Mandy Barnett
| Mandy Barnett | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | September 28, 1975 |
| Origin | Crossville, Tennessee, USA |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Labels | Capitol, Asylum |
| Associated acts | Patsy Cline, Kyle Lehning |
Amanda Carol "Mandy" Barnett (born September 28, 1975 in Crossville, Tennessee) is a country music singer and stage actress. In her musical career, she has released six albums and charted three singles on the Billboard country charts. Her highest-charting country single is "Now That's All Right With Me", which reached No. 43 in 1996. Barnett has also held the titular role in the musical Always… Patsy Cline, a musical based on the life of Patsy Cline.
Early life
Born Amanda Carol Barnett, she was the only child of Betty and Dan Barnett (who worked respectively as a bookkeeper and contractor). Barnett began her musical career by singing in church at the age of five. Her mother encouraged her by booking singing engagements wherever people would listen: bowling alleys, VFW halls and political rallies (notably for Lamar Alexander and future Vice President Al Gore, Jr.). When there was no venue, she would perform in parking lots. By age nine, her father financed a professionally recorded gospel music album. The following summer, she had joined a summer theatre cast at Dollywood and shared the stage with Dolly Parton herself. It was during her two years at Dollywood that she won a talent contest that included making a demo in Nashville.
Nashville
During the trip to Nashville, Betty Barnett worked to get her daughter a spot on Ernest Tubb Record Shop's Midnite Jamboree radio show, which airs after the Grand Ole Opry program on WSM-AM. Opry star George Hamilton IV was also a guest on the program. She was soon signed by producer Jimmy Bowen. The then 12-year-old Barnett earned a lot of industry buzz after her debut on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, covering Patsy Cline's "Crazy."
Bowen's career transitioned from label to label at the time. Each time, he took Barnett with him, and despite constant training and development funding, no album ever resulted. Barnett graduated from high school in 1993 and headed back to Nashville full-time to seek her fortune, though Capitol Records dropped her that December.
As a teenager, Mandy starred as country music legend Patsy Cline in the stage show Always...Patsy Cline at the celebrated Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. The performances were sold out nightly and received rave reviews across the country. Mandy, in role as Patsy appears on the Decca Records cast recording.
She soon signed with Asylum Records where she released her first CD entitled Mandy Barnett. The album received glowing reviews in major trade publications and magazines, including Playboy and Time, as well as praise from veteran country artists and fans.
In due course, Seymour Stein heard Mandy's voice and was, he said, "spellbound". When Stein launched Sire Records within Warner Music Group, Mandy was the first artist he signed. Mandy's Sire Records project paired her with the undisputed pioneer of the Nashville Sound, producer Owen Bradley. The album I've Got A Right To Cry, would be his final contribution to the community who knew him through his work with Ernest Tubb, Brenda Lee, Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline and Kitty Wells. Owen died four songs into the project but not before leaving his unmistakable mark on the album. His brother and longtime partner, Harold Bradley, inherited the delicate task of finishing the album with Mandy. A legal pad filled with Owen's handwritten notes for each song guided the two through the rest of the sessions.
"I've Got A Right To Cry" was a huge critical success. Rolling Stone magazine named the project the top country album of 1999. Other stellar reviews appeared in People, Newsweek, Interview, and multiple national newspapers. Mandy appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as a result of her acclaim.
In addition to her own CDs she has been featured on a variety of movie soundtracks, including A Walk On The Moon, Traveller, Space Cowboys, Election, and Drop Dead Gorgeous. She also sang on the SpongeBob SquarePants CD, The Best Day Ever, released in late 2006.
In 2009 she reprised her role as Patsy Cline in the smash musical Always...Patsy Cline for a special 15-year anniversary performance at the historic Ryman Auditorium, returning to the role in June 2010 for a brief run at the Ryman Auditorium. She continues to play shows, both nationally and internationally, singing country classics and the American song book along with the Cline numbers that brought her to fame. She is a frequent guest on the Grand Ole Opry.
Discography
Albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US Heat | US Indie | CAN Country | ||
| Mandy Barnett |
|
60 | — | — | 28 |
| I've Got a Right to Cry |
|
45 | 47 | — | — |
| The Platinum Collection |
|
— | — | — | — |
| Winter Wonderland |
|
43 | 10 | — | — |
| Sweet Dreams |
|
— | — | — | — |
| I Can't Stop Loving You: The Songs of Don Gibson[1] |
|
32 | 4 | 29 | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions |
Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | CAN Country | |||
| 1995 | "An Unforgettable Voice" | — | — | N/A |
| 1996 | "Now That's All Right with Me" | 43 | 64 | Mandy Barnett |
| "Maybe" | 65 | 93 | ||
| "A Simple I Love You" | 72 | — | ||
| 1999 | "I've Got a Right to Cry" | — | — | I've Got a Right to Cry |
| "The Whispering Wind (Blows On By)" | — | — | ||
| 2014 | "Blue Blue Day" (featuring Alison Krauss) | — | — | I Can't Stop Loving You: The Songs of Don Gibson |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
Guest singles
| Year | Single | Artist | Peak positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | ||||
| 1996 | "Hope" | Various Artists | 57 | single only |
Guest appearances
| Year | Title | Song |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | AFTRA First Tuesday Singers Showcase | "When We Ran" |
| Traveller (soundtrack) | "Dream Lover" "Searching (For Someone Like You)" "Dark Moon" | |
| 1999 | A Walk on the Moon (soundtrack) | "A Town Without Pity" |
| Election (soundtrack) | "If You'll Be the Teacher" | |
| Drop Dead Gorgeous (soundtrack) | "Beautiful Dreamer" | |
| All the Lonely (Songs by John Pennell) | "No One Knows" | |
| 2000 | Space Cowboys (soundtrack) | "I Only Have Eyes for You" |
| 2001 | Good Rockin' Tonight (The Legacy of Sun Records) | "You Win Again" |
| 2002 | Caught in the Webb (A Tribute to Webb Pierce) | "Slowly" |
| 2007 | Crazy (soundtrack) | "Walking After Midnight" "I Fall to Pieces" |
Recordings with other artists
| Year | Artist | Title | Song(s) | Participation | Format(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Various Artists | Hope - Country Music's Quest For A Cure | "Hope (All Star Version A)" "Hope (All Star Version B)" |
Background Vocals | Cassette Single 7" 45 RPM Vinyl Single CD Single |
| 1996 | Kenny Chesney | Me and You | "Ain't That Love" | Background Vocals | Cassette Tape CD |
| 1997 | Kim Richey | Bitter Sweet | "I'm Alright" | Background Vocals | Cassette Tape CD |
| 1997 | Gail Davies | Greatest Hits | "Unwed Fathers" | Background Vocals | CD |
| 1998 | Don Walser | Down at the Sky-Vue Drive-In | "Are You Teasing Me?" "Hearts Made Of Stone" |
Duets | CD |
| 1998 | Various Artists | The Songs of Dwight Yoakam - Will Sing For Food | "Near You" | Kim Richey sings Lead Mandy sings Background Vocals |
CD |
| 2000 | Ray Price | Prisoner of Love | Various Tracks | Background Vocals | CD |
| 2000 | Melvin Sloan and Friends | Pick and Sing Opry Favorites | "Waltz Across Texas" | Duet | CD |
| 2001 | Gail Davies and Friends | Live and Unplugged at the Station Inn | "Bucket To The South" | Background Vocals | CD |
| 2001 | Rosie Flores | Speed of Sound | "Rock-A-Bye Boogie" | Background Vocals | CD |
| 2001 | Asleep At The Wheel | The Very Best Of | "The Letter (That Johnny Walker Read)" | Duet | CD |
| 2001 | Jesse Dayton | Hey Nashvegas! | "Hey Nashvegas!" "Don't Take Yesterday" |
Background Vocals | CD |
| 2002 | Various Artists | Dressed In Black - A Tribute To Johnny Cash | "Jackson" | Duet With Chuck Mead | CD |
| 2006 | SpongeBob SquarePants | The Best Day Ever | Various Tracks | Background Vocals | CD |
Videos
| Year | Title | Song(s) | Format(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 2005 |
Opry Family Reunion - Volume Four (VHS) Country's Family Reunion at the Opry - Volume Four (DVD/VHS) |
"Hurt" "Crazy" |
See Title |
| 2001 2005 |
Opry Family Reunion - Volume Six (VHS) Country's Family Reunion at the Ryman - Volume Two (DVD/VHS) |
"Legend in My Time" | See Title |
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Now That's All Right with Me | Norman Jean Roy |
| Maybe | ||
| 1997 | Planet of Love | David McClister |
| 1999 | The Whispering Wind (Blows on By)[2] | |
| 2010 | This Time of the Year |
References
- ↑ Thompson, Gayle (October 29, 2013). "Mandy Barnett to Release Don Gibson Tribute Album Exclusively Through Cracker Barrel". The Boot. Retrieved November 4, 2013.
- ↑ "CMT : Videos : Mandy Barnett : The Whispering Wind". Country Music Television. Retrieved October 14, 2011.
External links
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