Standing by her man wasn’t easy
GEORGE & TAMMY Paramount+
THE tortured relationships of real-life stars have always made for greatness on-screen.
And country music, with its melancholy chords and heartfelt lyrics, seems to be a hotbed of material.
This glossy series, which was originally supposed to be a movie, stars Hollywood big-hitters Jessica Chastain and Michael Shannon as country music power couple Tammy Wynette and George Jones.
Their complicated, ‘can’t-live-with-or -without each other’ relationship was sometimes brutal but inspired some of the most iconic music of all time, with more than 30 No.1 hits between them. Remembered as the First Lady of Country Music, Wynette’s most successful song Stand by Your Man remains one of the best-selling country singles by a female artist. George Jones’ song He Stopped Loving Her Today, is still widely regarded as the greatest country song of all time. Charting George and Tammy’s legacy, both in music and romantically, this follows the rollercoaster, from their first meeting in the late 1960s.
At the time George was the King of Country music.
Then he met former hairdresser Tammy, who was just beginning to climb the charts.
In Nashville, George is off his head on drugs and alcohol, slumped in a backstage toilet while his entourage struggles to get him on stage. He later earned the nickname ‘No Show Jones’.
Tammy is a huge fan and needs to win his approval to join him on tour.
There’s a spark between them, beginning a journey of obsessive love, brilliant music and plenty of emotional turmoil. And yes, in case you’re wondering… Chastain and Shannon sing all the songs themselves…