Kitty Wells and Johnnie Wright Celebrate 70th

11/1/2007 Stephen L. Betts Seventy years ago, when an 18-year-old Kitty Wells married Johnnie Wright at the county courthouse in Franklin, Ky., there was no time for a honeymoon because Kitty had to get back to her job ironing shirts at the Washington Manufacturing Co. plant in Nashville, and Johnnie had furniture to build for Davis Cabinet Co. But the couple’s daughter, Sue Sturdivant, is taking them back to the place where they tied the knot, making sure they take time to celebrate this milestone anniversary. “We’re going to ride around up there and look around the little town and then go have lunch together,” Kitty told The Tennessean. In 1935, Kitty lived next to Johnnie’s sister in south Nashville, and Johnnie brought their parents over to visit on Christmas. “She told him, ‘There’s a girl who lives next door who plays guitar and sings gospel songs,’ “ says Kitty, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. “They said, ‘Get her over here and let her sing for us.’ That’s how I met him.”   They dated for two years, but Kitty knew after about six months that he was the man for her. “I like his ways and his family,” says Kitty, 88. “He’s always taken care of you when you need it and watched over you when you need somebody around. I like his company.” Johnnie, 93, says, “We love each other. She is a good girl and I’ve tried to do the right thing. If we have any problems, we talk it over and go right on about the business. We don’t get mad. We don’t get angry at each other and curse everybody else like a lot of them. We just try to be good people.”   After the wedding, the couple began performing with Johnnie’s sister, Louise, and her husband, Jack Anglin. In 1939, the men formed the duo Johnnie & Jack and became known for hits such as “Poison Love,” “Cryin’ Heart Blues” and “Oh, Baby Mine (I Get So Lonely.)” Kitty, known as the Queen of Country Music, became a star at 33 in 1952 with “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels,” and she followed that with “Release Me,” “Making Believe” and “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” DID YOU KNOW?: The traditional 70th annivesary gift is platinum!