If you grew up in the ’90s, there’s a good chance that Mindy McCready was in your country music rotation.
With hits like “Ten Thousand Angels,” “Guys Do It All The Time,” “A Girl’s Gotta Do (What A Girl’s Gotta Do” and “Maybe He’ll Notice Her Now,” Mindy was well on her way to becoming one of the biggest names in country music.
But after being dropped by two record labels in the early 2000s, unfortunately Mindy McCready’s life took a dark turn, and her career never recovered.
In August 2004, McCready was arrested at her home in Nashville after using a fake prescription to buy OxyContin. She would eventually plead guilty and be ordered to pay a fine, along with three years of probation and community service.
Then in May 2005, she was again arrested, this time on suspicion of DUI and driving on a suspended license.
That same month, her then-boyfriend, aspiring singer Billy McKnight, was arrested and charged with attempted murder after beating and choking McCready. And just two months later, McCready was found unconscious in the lobby of a Florida hotel after attempting to commit suicide.
She was ultimately hospitalized for an overdose after taking a large amount of drugs and alcohol, but after being released, McCready soon got back together with McKnight and became pregnant with their first child. But while she was pregnant, she again attempted suicide by overdosing on antidepressants.
And in July 2005, McCready was arrested in Arizona and hit with a slew of charges, including identity theft, unlawful use of transportation, unlawful imprisonment, and hindering prosecution. She would also be charged in Tennessee with a violation of her probation, and would find herself back behind bars once she returned to Nashville.
McCready gave birth to her first son, Zander, in March 2006. But in July 2007 she would find herself in legal trouble once again, charged with battery and resisting arrest after an altercation with her mother in Florida. And once again, upon returning to Nashville, McCready was arrested and charged with violating her probation, ultimately being sentenced to a year in jail and two additional years of probation.
In early 2008, it was reported that McCready had been having an affair with star MLB pitcher Roger Clemens, a relationship that allegedly started when McCready was only 16 years old. Clemens initially denied the allegations, but admitted to having a “close” relationship with McCready, and would ultimately issue an apology for “mistakes” in his personal life.
And in the summer of 2008, McCready was once again arrested for violating her probation, and sentenced to yet another stint behind bars.
In late 2008, she would once again attempt suicide before joining the cast of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew in 2009.
Her recovery was short-lived, unfortunately. In 2010, McCready was hospitalized in Florida after a suspected overdose, though it was reported to be an accidental interaction from medication she had been given by her mother.
And in 2010, a sex tape was released by an ex-boyfriend, despite threats from McCready and her legal team to file a lawsuit over the release of the tape against her will.
By 2012, McCready was in a new relationship with producer David Wilson, and in April of that year, she gave birth to the couple’s first child, and her second son, Zayne.
But in January 2013, Wilson was found dead at the couple’s Arkansas home of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
McCready released a statement calling Wilson her “soulmate,” but authorities opened an investigation into whether she had anything to do with her partner’s death.
Barely a month after Wilson’s death though, McCready would herself be found dead on her front porch – the same place Wilson had committed suicide – bringing an end to one of the most tragic lives in country music.
McCready was only 37 years old at the time of her death, and her final song “I’ll See You Yesterday” was released the day after she passed away.
At one point, Mindy McCready was one of the most promising – and successful – artists in country music. But unfortunately, the demons that all too often haunt those in the music industry were ultimately too much for this young talent to overcome.
Luckily, her music lives on and will leave a legacy larger than the troubles she faced while she was alive.
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.
