Barbara Mandrell was born on this day in 1948. Raised in Houston, Texas, Mandrell had an early start in music. Her childhood virtuosity would eventually make her a multi-hyphenate country superstar, earning the genre a crossover success it hadn’t experienced before. On the anniversary of her birthday, Christmas Day, revisit every aspect of Mandrell’s artistry below.
Videos by American Songwriter
Steel Guitar and Saxophone
Mandrell was just a teenager when she earned her first taste of success as an instrumentalist. During her adolescence, she learned both the steel guitar and the saxophone. Her talent turned the head of country star Joe Maphis in 1960, giving Mandrell her big break in his Las Vegas shows.
Elsewhere, she played alongside Johnny Cash and joined a musical outfit with her parents, the Mandrell Family Band.
Country Career
After getting married in the late ’60s, Mandrell decided to take a break from music for a while. After visiting her parents in the home of country music, Tennessee, she decided to give a music career another shot.
“I remember… I couldn’t be an audience,” Mandrell once said. “I’ve got to be up there!”
Luckily, her ambitions were matched by her talent. Mandrell became a runaway success with hits like “Fooled by a Feeling,” “Years,” “Crackers,” “The Best of Strangers,” and “’ Till You’re Gone” and, most famously, “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool.”
Her songs not only earned widespread fame but also critical acclaim. All of this success paved the way for Mandrell to diversify her skillset.
TV Show
The true breadth of Mandrell’s talent could be seen on the ’80s NBC show Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters. This program showcased the singer’s dancing, instrumental skills, and comedic timing. Though all musicians are performers, not all of them have the chops to be able to pull off hosting their own variety hour.
“It was my high hope to convert people to country music,” Mandrell once said of Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters. “It is wonderful and contagious.”
“I’ve always been one for show business,” she added elsewhere of her drive for performing in all its forms. “I like performing, and I used to get criticized for having production value. But now it’s all that! People need to get what they pay for!”
Mandrell certainly gave fans their money’s worth with her namesake show. Each venture she took on managed to surpass expectations, making her one of the most beloved country artists of all time. Revisit Mandrell’s biggest hit below.
(Photo by Harry Langdon/Getty Images)
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