R.I.P. Kitty Wells

Kitty Wells, the "Queen of Country Music," died today (July 16) after complications from a stroke. She was 92 years old.

She was born Ellen Muriel Deason in Nashville, Tenn., and began her singing career performing with her sisters in a group called the Deason Sisters. As a solo act, Kitty became the first woman to reach No. 1 on the charts, with her now classic hit "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels."

Widely regarded as the top female country artist of her time, Kitty followed her chart-topper with 34 more Top Ten hits in the span of her 30-year career, including "Hey Joe," "Release Me," “Cheatin’s A Sin”, "Making Believe", "Repenting” and Heartbreak USA”. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1976 and the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998. Among her many accolades were the Academy of Country Music's Pioneer Award and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Wells was married to Johnnie Wright, who passed away last year. He was half of the duo Johnnie & Jack. In the late '60s, the couple had their own syndicated TV program, "The Kitty Wells/Johnnie Wright Family Show," which featured frequent appearances by their children.