Barbara Mandrell Biography, Photos and Posters

Barbara Mandrell

Biography

Born: December 25, 1948
City and Country of Origin: Houston, Texas
Music Training: learned steel guitar, accordion, saxophone and banjo as a child
Awards: CMA 2005 CMA Triple Crown Award; 1981 CMA Entertainer of the Year; 1981 CMA Female Vocalist of the Year; 1980 CMA Entertainer of the Year; 1979 CMA Female Vocalist of the Year; Grammy 1982 for Best Gospel Performance
Top Recordings: "Standing Room Only," "Married But Not to Each Other," "Sleeping Single In a Double Bed," "If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don't Want to Be Right)," "Crackers," "Years," "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool," "Wish You Were Here," "'Till You're Gone," "One of a Kind Pair of Fools,"
Barbara Mandrell Biography: Barbara Ann Mandrell is a country singer who became the most successful pop oriented country singer of the 70s and 80s. She also had a successful career in both television and the movies. She was the oldest of 3 sisters born into a music oriented family.

She played the steel guitar for country/pop singer Patsy Clinevin the early 60s. A few years later Barbara and her sisters along with her parents formed the Mandrell Family Band. Together they toured the U.S. and Asia. She wound up marrying the drummer for the band Ken Dudney. Shortly thereafter he was drafted and sent overseas. Mandrell moved to Nashville and with her father acting as manager secured a recording contract with Columbia Records in 1969. She had a few minor hits.

She stayed with Columbia through 1975 and produced recordings she may not be best known for like "Do Right Woman Do Right Man," "Treat Him Right," "Show Me," "Midnight Oil" and "Tonight My Baby's Coming Home." These songs helped jumpstart her country music career. In 1975 she switched to ABC/Dot Records where her first hit for her new label "Standing Room Only", became her first top 5 country hit in 1976.

Her 1978 recording "Sleeping Single in a Double Bed" became her first country number 1 hit. With each succeeding recording her sound becam more pop oriented. In 1979 she recorded her version of the Luther Ingram hit "If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don't Wanna Be Right)" which not only became a #1 country hit but her only top 40 Pop hit. She had another hit with the disco sound "Crackers" and in 1981 a big hit with "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool."

Barbara hit her peak in the 1980s when she hosted her very own network television show Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters. The show was a Las Vegas influenced with flashy costumes, dance sequences, and pop-flavored music. After 2 very successful years Barbara was forced to cancel the show due to exhaustion.

Just when her career was moving along smoothly tragedy struck when Barbara was involved in a severe automobile accident. She suffered a fractured leg, ankle and foot, numerous cuts and bruises and a severe head injury that left her in a year-long depression.

After she recovered from her injuries, she came back extending her chart run with hits: "There's No Love in Tennessee," "Get to The Heart," "Fast Lanes and Country Roads, "Angel In Your Arms", "No One Mends a Broken Heart Like You," and "Child Support." She switched labels, in 87, from MCA Records (which ABC/Dot became in 1979) to EMI America/Capitol Records in which "Child Support" became her first hit for her new label. By 1988, her chart success was fading away, her last top 5 hit was, "I Wish That I Could Fall in Love Today" and the last top 20 hit, "My Train of Thought" in 1989. Barbara continued to wow the crowds with her successful road shows like the "No Nonsense Tour" and the "Stepping Out Tour" which was recorded as a highly rated TNN special.

Barbara turned more to acting starring in "Burning Rage" alongside Tom Wopat in 1984. She also had guest roles on hit shows such as "Empty Nest," "Diagnosis: Murder," Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, The Commish and Walker, Texas Ranger. She also had a regualr guest role in the late 90's on the daytime drama, Sunset Beach. In 1990, she wrote an autobiography called Get to the Heart: My Story, which was a New York Times Bestseller for over 3 months.

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