Barbara Ann Mandrell
Barbara Mandrell is the eldest daughter of the musical family born on a Christmas day in 1948. Both her father, Irby, and her mother, Mary Ellen, had been singers in their day.
Barbara had been in the spotlight ever since she was a young child, thanks to her ability to read music and to play steel guitar. Her father once took her to a music trade convention in Chicago, where she caught the attention of RCA Records producer and musician Chet Atkins. Shortly after, Barbara started touring with George Jones, Patsy Cline, and Johnny Cash, and George Jones; she was just 13 years old then.
In 1971, she finally released her first album, “Treat Him Right.” The album peaked at the top 50 on the country charts. Thanks to songs such as “Playing Around With Love” and “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now) that charted well. The next few years proved to be the true breakout for Barbara.