Portfolio > Nashvillians of Note

Kitty Wells, 1919-2012
Born Ellen Muriel Deason, Kitty Wells is one of the few country music legends born and raised in Nashville. As a 33-year-old mother of three, she unexpectedly launched her career when she recorded “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” in 1952 as a response to Hank Thompson’s hit “The Wild Side of Life.” The song was a No. 1 hit on the country charts, making her the first female country artist to sell 1 million records. Wells consistently sang songs from a woman’s point of view at a time when country music was dominated by men. Known as the Queen of Country Music, she paved the way for other women in the industry and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame® in 1976.