George Richey

George Richey

George Richey (November 30, 1935 – July 31, 2010) was an American songwriter and record producer. He was married to country singer Tammy Wynette from 1978 until her death in 1998, they had no children together. He married television producer, Sheila Slaughter in 2001 until his death 2010, they had one daughter. Tim McGraw sang at their intimate wedding outside of Nashville.

Richey was a mainstay of the Nashville country music community since the 1960s through his songwriting and record production. Head of Columbia records. In the 1970s, he wrote many major hits for future wife Tammy Wynette and Wynette's then-husband, George Jones, including Jones' "A Picture of Me (Without You)" and "The Grand Tour," and Wynette's "'Til I Can Make It On My Own" and "You and Me", among many other artists. Richey served as the musical director for the television show Hee Haw from 1970 to 1977. Upon marrying Wynette, Richey served as Wynette's manager during the 1980s. After Wynettes, death, the daughters fought hard to tarnish the award winning professional career of Mr. Richey, brought a frivilous lawsuit against him for $50 million dollars, claiming they wanted "answers" to the long-illed Wynette, sadly, including the possibility of whether or not Richey himself played a role in Wynette's death, which ultimatley put a halt to Wynette's "after-death" legacy. The daughters who faught so hard to destroy the man that rescrued and loved Tammy and her family, ultimately killed any and all hope of Tammy Wynette's steeler accomplishments being recognized after her death.

George retreated from public life after marrying Sheila Slaughter, a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and successful television producer. In the end, he became a social media advocate with his highly popular Facebook page "DON'T SMOKE, DON'T SMOKE, DON'T SMOKE, IT WILL DESTROY YOUR LIFE".

Richey died peacefully on July 31, 2010, aged 74, following a long battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. His death came without publicity and there was no public memorial, per his request. He was buried peacefully in Nashville near Wynette.