Grand Ole Opry Member Spotlight: Barbara Mandrell

Grand Ole Opry Country Music Show - Nashville

Dierks Bentley - The Opry's Youngest Member

Barbara Mandrell was no doubt "Country When Country Wasn't Cool," and is often hailed as one of the most influential country-pop artists of the 1970s and 1980s. From stunning skill on the steel guitar to a commanding stage presence that can't be taught, Mandrell's success was destined from early on.

Background and Early Career

• Barbara Mandrell was born December 25, 1948 in Houston Texas, and learned how to play a wide variety of instruments including the banjo, saxophone, and accordion, as well as mastering the steel guitar. Mandrell toured and performed with both her family, The Mandrells, as well as other artists, including Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash
• Mandrell then began working the Nashville club scene on her way to securing a deal at CBS Records and scoring a hit with a cover of "I've Been Loving You Too Long." From the late 1960s through to the 1980s, Mandrell would continue to produce a string of hits that helped to transcend the borders between country and pop.

Grand Ole Opry Induction

• Barbara Mandrell was inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry on July 29, 1972.

Barbara Mandrell at the Opry

• Despite a 1997 retirement from her recording career, Mandrell still makes trips to the Grand Ole Opry. Visit the VME Grand Ole Opry Blog for complete line-ups of upcoming performances.

Notable Hits

• "Sleeping Single in a Double Bed"
• "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Wanna Be Right"
• "Woman to Woman"
• "Married But Not to Each Other"
• "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool"
• "Years"
• "Wish You Were Here"
• "One of a Kind Pair of Fools"
• "Only a Lonely Heart Knows"
• "After the Lovin'"

More Information

• See the complete list of current Grand Ole Opry members!