This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (August 2009)

This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (August 2009)

Lynn Sweet is the Washington, D.C. bureau chief for the Chicago Sun-Times and a columnist for The Hill, a weekly newspaper that covers the U.S. Congress, and for The Huffington Post.

Sweet is a past president of the Washington Press Club Foundation and is a member of the Gridiron Club.

Sweet, a Chicago native, holds a master's from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley after attending the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.

External links[link]

• Chicago Sun-Times - Lynn Sweet
  • Column archive, blog archive, biography
• Column archive at The Huffington Post
• Column archive at Politics Daily
• Column archive at The Hill
• Appearances on C-SPAN

This article about a United States journalist is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2010)

Jacob Weisberg in New York, on April 19, 2012

Jacob Weisberg (born 1964) is an American political journalist, serving as editor-in-chief of Slate Group, a division of The Washington Post Company. Weisberg is also a Newsweek columnist. He served as the editor of Slate magazine for six years, until stepping down in June 2008.^[1] He is the son of Lois Weisberg, a Chicago social activist and connector celebrated in Malcolm Gladwell's book The Tipping Point.

Life and career[link]

Weisberg's father, Bernard Weisberg, was a prominent Chicago lawyer and, later, judge. His parents were introduced at a cocktail party by novelist Ralph Ellison.

Weisberg is a frequent commentator on National Public Radio. He previously worked for The New Republic in Washington, D.C., was a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine and a contributing editor to Vanity Fair. He has also served as a columnist for the Financial Times. Early in his career, he worked for Newsweek in the London and Washington bureaus. Weisberg has also worked as a freelance journalist for numerous publications.

The creator and author of the Bushisms series, Weisberg published The Bush Tragedy in 2008. He is also the author, with Robert Rubin, of In An Uncertain World (2003). Weisberg's first book, In Defense of Government, was published in 1996.

Weisberg chaired the judging panel for the 2009 BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for excellence in non-fiction writing.

Weisberg graduated from Yale University in 1986, where he worked for the Yale Daily News. When a junior, he was offered a membership in Skull and Bones by Senator John Kerry, but declined the offer, citing the club's exclusion of women.^[2] Instead Weisberg was persuaded by The Washington Post's Robert G. Kaiser to join Elihu Society.^[3] After Yale he attended New College, Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship.

Weisberg is married to style and fashion journalist Deborah Needleman, formerly editor of Domino Magazine.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Short bio of Weisberg – Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government
• Video (and audio) debate/conversation with Jacob Weisberg and David Frum on Bloggingheads.tv

Mark Kirk
United States Senator from Illinois
Incumbent
Assumed office November 29, 2010 Serving with Dick Durbin
Preceded by	Roland Burris
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 10th district
In office January 3, 2001 – November 29, 2010
Preceded by	John Porter
Succeeded by	Robert Dold
Personal details
Born	Mark Steven Kirk (1959-09-15) September 15, 1959 (age 52) Champaign, Illinois
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Kimberly Vertolli (2001–2009; divorced)
Residence	Highland Park, Illinois[1]
Alma mater	Cornell University (B.A.) London School of Economics Georgetown University Law Center (J.D.)
Occupation	Attorney, Navy Officer
Religion	United Church of Christ[2]
Website	kirk.senate.gov
Military service
Service/branch	United States Navy United States Navy Reserve
Years of service	1989–present
Rank	Commander
Unit	Navy Intelligence

Mark Steven Kirk (born September 15, 1959) is the junior United States Senator from Illinois and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, Kirk was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Illinois's 10th congressional district.

Born in Champaign, Illinois, he graduated from Cornell University, London School of Economics, and Georgetown University Law Center. He practiced law throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He joined the United States Navy Reserve in 1989 and was recalled to active duty for the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. He participated in Operation Northern Watch in Iraq the following year. He remains a member of the Navy Reserve, now holding the rank of Commander.

Kirk was elected to the House in 2000. During his fifth term in November 2010 he won two concurrent elections: to finish the final months of former Senator Barack Obama's term and to serve the next six-year term. He was sworn in on November 29, 2010^[3], and then began a six-year Senate term in January 2011.

In January 2012, Kirk suffered a stroke; he has been hospitalized, and his physicians expect long-term physical impairments but not cognitive ones.^[4]

Early life and education[link]

Kirk was born in Champaign, Illinois, the son of Judith Ann (née Brady) and Francis Gabriel "Frank" Kirk.^[5][6][7] After graduating from New Trier East High School in 1977 he attended Blackburn College in Carlinville, Illinois for two years, before transferring to Cornell University, where he graduated cum laude with a B.A. in History.^[8] Kirk later obtained a masters degree from the London School of Economics and a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Georgetown University Law Center.^[9][10]

Teaching career[link]

While Kirk was an undergraduate student at Cornell University he held a work study job supervising a play group at the Forest Home Chapel nursery school. After getting his masters degree, Kirk taught for one year at a private school in London.^[11][12] He later stated in speeches and interviews that he had been a nursery and middle school teacher. For example, Kirk claimed in a speech to the Illinois Education Association, "As a former nursery school and middle school teacher, I know some of what it takes to bring order to class." However, a member of the Forest Home Chapel said, "He was never, ever considered a teacher [at the nursery school]."^[11]

In discussing problems in the educational system early in his congressional career, Kirk addressed the brevity of his teaching career: “I did leave the teaching profession, but if we had addressed some of the teacher development issues, which I want to raise with you, I might have stayed.”^[11][13]

Military service[link]

Kirk was commissioned as an intelligence officer in the United States Navy Reserve in 1989.^[10]

In 1999 Kirk was recalled to active duty in Operation Allied Force for the bombing of Yugoslavia. He served from to April 10 to June 6, 1999 as the intelligence officer of VAQ-209.^[14] VAQ-209 was combined with three other EA-6B squadrons to form an ad hoc unit called Electronic Attack Wing Aviano, Italy. VAQ-140 had tactical command of the combined unit.^[15] In May, 2000, the National Military Intelligence Association bestowed the organization's Vice Admiral Rufus L. Taylor Award to Intelligence Division Electronic Attack Wing Aviano, Italy.^[16]

In March and April, 2000 Kirk trained with an EC-130 squadron based in Turkey. Kirk took a flight over Iraq as part of Operation Northern Watch, which enforced a no fly zone over the northern section of Iraq.^[17]

Kirk has served three, two-week reserve deployments in Afghanistan, with the latest concluding in September 2011.^[18]

Awards[link]

During his military career, Kirk has been awarded the following medals: the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, as well as the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Navy Unit Commendation, and the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation. He continues his service in the United States Navy Reserve holding the rank of Commander.^[19]

Kirk corrected claims he had made about being awarded "Navy Intelligence Officer of the Year" after it was brought to the media's attention by his Democratic opponent, Alexi Giannoulias.^[20] In a 2002 House committee hearing recorded by C-Span, Kirk said, "I was the Navy's Intelligence Officer of the Year," an achievement he said gave him special qualifications to discuss national security spending.^[19] However, in May 2010, the Washington Post reported that Kirk's claim to having been named the Navy's “Intelligence Officer of the Year” was erroneous.^[21] The National Military Intelligence Association gave the Vice Admiral Rufus L. Taylor Award to the entire Intelligence Division Electronic Attack Wing at Aviano.^[19] Kirk was the lead intelligence officer for VAQ-209, one of the four squadrons assigned to the Electronic Attack Wing. VAQ-140 had tactical command.^[15] Kirk later apologized for this and other errors, including claims of having been fired upon during an aerial reconnaissance mission in Iraq, about which there is no official record, and of having participated in Operation Desert Storm when in fact he did not.^[22]

On June 7, 2010, Medal of Honor recipient and advocate of Veteran's benefits, Allen Lynch, deemed Mark Kirk's apologies adequate, and further commented: “To me, in my opinion, it's just a bunch of nit picking. Plus, he's done a christ ton for veterans. So I think this is being blown way out of proportion".^[23]

Service under fire[link]

Controversy regarding Kirk's military record continued as other statements surfaced, such as Kirk stating “the last time I was in Iraq I was in uniform, flying at 20,000 feet, and the Iraqi Air Defense network was shooting at us.” Kirk has since clarified his previous statements, admitting that he was never fired on as he flew over Iraq or Kosovo.^[24] “I simply misremembered [sic] it wrong,” he told The Chicago Sun-Times, referring to his military record.^[25]

Military politicking[link]

On December 18, 2009, Undersecretary of Defense Gail H. McGinn noted in a memo that Kirk had on two previous active duty periods engaged in politicking—violation of military policy by participating in political activities while on active duty, per Department of Defense regulations. On one occasion Congressman Kirk commented on Rod Blagojevich's arrest and posted a tweet while on duty with the Navy in Afghanistan.^[26] According to the Pentagon, Kirk was required to sign a statement acknowledging he knew the rules and wouldn't break them again.^[27]

Early political career[link]

Kirk worked on the staff of John Porter, the former holder of Illinois’s 10th congressional district. From 1991 to 1993, Kirk was the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State in the U.S. State Department. Kirk was an attorney for Baker & McKenzie from 1993 to 1995. In 1995, Kirk was named as a counsel to the House International Relations Committee. He remained counsel to the House International Relations Committee until 1999.^[10]

U.S. House of Representatives[link]

Kirk as a Congressman.

Elections[link]

Kirk was originally elected in 2000 with 51%. He won re-election with comfortable margins in 2002 and 2004. He defeated Dan Seals by a five point margin in 2006, and defeated him again by the same margin in a rematch in 2008.^[28]

Tenure[link]

Kirk was a member of the House Iran Working Group, the founder and co-chair of the House U.S.-China Working Group,^[29] the co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues,^[10] the co-chair of the Albanian Issues Caucus in ex Yugoslavia,^[30] and a member of the GOP Tuesday Group.^[31] During his House tenure, he was a member of the House Appropriations Committee.^[32] Before leaving for the Senate, Kirk had been named to the Appropriations Committee.

During his tenure in the House, Kirk voted for the Waxman-Markey "Cap-and-Trade" bill.^[33][34]

Immigration[link]

Kirk attracted controversy by stating that he was not opposed if the immigration process in the United States discriminates against Arab males from certain countries. He stated, "I’m OK with discrimination against young Arab males from terrorist-producing states. I’m OK with that."^[35]

U.S. Senate[link]

2010 election[link]

On July 20, 2009, Kirk announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate election for the seat held by Roland Burris, which had been held by Barack Obama before his election as president. On February 2, 2010, Kirk won the Republican primary with 56.6 percent of the vote; no other candidate had as much as 20 percent.^[36] He ran against Democratic nominee Alexi Giannoulias, Green Party nominee LeAlan Jones, and Libertarian nominee Mike Labno. During the Illinois U.S. Senate election campaign in 2010, Kirk and Giannoulias were in a hotly contested debate. Kirk (R) defeated Giannoulias in the election for the full 6-year term, getting 48% to Giannoulias's 46%. Kirk changed his position on Cap and Trade legislation during the campaign saying he voted for it "because it was in the narrow interests of my Congressional district," but that as a representative of the entire state of Illinois, "I will vote No on that bill.”^[37]

Tenure[link]

On December 18, 2010, Kirk voted in favor of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010.^[38] He was one of only two Republicans to oppose legislation to detain American citizens indefinitely.^[39] Kirk sits at the Senate's coveted candy desk.^[40]

Caucus memberships[link]

• Albanian Issue Caucus (Co-Chair)
• Congressional Diabetes Caucus (Vice-Chair)
• International Conservation Caucus

Committee assignments[link]

• Committee on Appropriations
  • Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
  • Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (Ranking Member)
  • Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
  • Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
• Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development
  • Subcommittee on Security and International Trade and Finance
  • Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment
• Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
  • Subcommittee on Children and Families
  • Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety
• Special Committee on Aging

Personal life[link]

In February 1998, Kirk met his future wife, Kimberly Vertolli, a Naval Intelligence Officer, by chance, while the two were on duty together at the Pentagon.^[41] “It was supposed to be my weekend off ... but Saddam had just thrown out the weapons inspectors and we were preparing for a strike on Baghdad,” Vertolli said, according to Capitol File magazine.^[42][43] The two married in August 2001, when Kirk was 41.^[44] After eight years of marriage, the two separated, finalizing their divorce in the summer of 2009. Reports have noted that the divorce was an amicable one and the two remain close friends.^[45]

Kirk was earlier engaged to Virginia Hurt Johnson, whom he met while both were practicing law in Washington, DC, in 1994.^[46] Johnson became the Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 13th congressional district of North Carolina in 2004. She was Counsel to the House Armed Services Committee and was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for House Legislative Affairs under Secretaries Rumsfeld and Gates.^[46]

Stroke and Recovery[link]

On January 23, 2012, Senator Kirk underwent surgery at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago following a stroke; he underwent neurosurgery to remove two small pieces of brain tissue rendered dysfunctional by the stroke and he had a piece of his cranium temporarily removed to lessen any danger from the brain swelling process. His neurosurgeon, Dr. Fessler,^[47] expected him to have to spend a lengthy period in inpatient and outpatient stroke rehabilitation, but his cognitive functions, motor skills, and vital functions were largely unaffected by the stroke, save for the fact that his left side has a marked degree of weakness, which may improve during the healing process. Even barring any complications or further cerebrovascular incidents, it would still be months before any decision can be made about returning to the Senate.^[4]

On May 1, 2012, Kirk was sent home from a rehabilitation center. A statement from his family said the Illinois Republican would continue to work on rehabilitation on an outpatient basis, but that he has progressed enough to be able to move home with his family.^[48] On May 8, 2012, Kirk’s staff released a video showing Kirk walking on a treadmill and down a hallway at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago as doctors work with him to help fully regain the use of his left side.^[49]

Electoral history[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mark Kirk

• U.S. Senator Mark Kirk official U.S. Senate site
• Kirk for Senate official campaign site
• Biography at WhoRunsGov.com at The Washington Post
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Congressional profile at GovTrack
• Congressional profile at OpenCongress
• Issue positions and quotes at On the Issues
• Financial information at OpenSecrets.org
• Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Appearances on C-SPAN programs
• Appearances at the Internet Movie Database
• Collected news and commentary at The New York Times
• Works by or about Mark Kirk in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Profile from SourceWatch
• Mark Kirk's file at PolitiFact.com
• Mark Kirk and Dodie McCracken photo caption available at September 12, 2011 slideshow of Adler Planetarium fete.

v t e United States Senators from Illinois Class 2 Thomas McLean Baker Robinson McRoberts Semple S. Douglas Browning Richardson Yates Logan Davis Cullom Lewis McCormick Deneen Lewis Slattery Brooks P. Douglas Percy Simon Durbin Class 3 Edwards McLean Kane Ewing Young Breese Shields Trumbull Oglesby Logan Farwell Palmer Mason Hopkins Lorimer Sherman McKinley Glenn Dieterich Lucas Dirksen Smith Stevenson III Dixon Moseley Braun Fitzgerald Obama Burris Kirk

Ellen Muriel Deason (born August 30, 1919), known professionally as Kitty Wells, is an American country music singer. Her 1952 hit recording, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels", made her the first female country singer to top the U.S. country charts, and turned her into the first female country star. Her Top 10 hits continued until the mid-1960s, inspiring a long list of female country singers who came to prominence in the 1960s.

Wells ranks as the sixth most successful female vocalist in the history of Billboard's country charts, according to historian Joel Whitburn's book The Top 40 Country Hits, behind Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Reba McEntire, Tammy Wynette, and Tanya Tucker. In 1976, she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and is currently its oldest living member. In 1991, she became the third country music artist, after Roy Acuff and Hank Williams, and the eighth woman to receive the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Wells' accomplishments earned her the nickname The Queen of Country Music.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Wells was born Ellen Muriel Deason in 1919 in Nashville, Tennessee, one of the few country singers born in Nashville. She began singing as a child, learning guitar from her father. As a teenager, she sang with her sisters, who performed under the name the Deason Sisters on a local radio station beginning in 1936.^[1]

At the age of 18 she married Johnnie Wright, a cabinet-maker who aspired to country-music stardom (which he'd eventually achieve as half of the duo Johnnie & Jack).^[2]

Music career[link]

Wells sang with Wright and his sister Louise Wright; the three toured as Johnnie Right and the Harmony Girls. Soon Wright met Jack Anglin, who married Louise and became part of the band, which became known first as the Tennessee Hillbillies and then the Tennessee Mountain Boys.

Wright and Wells performed as a duo; it was at this time she adopted "Kitty Wells" as her stage name. When Anglin returned from the Army, he and Wright formed the Johnnie & Jack duo. Wells would tour with the pair, occasionally performing backup vocals.^[1]

On Louisiana Hayride, she performed with her husband's duo. Wells, however, did not sing on their records until signing with RCA Records in 1949 releasing some of her first singles, including "Death At The Bar" and "Don't Wait For The Last Minute To Pray", neither of which charted. While these early records gained some notice, promoters still weren't keen on promoting female singers, and therefore Wells was dropped from the label in 1950.

1952: "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels"[link]

In 1952, Paul Cohen, an executive at Decca Records, approached Wells to record "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels".^[1] Wells was disenchanted with her career prospects and was considering retirement, but agreed to the session (at Owen Bradley’s studio on May 3, 1952) because of the $125 union scale recording payment. "I wasn't expecting to make a hit," said Wells later. "I just thought it was another song."

"It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" was an answer song to Hank Thompson's No. 1 smash, "The Wild Side of Life", and its lyrical treatment of seductive, wayward women. Wells' single retorted, "It's a shame that all the blame is on us women."

The record's message was controversial at the time, and was banned by many radio stations.^[3] It was also temporarily banned from the Grand Ole Opry. Nevertheless, audiences couldn’t get enough of it.^[4] The single took off during the summer of 1952, and sold more than 800,000 copies in its initial release. It became the first single by a female singer to peak at No. 1 in the eight-year history of the country music chart, where it remained for six weeks. (Certain female country songs, notably Patsy Montana's million-selling "I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart" predate the creation of Billboard's country chart in 1944.) "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" also crossed over to Billboard’s pop charts, hitting No. 27.^[4] Because of her major breakthrough, Wells received a membership to the Grand Ole Opry, which had originally banned the single.

Writer Bill Friskics-Warren has argued that part of the song's appeal came from its combination of a modern message with

a familiar, antediluvian tune, a melody drawn from the Carter Family's "I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes" (as were "The Wild Side of Life" and Roy Acuff's "The Great Speckled Bird"). Practically anyone could hum along with "Angels" the first time they heard it.^[5]

Wells is also credited as the one who discovered and encouraged a young 15-year-old musician who would be known as Zane Ashton (real name Bill Aken), to pursue his musical ambitions as a singer and guitarist. Elvis would later nickname the young guitar player "The Fixer," due to his ability to 'fix' mediocre sound tracks with his guitar work, and this further served to validate her ability to recognize young talent in its early stages.

1953–1969: Career peak[link]

"It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" was followed by "Paying For That Back Street Affair", a response to Webb Pierce's "Back Street Affair". The single reached number six in the spring of 1953, helping to establish a lasting place at the top of the charts for Wells.^[1] Between 1953 and 1955, she was popular on the country charts, and was the only female solo artist at the time to be able to maintain her success. In 1953, Wells had two Top 10 hits with "Hey Joe" and "Cheatin's A Sin". The next year, Wells partnered with country star Red Foley for the duet "One By One", which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Chart, and became her second chart-topper. The song led to a string of hit singles from the duo within the next two decades, including 1954's "As Long as I Live", which peaked at No. 3. As a solo artist in 1954, Wells had two major hits with the No. 8 "Release Me" and the Top 15 hit, "Thou Shalt Not Steal" (written by Don Everly of the Everly Brothers).

Record companies were reluctant to issue albums by country's female artists until Wells proved that women could sell.^[6] She became the first female country singer to issue an LP, starting with 1956's Kitty Wells' Country Hit Parade, which consisted of her biggest hits. She released her first studio album in 1957 with Winner of Your Heart. Soon other female country singers released LPs in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

"Making Believe" and "Lonely Side of Town" became chart-toppers^[7] for Wells, however not on Billboard magazine. "Making Believe" is widely regarded as one of the greatest songs in country music history and Wells' as the definitive version of the song despite scores of covers over the years. Wells' later 1950s releases included "Searching (For Someone Like You)", "I Can't Stop Loving You", and "Amigo's Guitar", which she wrote with John D. Loudermilk.^[7] In 1957, Wells issued Winner of Your Heart. This was followed by a string of LPs released from Decca Records between 1957 and 1973. She also partnered with Webb Pierce the same year for two duet singles, including the Top 10 hit, "Oh So Many Years". The duo didn't record together again until 1964 with the Top 10 hit, "Finally". In 1959, Wells had two Top 5 hits with "Amigo's Guitar" and "Mommy For A Day". Wells was later awarded a BMI award for writing "Amigo's Guitar." Although not known much for her songwriting, Wells has won two BMI awards, including one for "Amigo's Guitar". She has published more than 60 songs.

She continued to put much of herself into her songs throughout her career, inspiring other female country singers to record risky material as well. Loretta Lynn was one of her followers in this sense, when she recorded "Don't Come A Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind)" in 1967. Dolly Parton's 1968 recording "Just Because I'm a Woman", like "Honky Tonk Angels", questioned the male-female double-standard.

Wells entered the 1960s on top with songs like "Heartbreak U.S.A." and "Day into Night".^[7] "Heartbreak USA" peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Chart and became her third and final No. 1 hit. The follow-up, "Day Into Night" was a Top 10 hit the same year. Owen Bradley took over as Wells' producer in the 1960s. While Bradley did produce some of the biggest-selling country crossover singers of the time period, including Patsy Cline, he did have to record some of what Nashville then called "The Old-Timers," or the "Honky-Tonkers" from the 1950s, including Webb Pierce, Ernest Tubb, and Wells. With these singers, including Wells, he steered them all into the new contemporary sound without pushing them out of their limits. Wells' sound changed slightly due to Bradley's influence, incorporating some of the new Nashville sound into her material.^[6] The well-known Nashville Sound vocal group, The Jordanaires, can be heard backing Wells on her big country hit from 1961, "Heartbreak USA".

In the early '60s, her career dipped slightly, but she continued to have Top Ten hits frequently.^[8]

In 1962, Wells had three Top 10 hits with "Will Your Lawyer Talk to God", "Unloved Wanted," and "We Missed You". Beginning in 1964, Wells' albums began to chart the Top Country Albums chart, starting with the LP, Especially for You. Some of Wells' albums peaked within the Top 10 on that chart. That same year, her singles began to return to the Top 10 with "This White Circle on My Finger" and "Password", both of which peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Country Chart. In 1965, Wells had her last Top 10 hit with "Meanwhile, Down At Joe's" and in 1966, Wells then had her final Top 20 hit with "It's All Over But the Crying", which peaked at No. 14 on the country charts.

During the late '60s and '70s, Wells' streak of hits evaporated, but she managed to have a string of minor hits and remained a popular concert attraction.^[9] She continued with a string of Top 40 hits nearly until the end of the decade with her last Top 40 single, "My Big Truck Drivin' Man" in 1968. In 1968, Wells recorded a duet album with husband Johnnie Wright called, We'll Stick Together. Wells also reunited with Red Foley at the end of the decade for a studio album. Her albums continued to chart the Top Country Albums chart until 1969 with Guilty Street.

Wells was popular enough to start her own syndicated television program with her husband in 1969. The Kitty Wells/Johnnie Wright Family Show also featured appearances by their children, including actor Bobby Wright, and stayed on the air for several years.^[7] She became the first female country star to have her own syndicated television show, but the program could not compete against shows starring more contemporary male artists like Porter Wagoner and Bill Anderson and only ran for one year.

1970–present: Later career and retirement[link]

Wells stayed under the Decca label until 1973. She released three studio albums in 1970 and two in 1971. The singles from these albums did not become major hits, some which didn't even make the Top 70 on the Billboard Country Chart. In 1973, when Decca became MCA Records, Wells stayed with them for a short period time, before leaving the label. In 1974 she signed with Capricorn Records, a southern rock label of the era, and recorded a blues-flavored album entitled Forever Young on which she was backed by members of the Allman Brothers Band. The album was not a huge commercial success (though the Dylan-penned title tune did receive some airplay), but it received considerable acclaim and, through its association with the Allmans, brought Wells to the attention of a younger audience.

In 1976 she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.^[10] Wells became the second female country singer to be elected (Patsy Cline was the first to be honored as a solo act in 1973). In the late 1970s, Wells and husband formed their own record label, Rubocca (the name was a composite of their three children's names: Ruby, Bobby, and Carol) and released several albums. In 1979 at age 60 she was back on the Billboard charts with a modest hit, "I Thank You for the Roses".

Despite her waning popularity, Wells remained a successful concert attraction at smaller venues throughout the country and was still performing on the summer resort circuit as late as the mid-1980s.^[7] In 1987 she joined fellow Opry legends Brenda Lee and Loretta Lynn on k.d. lang's "Honky Tonk Angels Medley", which failed to crack the U.S. country charts despite high critical acclaim and crossover success in Canada. Wells' 1955 recording "Making Believe" was included in the soundtrack of the film Mississippi Burning.

In 1991, Wells was awarded from the Grammy Awards a Lifetime Achievement award. She, along with Johnnie and Bobby, joined producers Randall Franks and Alan Autry for the In the Heat of the Night CD “Christmas Time’s A Comin’” performing "Jingle Bells" with the cast on the CD released on Sonlite and MGM/UA for one of the most popular Christmas releases of 1991 and 1992 with Southern retailers.

Wells and her husband opened the Family Country Junction Museum and Studio in 1983 in their hometown of Madison, but stopped running it on their own in 2000. Their grandson, John Sturdivant, Jr. has kept the Junction Recording Studio at its present location which also houses Junction Records and Music Entertainment.^[11] Wells and her husband-singing partner of 53 years performed their final show together on December 31, 2000 at the Nashville Nightlife Theater; they had announced their retirement earlier that year.^[3]

Wells was ranked No. 15 on CMT's 40 Greatest Women of Country Music in 2002.

An exhibit honoring Wells at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville ran from August 2008 through June 2009.^[12] On May 14, 2008, Wells' "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" was added to the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress, along with Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman".

Personal life[link]

Wells married Johnnie Wright (1914–2011) in 1937. They had three children: two daughters, Ruby (1939–2009)^[13] and Carol Sue and a son, Bobby. In addition, Wells has five siblings: Jewel, William, Orville, Raymond, and Mae. Her parents were Charles Cary and Myrtle Deason. She and Johnnie also have 8 grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren and 3 great-great grandchildren. ^[14]

Carol Sue released a single with Wells in the mid-'50s titled "How Far Is Heaven", which peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Country Chart. Wells' other children have both had tries as country music singers, but neither had any bigger success. Ruby recorded an album for the Kapp label, while Bobby recorded albums for both Decca and ABC Dot.^[15] Wells and her husband – lifelong members of the Church of Christ celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in 2007, a rare achievement for any couple and one of the longest celebrity marriages in history. Ruby died in 2009 at the age of 69 and Johnnie died in 2011 at the age of 97.

Honors[link]

• NARAS Governor's Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Recording Industry (1981)
• Academy of Country Music's Pioneer Award (1985)
• NARAS Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1991)
• The Music City News Living Legend Award (1993)

Discography[link]

References[link]

1910, 1920 U.S. Federal Census

External links[link]

• Kitty Wells' official website
• CMT.com: Kitty Wells
• Kitty Wells at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Jamie Lynn Spears
Jamie Lynn Spears at the Nancy Drew premiere (2007)
Born	Jamie Lynn Marie Spears (1991-04-04) April 4, 1991 (age 21) McComb, Mississippi, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, singer
Years active	2002–2008
Partner	Casey Aldridge (2004–2010)
Children	1
Website
jamielynnspears.com

Jamie Lynn Marie Spears (born April 4, 1991)^[1] is an American actress and singer. The younger sister of pop star Britney Spears,^[2] she rose to prominence for her appearances on Nickelodeon shows All That and for playing Zoey Brooks on Zoey 101.^[3]

Early life and career[link]

Spears was born in McComb, Mississippi to Jamie and Lynne Spears. She attended Parklane Academy, where she was a cheerleader and a member of the basketball team. She finished her education there via online correspondence^[2] and received her GED in February 2008 from Kentwood High School in Kentwood, Louisiana.^[4]

Spears made her acting debut in the 2002 Paramount film Crossroads, which starred older sister Britney, in a cameo role as Lucy Wagner.^[5]

Spears then signed on as a regular performer on the Nickelodeon sketch series All That. Her performance was positively received by critics and she stayed on for Seasons 8 & 9 of the series from 2002 through 2004. She left after Season 9 to work on her then, new series, Zoey 101.

[edit] 2005–08: Zoey 101 and pregnancy

In 2005, Spears played the protagonist Zoey Brooks of the Nickelodeon comedy-drama Zoey 101. The series premiered in 2005 and ran four seasons, earning Spears several awards for her work, including the Young Artist Award, the Young Hollywood Award, and the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.^[6] Spears also recorded the theme song for the show, which was co-written by her sister, Britney Spears. Other roles include a cameo as Mandy Ferner in the ABC comedy sitcom series Miss Guided (in the episode "Hot Sub") and the voice of Goldilocks in the television film Unstable Fables: Goldilocks & 3 Bears Show.

On December 20, 2007, in an interview with OK! magazine, Spears announced that she was pregnant by her boyfriend, Casey Aldridge.^[7][8] Nickelodeon issued a statement shortly after the announcement stating that the network respected Spears's decision to take responsibility and noting that its primary concern was for her well-being.^[9] Spears confirmed the couple's engagement in March 2008 after it was reported she was seen with a wedding ring.^[10] In May 2008, Spears and Aldridge moved back to Liberty, Mississippi, and purchased a house, with Spears stating they would raise their child there.^[11]

The announcement of Spears's pregnancy generated controversy, as the media was accused of using the story to "glamorize" teenage pregnancy.^[12][13] Some teens were disappointed with the contrast between Spears's on screen personality as a "good girl" and her real life pregnancy.^[14] Additional controversy surfaced because Spears was two years below the California age of consent, raising questions about her and Aldridge's age difference, and whether Aldridge could or would be charged with statutory rape (although Spears was neither from California nor living there).^[15][16] It was later confirmed that Aldridge was just under two years older than Spears, which meant that he could be charged only with a misdemeanor under California law, since the crime is only charged as a felony if the two people having sex are at least three years apart in age.^[17][18]

On June 4, 2008, while in Amite County, Mississippi, the Spears family filed a complaint against Edwin Merrino, a paparazzo whom they believed was following and stalking the couple. Merrino denied the allegation. He was released later in the day after posting a $1096 bond.^[19]

Spears gave birth to their daughter, Maddie Briann Aldridge, on June 19, 2008, at Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center in McComb.^[20][21][22] OK! magazine reportedly paid one million dollars for the first baby pictures for their July 10, 2008 issue.^[23][24] In September 2008, following the announcement that Bristol Palin was pregnant, it was reported that Spears had sent her a gift.^[25][26] Comparisons between the two cases were made.^[27][28][29]

2009–present[link]

Spears and Aldridge called off their engagement in March 2009,^[30][31] and Spears ended the relationship and moved out in February 2010.^[32] Spears and Aldridge reconciled in August 2010,^[33] but ended their relationship a second time in November 2010.^[34][35] In April 2010, Spears moved from Liberty, Mississippi^[36] to Nashville in order to pursue a music career.^[37] On November 7, 2011, Jamie Lynn Spears held a concert at The Rutledge in Nashville. She performed a set of original songs.^[38]

Jamie Lynn will release her debut country album in 2012.^[39][40][41]

Filmography[link]

Discography[link]

Songs[link]

• 2002: "Hey Now (Girls Just Wanna Have Fun)" with Triple Image
• 2005: "Follow Me" (Zoey 101 theme song)
• 2008: "We Are Family" with the cast of Unstable Fables: Goldilocks and the 3 Bears

Album appearances[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jamie Lynn Spears

• Official website
• Jamie Lynn Spears at the Internet Movie Database
• Jamie Lynn Spears at People