One of country music's saddest stories came to a stunning conclusion on Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013, when Mindy McCready died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Neighbors had summoned the Cleburne County, Arkansas, Sheriff's office to report gunshots. Authorities discovered McCready's lifeless body on the same front porch where her boyfriend, record producer David Wilson, had shot himself to death a month prior. The event ended the saga of McCready which she herself often referred to as organized chaos.
McCready was born in Fort Myers, Florida, but moved to Nashville, Tenn., at 18 to begin her music career. Her first album, "Ten Thousand Angels", produced four top ten singles including the chart-topper "Guys Do It All the Time". She demonstrated a bright fresh style, often upbeat, which carried her second album and three more successful singles.
Things went south in a hurry when her third album was a complete flop. BNA Records dropped her but she signed with Capitol Records and released her fourth album. Sadly, that one bombed as well and Capitol dropped her just as quickly.
A series of problems with controlled substances and bad relationships left McCready in a tailspin. She appeared on the reality series "Celebrity Rehab with Dr Drew" where she apparently recovered. It could have been just part of the chaos although she did release one more album--again far less than successful.
Among other failed relationships, McCready alleged she'd had a long-term sexual affair with former MLB pitcher Roger Clemens which began in 1990 or 1991 when McCready was 15 or 16. It's difficult to pinpoint because McCready's story changed so often. Clemens vehemently denied the allegations and threatened to sue McCready for defamation.
A long series of legal problems plagued McCready's life which contributed to her downward spiral. Her music career all but vanished and her death has concluded the sadness for her. The same cannot be said for her two very young sons who will be left to figure out how things went so wrong.
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