The Shocking True Story Behind Showtime's 'George & Tammy' Miniseries

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Country music fans are in for a whirlwind of a show. Showtime's new mini-series tells the complicated love story about two country music legends who recorded some of the most iconic music of all time. Starring Oscar winner Jessica Chastain and Oscar nominee Michael Shannon, George & Tammy chronicles George Jones and Tammy Wynette's tumultuous relationship, musically and romantically. After one look at the trailer, people are left wondering, "Wait, did all of this actually happen for real?" and that's where we come in.

Is George & Tammy based on a true story?

Absolutely!

With a successful career and relationship that was basically written for a drama television series, George & Tammy is 100% based on the true life events of George Jones and Tammy Wynette.

Created by Abe Sylvia, who also wrote Chastain's previous Oscar-winning role for The Eyes of Tammy Faye, George & Tammy does not stray far from the couple's shocking time together. With the help of the superstars' biological daughter, Georgette Jones, and her memoir, the fast-paced series doesn't veer from George and Tammy's love story (even when the truth seems crazier than fiction).

The two legends have some of the most recognizable and unique voices in the industry. Tammy, who grew up on a cotton farm in Mississippi, always knew that she was destined for stardom. She chased her dreams when she divorced her first husband and took her children to Nashville to pursue singing. There, she met her second husband, Don Chapel, and signed to Epic Records where she wrote her iconic song "Stand By Your Man."

As Tammy was becoming one of country music's most popular voices and regularly crossed paths with the well-known country crooner, George Jones, the two fell in love. According to his autobiography, Jones professed his love for Tammy after witnessing a heated argument between her and then husband Don. George and Tammy tied the knot in 1969 and from then on, the couple went through a tumultuous relationship dealing with alcoholism, drug abuse, and erratic behavior. AND, all of this was happening while the two were at the height of their careers.

From riding his lawnmower on a highway to the liquor store after his second wife took away his car keys to being committed to a padded cell after a drunken bender and even having to duct tape his knees to stand during a performance, George's life was interesting to say the least. Even after their divorce, Tammy cared for George, and the new drama series tells their unique love story from an upfront and personal point of view.

George & Tammy premieres exclusively on Showtime and Paramount Network on Sunday, December 4, at 9pm ET/PT.

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