INFLUENCED: Reba McEntire and Barbara Mandrell

Country music superstar Reba McEntire often names Barbara Mandrell as one of her biggest influences.  Reba even saluted Barbara as part of the 2006 album She Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool: A Tribute to Barbara Mandrell by singing Barbara’s signature song “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool” with Kenny Chesney filling in for the George Jones part of the duet.  Once again Reba paid tribute to her friend and hero at Barbara’s 2009 Country Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony and at the 40th Anniversary of the Academy of Country Music Awards.

A couple of things that Reba most admires about the petite dynamo are Barbara’s showmanship and work ethic, and you can definitely see the influence – particularly when it comes to the concert arena.  In the early to mid 90s, Reba was known for her flashy shows complete with dancers, numerous costume changes and elaborate sets.  But, it was Barbara who was first known to be such a dynamic stage performer.  For her live shows, Barbara displayed her dancing skills as well as her abilities as a multi-instrumentalist – she can play the steel guitar, banjo, saxophone, accordion, bass and mandolin and play them well.  At times, it was almost like watching a Broadway production which makes it no wonder that Barbara was the first artist to win back-to-back Entertainer of the Year trophies from the Country Music Association in 1980 and 1981.  To this day, she continues to be the only woman with multiple wins from the CMA in that category.

Not only was Barbara a fantastic entertainer, she also found success on television as an actress as well as published a best-selling autobiography Get To The Heart: My Story which was turned into a television movie.  Meanwhile on television, Barbara hosted her very own variety show with her sisters Louise and Irlene which aired weekly from 1980 to 1982.  Before television came her way, Barbara racked up numerous hits on country radio with tunes that had a soulful, R&B; feel like “The Midnight Oil,” Married But Not To Each Other” and “Woman to Woman.”  She hit the top of the charts with “Sleeping Single In A Double Bed” and “If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don’t Want To Be Right),” just to name a few.  Songs like these helped her win multiple Female Vocalist awards in 1979 and 1981 from the CMA and 1978 and 1981 from the ACM.

Barbara Mandrell is a survivor in the entertainment industry.  From her beginnings in music at the age of 14 to becoming a solid hit-maker by the time she reached 21.  The only thing to ever slow her down was a serious car accident she had in 1984 which required a lengthy recovery but even then she bounced back.  In 1997, Barbara decided to say goodbye to the music business and say hello to retirement.  She hosted her final concert (and television special) that year in October at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House to a packed house.  Today, Barbara continues to play a role as a loving wife to long-time husband Ken Dudney and loving mother to her three children.

Nikita Palmer for Citadel Digital © 2010

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