Although George Jones and Tammy Wynette divorced in 1975, they enjoyed their biggest commercial successes together in the two years that followed.
The couple were forced to make appearances together because the demand for concert bookings with either Tammy or George fell off drastically after they split, with an often ill Tammy finding herself strangely uncomfortable in front of disappointed and often angry audience members, a few of whom never failed to holler and scream, even in the middle of one of her songs: 'Where's George!?
'"[2] Despite the acrimony between them, Jones and Wynette were compelled to record and even perform together, leaving fans wondering if they might reconcile.
"Southern California" was written by producer Billy Sherrill, Roger Bowling, and George Richey, whom Wynette would marry in 1978.
The song tells the story of a woman who leaves her lover in Tennessee to follow her dream of moving to Southern California and becoming a star.