Stand by Your Man

by Tammy Wynette, Joan Dew (Contributor)

Vintage biography paperback

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir

360 pages, Paperback

First published October 29, 1979

Reviews

[E.d. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned how Tammy went from a sharecropper's shack to dating Burt Reynolds. I learned that George Jones mowed his lawn in coordinated outfits and wore an avocado leisure suit to accompany Tammy to the hospital when she had their baby.

[Ida · Rating 5 out of 5]

i learned that no matter what you do it is better to do it rich. i also thing that this is one of the best books i have ever read. she is an inspiration to us all. i made a painting based on her "and i knew that day that i would never cry over burt reynolds or my situation ever again." who says that?? so cool.

[La Petite Américaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my darkest secrets exposed. This book is awesome. :)

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a pleasure to read Tammy’s life (up to 1978) story told in her optimistic tone. My favorite part was when she told about her time with George Jones—they seemed to truly love each other despite the challenges their relationship faced.

[Madison Kozak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to read this after watching the George & Tammy series, and while it was fascinating to hear her story I found the writing was pretty all over the place. Felt like rambling at times, but also loved that she didn’t hold back on the dirty details. Huge fan of her music, just not so much this book. Autobiographies have come a long way since the 70’s 😅

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was 2/3's of a book it could have been. The first third follows her years growing up on a small farm with her grandparents, monetarily poor, yet felt rich in family and community. Her family and church sang and played music around home and church. She paints a lovely, perhaps romantic, version of her youth, looking back at the hardships with coloured glasses of the love she received from family. She was born on the family farm in 1942, shortly before her Father went blind from a brain tumor which killed him a few months later. Her attitudes towards organized religion were influenced by an event shortly before her Father passed, when a country preacher came to visit and told her Dad, "believing is not enough: you have to personally accept the Lord as your Savior right now and be baptised or you'll go straight to hell." She thought then and ever after that was a very cruel thing to say to a dying good man. The 2nd third is her later youth and first marriage which she jumped into to escape from the farm with dreams of becoming a hairdresser. Her considerate, handsome and courteous boyfriend changed like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde into a jealous, controlling and abusive husband immediately after the wedding ceremony. She was still poor and now knew it. What little she earned went into her husband's pocket and her dream of hairdressing school quickly ended. The second third of the book dealt with her escape from the husband, moving to a new town and state with her father's relations. When she meets George Jones she is in awe. This was her family's as well as her favourite singer. And quickly she falls in love and is married. While he is also controlling it is only when he is drunk. After their marriage he drunk less, but as the newness of the marriage wore off, he drank more. This part really dives into their relationship, but also her music and successes with detail of recording sessions, her band members and their life on the road. The last third becomes a series of romantic adventures, several doomed and short-lived marriages and finally the one, the fifth marriage is shown to be a happy one. There is less about the music and much more detail needed about the properties she buys and the state of her relationships. Ms Wynette suffered throughout her adult life with multiple health issues, and was in and out of hospitals for numerous operations. Overall an interesting insight into her early life and career.

[Edgle Bennett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tammy Wynette's autobiography " Stand by Your Man" I really wanted to like this book and was very excited to read it, but it was a bit of a letdown. It comes off as a cheap version of Loretta Lynns " Coal Miner's Daughter" I feel it didn't delve deep enough, that's all I have for you. I'm a HUGE fan of her music, but not of this book. It was written when she was in her 30s. Oh well.

[Andrea Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! I didn't know much about Tammy's life before reading the book so it was really interesting. I also loved her song Stand By Your Man when I was little and I would try to belt it out. The cool thing is I read this just in time for the new mini series on HBO called Tammy & George! I can't wait to watch it!

[Brenda Goodreau · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. It was interesting to read this book from 1978 when she was just marrying her husband George Richey at the end of it. I’ve read books written much later and she had no idea what was in store for her. I feel like she never did find a good man despite being married 5 times.

[Lori Wuerth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed it but first several chapters on childhood life went on a bit long

[Lindsay Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a crazy story!! So much so, I started to believe that maybe some this was made up!

What a wild ride of a life she had, especially when she was married to George!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤

[Michael Porter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had read Tammy’s daughter book about her before reading this one.

Tammy’s daughter said she was going to take up where her Mother left off.

I did enjoy reading Tammy’s life story, even though I felt some of the things she told were not accurate. For example, Tammy sites the reason she left all her husbands were because they cheated on her. This may be true for the first part, but I think she is wrong about her first husband. He loved her, but she was the one going around shopping for something better.

I didn't think much of Tammy Wynette as a mother. She should have left motherhood with others, and just enjoyed her career. Tammy would still be with us today, if she had follow doctor’s orders and the rest after her many surgeries.

And lastly she talked about how good her last husband was to her. I had a hard time with this last chapter because I knew she was dead, and I knew who killed her. But, Tammy had made that decision; no one made it for her.

Now would I read this book again? Yes, but I would have read it before any other books about Tammy. While I read her story, I knew some the things I was reading were colorized! You know, to make her look better!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had a huge impact on my life! The stories she tells make me think of the phrase "you can't make this stuff up!!" I felt a kinship to Tammy, a survivor of domestic violence and abuse. One of the parts that stands out in my mind is when she tells the story of running out into the night in fear, in her bedclothes, in a major city, hoping no one would spot the famous Tammy Wynette fleeing her abusive husband in terror. Also sobering and impressive was the fact that her mother-in-law had told her about having to flee HER own home...just literally run out the door and hide....to escape an enraged husband. This was an incredible book by an incredible lady. RIP

[Andre · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! I've read plenty of autobiographies, and Tammy's reads like fiction. It's entertaining and fun, with highs and lows, but it's even better than fiction because you know it all happened! Of course she sugar-coated some facts, but she shared more than most stars would have at the time, including her sex life and her views on morality and religion. Of course, if you read this book you should definitely read George Jones' version of the same events, which he wrote in his book. I loved Tammy's stories, but they all have two sides.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing story. Tammy Wynette had a lot of hardship in her life and it did come out in her music because she really didn't hold anything back. She was a very strong person who didn't let anything stop her until finally it was her health.
This book is a great read, very funny and very honest. You are guaranteed to shed one tear.

[Christiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes I did read this and I am not ashamed!

[Jessica Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Worth it for the story of George hiding vodka in the orange groves on his property so he could have a fresh screwdriver handy at all times.