism of today's beliefs,
women are frequently represented as suffering or relegated as objects of desire in the songs. Yet,
despite this, many of the era's female songwriters became stars who forever changed the genre.
Patsy Cline, for instance, bucked social norms and is now considered a trendsetter for women
in country music. Dolly Parton is another: in her 1967 hit "Dumb Blonde," she defiantly sings ”this
dumb blonde ain't nobody's fool,” challenging many of the sexist attitudes she likely experienced.
Of course, Loretta Lynn is another noteworthy example of a woman who demanded autonomy and a
career. By 15, she was married — and by the mid-1960s, she already had six kids. Yet,
when she released her most controversial song, ”The Pill'' — a song extolling the
freedom contraception offers women — it courted controversy. According to Time,
the song remains so "scandalous" today that many radio stations still refuse to play it on the air.
The 1960s country music industry was rife with exploitative managers and gatekeeping producers
who held a lot of influence over the artists they controlled. One of the most infamous examples of
a predatory manager is "Colonel" Tom Parker, who managed much of Elvis Presley's career. Parker
is infamous for taking an unprecedented 50% cut of Presley's earnings; Presley was reportedly unhappy
with Parker's management but was legally trapped through a contract that didn't end until 1976.
Nashville producers ruled the roost when it came to generating the day's
hit tunes. Record producers often controlled access to the studios,
engineers, and other resources essential for recording music. This gave them tremendous
sway over the tone and direction of what became known as "the Nashville Sound."
Another gatekeeper, particularly in the 1960s Nashville scene, was Jim Denny, a talent agent,
publisher, and booker for country artists. Denny was the booker of the beloved Grand Ole Opry,
a weekly institution that launched the careers of many country luminaires — but only if Denny
felt like it. Johnny Cash, for example, recalls having to wait two hours to speak with Denny,
even though he had a hit single at the time of their meeting.
February 3, 1959, was permanently carved into rock and roll history as "the day the
music died" when musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the "Big Bopper" died
in a plane crash. One artist who survived due to a fluke of fate was future country legend
Waylon Jennings. Jennings was supposed to be on the plane, but gave his seat to the Big Bopper,
who was sick with the flu. The loss of his friends would haunt Jennings for the rest of his life.
"I never a week goes by that I don't think of something about Buddy and those guys."
Sadly, those lost lives weren't an anomaly. Touring was dangerous, with long hours and old
equipment contributing to numerous tragedies. In 1963, Patsy Cline and two other popular country
stars, Hawkshaw Hawkins and Cowboy Copas, also died in a plane crash while returning from a
concert. A year later, Nashville Sound veteran Jim Reeves was lost in another plane crash.
Unfortunately, the skies were not the only peril: many country stars also got into
catastrophic collisions on the road. Taste of Country reports that Cline had already
survived one such car crash in 1961. A rising star who wasn't so lucky was Johnny Horton;
he was killed in a car accident in 1960 while driving back from a concert in Austin, Texas.
What goes up must come down, as the saying goes. Tastes change, and culture changes with them. By
the end of the 1960s, popular country music was battling for prominence. As rock and roll swept
the country, psychedelia, funk, and soul also captured young people's imaginations. As such,
many of the era's country stars closed out the decade with a fight to stay relative.
Some stars won that fight. Johnny Cash in particular tapped into the spirit of youthful
rebellion, becoming a rare figure embraced by young and old alike. His crossover appeal brought
him into the mainstream with his hit TV series "The Johnny Cash Show," which debuted in 1969.
But many other stars of the 60s struggled to remain relevant as the decade ended. Newcomers
also found it impossible to break through — due to dwindling record sales, many country
labels and radio stations hedged their bets on their roster of commercially proven artists.
Furthermore, while the appeal of the polished Nashville Sound was beginning to wane,
many artists felt trapped in an industry that was moving further and further from country's roots.
In response, many country singers, like Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings,
and Willie Nelson, adopted the rebellious aspects of Southern rock and combined them
with country to produce a more jagged, unique sound. This fusion eventually led
to the "outlaw country" sound, which rose in the 1970s as a counterpoint to the soft pop
sound dominating mainstream country at the time. This dramatic clash of styles
ultimately forced the country stars of the 60s to either adapt or fade to irrelevance.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse,
you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233.
You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.