Tammy Wynette (born Virginia Wynette Pugh; May 5, 1942 – April 6, 1998)[1][2] was an American country music artist, as well as an actress and author. Dubbed the "First Lady of Country Music", she is considered among the genre's most influential and successful artists. Wynette helped bring a woman's perspective to the male-dominated country music field that helped other women find representation in the genre.