Country Music's Royal Couples

Country coupledom goes beyond Vince Gill and Amy Grant. Here are 5 more famous pairings

by: Sarah White, from: AARP The Magazine, April 4, 2011

Tempestuous twosome: George Jones and Tammy Wynette's stormy marriage lasted six years. — Christopher Berkey/AP Photo

George Jones and Tammy Wynette

Known to many as the tragic country queen, Tammy Wynette was the first country music artist to go platinum and counts more than 20 number-one hits on her resume. Talented but headstrong and prone to drama, she was a disaster when it came to relationships. Her gift lay in the endearing and sad delivery of her songs. In tunes such as the famed "Stand by Your Man," fans and critics alike felt the devastation residing beneath. This dark undercurrent may have drawn her to George Jones, a superstar in his own right, Jones charted more than 160 songs on the Billboard charts during his career, more than any other country artist.

During their six-year marriage, Jones made headlines for more than his music. Notorious for his off-stage bad habits, which included a cocaine addiction and an uncanny ability to locate the nearest bar, he became notorious for skipping out on shows. His many concert cancellations (more than 50) over his career earned him the nickname “No Show” Jones.

Although their marriage crumbled beneath the limelight, Wynette and Jones continued to collaborate in the studio. Together, they recorded three songs that reached the top 10 country music charts. Two decades later, in 1995, they paired up again for their reunion album, One — the last album Wynette recorded before her death in 1998. Jones, happily married to his fourth wife, manager Nancy Sepulvado, continues to perform today. He credits Sepulvado with saving him from his hard-living ways.

Next: Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter