Russell was a school teacher, while her father was an aspiring musician who played guitar and sang in a group.[5] Her father was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and died when Wynette was only nine months old.[6] Weeks before his death, Wynette's father brought her to the family piano and insisted she learn to play when she became old enough.[7] Following his death, Wynette's mother moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where she worked in a defense plant during World War II.