1981’s Country Cool Classic Sent Barbara Mandrell Straight to No. 1

On July 4, 1981, Mandrell celebrated a Billboard Country No. 1 hit with the song "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool." ...
AOL

The Secret History of Why Barbara Mandrell All But Vanished From Country Music

Barbara Mandrell‘s appearance during the Grand Ole Opry‘s television concert on March 19, 2025, brought back all kinds of memories for her fans and fans of great ’80s country music. She was there as ...
American Songwriter

Barbara Mandrell Turned Childhood Teasing Into a Country Anthem—and a Career-Defining Hit

Before cowboy hats were trendy and country was pop, Barbara Mandrell was getting teased at school for loving “hillbilly music.” So when she heard “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool,” she didn’t ...
American Songwriter

Waylon Jennings Wrote and Duetted on This Song for Barbara Mandrell Before Recording it with The Highwaymen

A decade before Barbara Mandrell retired from performing in 1997 and released her final concert at the Grand Ole Opry, which aired as a TV special (Barbara Mandrell and the Do-Rites: The Last Dance), ...