Barbara Mandrell was a truly legendary performer. Now retired at age 76, her career was marked by impressive major achievements galore. Per britannica.com, "In 1979 and 1981 Mandrell won the female vocalist of the year award from the Country Music Association. From 1981 to 1985 and again in 1987 she captured the favorite female country music vocalist award from the American Music Awards. She also won two Grammy Awards...." Mandrell is also in the Country Music Hall of Fame as of 2009.
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She was involved in a serious two-car accident in 1984 that left her with severe injuries from which she eventually recovered. Still, that situation, as well as Mandrell's desire to spend more time with her dear family, convinced her to leave show biz in 1997. Many of her songs were hits; six of them topped the charts. Some deserve much more love than they got at the time. Let's take another listen to them, shall we? For those of us who enjoy the music and the artistry of this sublime vocalist, there is no such thing as too much Barbara Mandrell! Glamorous yet relatable, she was the living definition of a star.
'Married, But Not To Each Other'
Mandrell has been married to her husband, Ken Dudney, since 1967. It appears that they are happily wed. One common theme in country music, however, is being lovelorn and in the throes of forbidden passion. That is the topic of this song, which Mandrell covered in 1977. Originally recorded and co-written by Denise LaSalle, the song conveys the heartache of loving someone who is sadly unavailable. If anyone could expertly coax the drama and theatricality out of a song like this, Mandrell could - and she did.
'Love Takes A Long Time To Die'
From her album, Just for the Record, this song is another ode to ill-fated romance. Mandrell is so realistic when she sings tracks like these that she pulls you in and makes you feel precisely what she feels - loneliness, melancholy, regret, frustration, and plenty of anguished, thwarted love. This type of song is Mandrell's forte. She sings it to the hilt every time. She is brilliant at this.
'Happy Birthday Dear Heartache'
Per Wide Open Country, "This one's got it all: a sarcastic title, a gorgeous vocal performance and buckets of guilt...it's got that added sass that makes it more than just another good country song by a great singer." Written by Mack David and Archie Jordan, the song, which is on Mandrell's album Clean Cut, is a misery-laden riff on the usual birthday tune. The narrator is marking the one-year anniversary of a painful breakup. Instead of a joyful bash, she is commemorating her sadness all alone. "...Looks like each guest is here / The blues, the memories, and the tears...." A real weeper, effectively done.
'Woman To Woman'
According to udiscovermusic.com, "As far as 70s pop goes, it doesn't get better than Barbara Mandrell's opening voiceover on this song... Mandrell sanded down most of what made Shirley Brown's original Stax version so indelible, but her smoother rendition has its own charms." Charms, indeed! In the song, a feisty, cheated-on female calls her precious man's other woman and confronts her. She essentially says, back off! When I read the powerful lyrics, I immediately thought of Dolly Parton's gutsy, gorgeous classic, "Jolene."
