Barbara Mandrell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Barbara Mandrell
Mandrell in 1991
Born	Barbara Ann Mandrell (1948-12-25) December 25, 1948 (age 76) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Occupation	Musician singer actress author
Years active	1960–2000
Spouse(s)	Ken Dudney ​ (m. 1967)​
Children	3
Relatives	Louise Mandrell (sister) Irlene Mandrell (sister)
Musical career
Genres	Country R&B soul country pop gospel
Instruments	Accordion banjo bass Dobro guitar mandolin pedal steel guitar saxophone vocals
Labels	Columbia ABC–Dot MCA EMI Capitol–Liberty Direct Razor & Tie

Barbara Ann Mandrell (born December 25, 1948) is an American retired country music singer and musician. She is also known as an actress and author. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, she was one of country music's most successful artists. She had six songs reach number one and 25 songs in the top ten on the Billboard country songs chart.

Barbara Mandrell also hosted her own TV show in the early 1980s. It featured music, dance, and funny skits. Mandrell played many musical instruments during her career. This helped her win many important music awards.

Mandrell was born in Texas and grew up mostly in California. She came from a musical family. She could play several instruments by the time she was a teenager. Country music stars noticed her skills on the steel guitar. They gave her chances to perform in public when she was only 13. During this time, she was often on the TV show Town Hall Party. She also played music when she toured with Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline.

Her family formed a band when she was a teenager. They traveled overseas and performed for military bases. After getting married in 1967, Mandrell stopped performing for a short time. But she was inspired to sing again after seeing the Grand Ole Opry live. In 1969, she signed her first record deal with Columbia Records. She became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1972.

In the early 1970s, Mandrell recorded songs that mixed country music with R&B and soul. Her songs often appeared on the country charts. Her most popular songs from this time were "Tonight My Baby's Coming Home" (1971) and "The Midnight Oil" (1973). In 1975, she moved to ABC-Dot records. She became very famous with country–pop songs like "Sleeping Single in a Double Bed" (1978) and "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool" (1981). She became a top concert performer. She won several major music awards, including Entertainer of the Year from the Country Music Association two years in a row.

Mandrell was in a serious car accident on September 11, 1984. She had bad head and leg injuries. She thought about stopping her career for a while. However, she started recording again in 1985. She had several more top ten country songs. These included "Fast Lanes and Country Roads" (1985) and "No One Mends a Broken Heart Like You" (1986). She began performing and touring again. She also appeared as a guest on several TV shows and in many commercials. Mandrell was in TV movies and shows in the late 1980s and 1990s, like Burning Rage and Empty Nest. She kept recording music into the 1990s. In 1997, Mandrell announced she was retiring from performing and recording music. She continued acting until 2000. In 2009, she was added to the Country Music Hall of Fame for her work.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Barbara Mandrell was born in Houston, Texas, on Christmas Day, 1948. She was the oldest child of Mary Ellen and Irby Matthew Mandrell. Her family later moved to Corpus Christi, Texas. Her father was a police officer, and her mother was a music teacher. Barbara's younger sisters, Louise and Irlene, were born there.

In Corpus Christi, Barbara started learning about music. She sang and played music often at home. She remembered having a natural talent for hearing music. She told Texas Monthly that she could hear harmony even as a little girl.

She began performing publicly when she was very young. Her first time performing for people was at her family's church. She sang a song called "Gospel Boogie". Besides singing, Mandrell also learned several instruments as a child. Her mother taught her to play the accordion and read music before she started first grade.

When she was six, her family moved to Oceanside, California. Her father opened his own music store. In elementary school, she learned to play the saxophone in the school band. At the same time, she started taking steel guitar lessons from her father's friend, Norman Hamlet. After a year of practice, her father took her to a music show in Chicago, Illinois. She played the steel guitar there. Country performer Joe Maphis heard her. He helped start Mandrell's early career as a musician.

Music Career Highlights

Becoming a Steel Guitar Star (1960–1968)

In 1960, Joe Maphis invited eleven-year-old Barbara Mandrell to his country music show in Las Vegas, Nevada. She played the steel guitar as part of his act. Maphis also helped her get a regular spot on the California TV show Town Hall Party. Mandrell felt like she was the only female musician. But on Town Hall Party, she found out other women played instruments too.

During summer breaks from school, Mandrell often went back to Las Vegas to perform. In 1962, she toured with country music stars Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline. Because she was underage, 13-year-old Mandrell shared hotel rooms with Patsy Cline. She also played steel guitar for Red Foley, Little Jimmy Dickens, and Tex Ritter.

As a teenager, Mandrell became skilled at the steel guitar and often played background for several country music artists.

When she turned 14, her parents formed the Mandrell Family Band. Barbara played steel guitar, her mother Mary played piano, and her father Irby sang lead. They also hired two other musicians, including drummer Ken Dudney. Barbara later married Ken in 1967. The Mandrell Family Band mostly played at military bases across the United States. They played many types of music, including songs by The Beatles. While in the band, Mandrell also learned to play the banjo and bass guitar.

Barbara also did other things as a teenager. In 1965, she was voted "Miss Oceanside California". She was in the marching band, chorus, and student council. She graduated from high school in 1967.

Soon after graduating, Mandrell married Ken Dudney. She decided to stop performing and become a full-time housewife. Her last performance trip was to Vietnam. The Mandrell Family Band entertained troops fighting in the Vietnam War. When she returned, Mandrell found out her husband was temporarily overseas for his Navy pilot job. Feeling lonely, Mandrell visited her parents, who had just moved to Nashville, Tennessee. There, the family went to a show at the Grand Ole Opry. Watching the show, Mandrell realized she still wanted to perform.

With her father Irby as her manager, she got a chance to play steel guitar in a show in Nashville. Besides the steel guitar, Mandrell also sang several songs. Her skills as both a singer and musician caught the eye of six different record companies. They offered her a recording contract. One of them was country music producer Billy Sherrill. In 1969, Mandrell signed with Sherrill's label, Columbia Records.

Singing Career Takes Off (1969–1974)

Mandrell started her singing career by covering R&B and soul songs. Her first song for Columbia, "I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)", appeared on America's Billboard country songs chart in 1969. It was a cover of an Otis Redding song. Next came "Playin' Around with Love" (1970). This was her first song to reach the top 20, peaking at number 18 on the Billboard country chart.

Barbara Mandrell, 1974.

In 1971, Mandrell's song "Tonight My Baby's Coming Home" was her first to reach the top ten on the Billboard country songs chart. In 1972, her cover of Joe Tex's "Show Me" made the top 20. At the same time, Mandrell began recording with country singer David Houston. Several of their songs were released and appeared on the country charts in the United States and Canada. Their first song together, "After Closing Time", reached number six on the Billboard country chart. Their duets appeared on the charts several more times until 1974.

Critics noticed Mandrell's mix of country music with R&B and soul. Author Kurt Wolff called her early songs "colorful, spirited country soul". He said they were "closer to the ground (and the soul)" than her later music.

In 1973, Columbia released "The Midnight Oil". This song became her second solo top ten hit, reaching number seven on the Billboard country chart. Its album, The Midnight Oil, reached number eight on the Billboard country albums chart. In 1974, she reached the top 20 with "This Time I Almost Made It". This song also had a country–soul style. In 1975, she left Columbia Records.

Country–Pop Success and Peak (1975–1986)

Barbara Mandrell in Billboard magazine, 1977.

In 1975, Mandrell signed with ABC–Dot (later bought by MCA Records). With producer Tom Collins, Mandrell added a pop sound. This made her popular with more listeners. Her first ABC–Dot song was "Standing Room Only" in 1975. It was her first top five Billboard country song. Her R&B covers of "Married But Not to Each Other" and "Woman to Woman" reached the top five on the country charts in 1977. "Woman to Woman" was also her first song to appear on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart.

Mandrell became very famous in the late 1970s. In 1978, "Sleeping Single in a Double Bed" was her first song to reach number one on the Billboard country charts. In 1979, her cover of "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" also topped the country charts. It also crossed over into the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. Both songs were on Mandrell's top ten Billboard country album Moods (1978). Her 1979 album Just for the Record was also a top ten album.

At her career peak, Mandrell became a headlining concert act. Her concerts included dancing, costume changes, and Mandrell playing many instruments. She also appeared on national TV shows. She won the Country Music Association's 1979 Female Vocalist of the Year award. From 1980 to 1982, she and her sisters hosted the NBC TV show Barbara Mandrell & the Mandrell Sisters. This helped Mandrell become the first performer to win Entertainer of the Year awards from the Country Music Association two years in a row (1980 and 1981).

Her music continued to be successful. She had top ten country songs with "Crackers" and "The Best of Strangers" in 1980. In 1981, MCA released her first live album. It reached the Billboard country albums top five and sold gold. The album included a song about staying true to country roots called "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool". This song became her fourth number one song on the Billboard country chart.

Mandrell (upper right) on tour with her band, 1986.

Mandrell's success continued into the early 1980s. Her album ...In Black & White reached number seven on the country albums list. Her album Spun Gold (1983) climbed to number five. Both albums had number one songs like "'Till You're Gone" and "One of a Kind Pair of Fools". Her 1984 album Clean Cut was also a top ten Billboard album. It featured the top five songs "Only a Lonely Heart Knows" and "Happy Birthday Dear Heartache". Mandrell also recorded a gospel music album in 1982 called He Set My Life to Music. This project won Mandrell her first Grammy awards. She also sang duets with Lee Greenwood in 1984. Their album Meant for Each Other had the top five country song "To Me".

On September 11, 1984, Mandrell and her two oldest children were in a serious car accident. Another driver crossed the center line and hit them head-on. Mandrell suffered a broken leg, a shattered ankle, an injured knee, and a concussion that caused temporary brain damage. Her children had minor injuries. The crash caused Mandrell to have many surgeries and led to pain and sadness. She thought she would never sing again. She returned to recording in May 1985. This led to the 1985 top ten country song "There's No Love in Tennessee". She returned to the stage in 1986. Her album Get to the Heart (1985) had the top ten Billboard songs "Fast Lanes and Country Roads" and "Angel in Your Arms". Her last album for MCA was Moments (1986). It had the top ten country song "No One Mends a Broken Heart Like You".

Later Career and Retirement (1987–1997)

In 1987, Mandrell signed with EMI America. Her first album with them was Sure Feels Good (1987). It reached number 24 on the Billboard country albums chart. Only one of its songs, "Child Support", reached the top 20. Mandrell's later songs and albums appeared lower on the charts. But she continued touring and remained a popular concert performer in the 1980s and 1990s.

Mandrell signed with Capitol Records in late 1987. Her first Capitol song was a cover of Ray Price's "I Wish I Could Fall in Love Today". It reached the top five on the American and Canadian charts. It was on her album I'll Be Your Jukebox Tonight (1988). This album had a traditional country sound. It also had the top 20 song "My Train of Thought" (1989). These were her final songs to appear on the charts in the United States. Mandrell stayed with Capitol until 1991. Her last Capitol project was Key's in the Mailbox (1991).

Mandrell continued to appear on TV shows. She also remained popular at the Grand Ole Opry. In 1994, Direct Records released two of her albums. These albums were sold only through television. One was Acoustic Attitude, which had new versions of her old songs. The other was It Works for Me, with new music.

In 1997, Mandrell announced she was retiring from touring, recording, and performing music. She told Billboard that she wanted to focus on acting full-time. She gave her final music performance in October 1997 at the Grand Ole Opry house. Her final concert was shown on TV. It was called Barbara Mandrell and the Do-Rites: The Last Dance. After retiring, Mandrell sold all her musical instruments. She now spends time with her family.

Acting Career

Early Roles and TV Show (1978–1983)

Mandrell started appearing regularly on national TV shows. She was on The Tonight Show, American Bandstand, and Bob Hope specials. She also appeared on an episode of The Rockford Files in 1979. She co-hosted the 1979 Academy of Country Music Awards. In late 1979, she played Emmy in the holiday show Skinflint: A Christmas Carol. This special was a southern American version of the original story.

Mandrell continued entertaining into the late 1980s. Here, she appears with Bob Hope (center) and Brooke Shields (left) for a military engagement (1987).

The NBC network offered Mandrell her own TV show many times. She kept turning them down. One day, NBC producer Marty Krofft saw a photo of Mandrell and her sisters playing instruments. This made Krofft contact Mandrell about hosting a show with her sisters. She finally agreed. In 1980, she signed with NBC to host a national TV variety series. The show was called Barbara Mandrell & the Mandrell Sisters. Barbara hosted it with her two sisters, Irlene and Louise.

Mandrell learned choreography for the show. She often played many musical instruments. The Mandrell sisters also performed comedy skits. The show was very popular, attracting about 40 million viewers each week. Mandrell was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her work.

Despite the show's success, the constant work made Mandrell very tired. Doctors told her to quit the show because it was straining her vocal cords. In 1982, Mandrell announced the show would end after two years.

Later TV Roles (1984–2000)

Mandrell continued acting after her show ended. In 1984, she was in her first television film called Burning Rage. Mandrell played a geologist who investigates coal mining fires. After her 1984 car crash, a TV special about Mandrell aired on CBS.

She also appeared on talk shows and other TV programs in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She was in several TV commercials for food products. In the early 1990s, she played a character on the TV show Empty Nest. In 1994, Mandrell played a guest villain role in an episode of ABC's The Commish.

In the mid-1990s, Mandrell also had roles on Touched by an Angel, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, and Baywatch. In 1997, Mandrell stopped her music career to focus on acting full-time. She appeared as a regular character in the soap opera Sunset Beach. In 1999, Mandrell played a mother in the TV movie The Wrong Girl. Among Mandrell's last acting roles was the 2000 TV movie Stolen from the Heart.

Musical Style and Voice

Playing Many Instruments

Besides singing, Mandrell is known for playing many instruments. As a teenager, she was called "The Princess of Steel" because she was so good at the steel guitar. In a 2006 interview, Mandrell said she is skilled at the steel guitar, alto saxophone, dobro, five-string banjo, and bass. She also said she can play the guitar and mandolin if needed. PBS called Mandrell "a true prodigy" because of her musical talent.

Mandrell was known for playing multiple musical instruments in her live shows. Here, she is seen playing the banjo, 1986.

Musical Styles

Mandrell's music mixes country music with country–pop, R&B–soul, and gospel. Jason Ankeny of AllMusic said that her most popular time (late 1970s and early 1980s) had a "glitzier, more pop-influenced" sound. Hunter Kelly of Rolling Stone explained that when Mandrell started adding R&B sounds, her career "really kicked into overdrive". Mandrell explained that country and R&B music are similar because they both tell stories directly.

Her Singing Voice

Many writers and critics have talked about Mandrell's singing voice. Mary Bufwack and Robert Oermann said that her voice had a "hoarse, urgent quality" that she used well in R&B songs. In 1982, The Washington Post praised Mandrell's singing in a concert review. They said her "husky voice crackled with R&B flourishes and gospel fervor."

Legacy and Awards

Mandrell is widely seen as one of country music's most successful artists and all-around entertainers. Jason Ankeny of AllMusic said she was "arguably the biggest female star in country music in the late '70s and early '80s."

President Ronald Reagan shakes hands with Mandrell at The White House, 1986.

Her influence on other artists has also shaped her legacy. Mandrell has inspired singers like Terri Clark, Reba McEntire, and Carly Pearce. Reba McEntire thanked Mandrell in 2009. She spoke about how Mandrell taught her things musically and personally. In 2006, several artists re-recorded Mandrell's popular songs as a tribute. The project was called She Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool: A Tribute to Barbara Mandrell.

Mandrell is one of only a few women to win the Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year award. She is also one of only two women (with Taylor Swift) to win the award twice. She was the first person to win the award two years in a row (1980 and 1981). In 2005, she received the Triple Crown award from the Academy of Country Music. In 2009, Mandrell was added to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

Mandrell's legacy was further set when she released her 1990 autobiography called Get to the Heart: My Story. In 1997, the book was made into a TV movie called Get to the Heart: The Barbara Mandrell Story. Actress Maureen McCormick played Mandrell in the film.

In 2020, American disc jockey and producer Dave Audé worked with Mandrell to remix her 1978 song "Sleeping Single in a Double Bed". Rolling Stone said this was the first step to bring Barbara Mandrell's music into the digital age. After this, all of Mandrell's albums were re-released on digital and streaming sites.

In July 2022, Mandrell celebrated 50 years as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Many Opry members and country artists performed to honor Mandrell. These included Suzy Bogguss, Jeannie Seely, and Carrie Underwood.

Personal Life

Marriage and Family

Barbara Mandrell has been married to Ken Dudney since 1967. Ken was the drummer for Mandrell's family band. They met when she was 14 and he was 21. Ken was engaged to another woman at the time. But he ended that engagement after falling in love with Mandrell. In 2003, Mandrell said she couldn't wait to marry Ken after high school.

When they married, Dudney stopped his career as a Navy pilot to help his wife's career. They had their first child, Matthew, in 1970. Their daughter Jaime was born in 1976. In 1985, Mandrell gave birth to their third child, Nathan.

In 1988, Mandrell and her family built a large log cabin mansion called the Fontanel Mansion. It had six bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, and five fireplaces. It was considered the largest log cabin home in the world. Mandrell sold the home in 2002 to move to a smaller place. The home was later turned into a tourist attraction.

Car Accident and Recovery

On September 11, 1984, Mandrell and her two children were in a head-on car crash near their Nashville home. The driver of the other car died. Police said the other car crossed the center line. Mandrell's children had only minor injuries. Mandrell had very serious injuries. These included a broken leg, a shattered ankle, an injured knee, and a concussion that caused temporary brain damage.

Mandrell's injuries caused her pain for months. Her head injury took about three years to fully recover. She still has pain in her ankle. Mandrell has said that seat belts saved her and her children's lives. Before the crash, she did not usually wear a seat belt. But minutes before the accident, she saw children playing without seat belts in another car. Thinking it was unsafe, she told her children to put on their seat belts, and she did too. After the crash, she appeared in TV commercials to encourage people to use seat belts. She was made honorary chairman of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 1985.

Discography

Studio albums

• Treat Him Right (1971)
• A Perfect Match (with David Houston) (1972)
• The Midnight Oil (1973)
• This Time I Almost Made It (1974)
• This Is Barbara Mandrell (1976)
• Midnight Angel (1976)
• Lovers, Friends and Strangers (1977)
• Love's Ups and Downs (1977)
• Moods (1978)
• Just for the Record (1979)
• Love Is Fair (1980)
• ...In Black & White (1982)
• He Set My Life to Music (1982)
• Spun Gold (1983)
• Clean Cut (1984)
• Meant for Each Other (with Lee Greenwood) (1984)
• Christmas at Our House (1984)
• Get to the Heart (1985)
• Moments (1986)
• Sure Feels Good (1987)
• I'll Be Your Jukebox Tonight (1988)
• Precious Memories (1989)
• Morning Sun (1990)
• No Nonsense (1990)
• Key's in the Mailbox (1991)
• Acoustic Attitude (1994)
• It Works for Me (1994)

Awards and Nominations

Barbara Mandrell has won many awards for her work as an entertainer. This includes six awards from the Academy of Country Music, four from the Country Music Association, and two from the Grammy Awards.

Filmography

Books

• Get to the Heart: My Story (with George Vecsey) (1990)