“An Old Photograph – and the Woman Who Walked Beside Me, Long Before the Spotlight.” When Ricky Van Shelton became one of the biggest names in country music in the late ’80s, many were surprised to learn he already had a wife – and that their marriage wasn’t built on fame, but on the quiet days back when he was just a guy driving an ice cream truck, long before anyone knew his name. Bettye Jo was never the one in front of the camera. She never graced magazine covers or stood in the limelight at big award shows. But she was always there – backstage, behind the curtain, in the kitchen at home – the place where the artist returned to be vulnerable, to be simply human. And that’s why, even during the height of his success, Ricky never forgot to mention his wife in interviews. He never let the media pry into their private life. And he never let the spotlight outshine the small hand that had always held his from behind.
“Scroll down to the end of the article to listen to music.” Introduction I still remember the first time I…