Mindy McCready, a talented country music artist, stole the hearts of many with her powerful voice and meaningful lyrics.
Her life, however, was plagued by challenges and personal demons that ultimately led to her early demise.
In this article, we explore the tragic circumstances surrounding the demise of Mindy McCready and the complex factors that contributed to her downfall.
Who Is Mindy McCready?
Mindy McCready was a country music vocalist from the United States.
Her real name is Malinda Gayle McCready. She was born on November 30, 1975.
She was active from 1995 until her death in 2013, and she released five studio albums.
Ten Thousand Angels, her debut album released on BNA Records in 1996, was certified 2 platinum by the RIAA, while If I Don't Stay the Night, released in 1997, was certified Gold.
Her final album with BNA, I'm Not So Tough, was less successful, and she left the label in 1999.
Capitol Records released a self-titled fourth album in 2002.
Iconic Records released McCready's fifth and final studio album, I'm Still Here, in March 2010.
McCready's first four studio albums resulted in twelve Billboard country singles.
This figure includes the No. 1 song “Guys Do It All the Time” as well as the Top 10 singles “Ten Thousand Angels” and “A Girl's Gotta Do (What a Girl's Gotta Do)”.
Despite the fact that she had not charted a single since 2002, McCready garnered extensive media publicity for her turbulent personal life, suicide attempts, and eventual death by suicide.
How Did Mindy McCready Die?
On February 17, 2013, McCready's neighbors reported gunfire to the Sheriff's Office in Cleburne County, Arkansas.
McCready was discovered dead on her front porch from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the same location where David Wilson, her ex-boyfriend and the father of her younger kid, had tragically shot himself one month before.
She was 37 years old at the time.
Before committing suicide, she shot and murdered Wilson's pet dog.
McCready was laid to rest in the Alva Cemetery in Alva, Florida.
Mindy McCready's Personal Life
McCready engaged to actor Dean Cain in 1997; the couple later canceled their engagement and divorced the following year.
McCready was also romantically involved with then-NHL hockey player Drake Berehowsky.
She began dating aspiring singer William Patrick “Billy” McKnight in December 2003.
McKnight was arrested and charged with attempted murder on May 8, 2005, after hitting and choking her.
In July 2005, McCready was discovered unconscious in a hotel lobby in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida, after attempting suicide after stating to People magazine that she had severed relations with McKnight.
She was admitted to the hospital for a drug overdose after consuming a huge number of unknown narcotics with alcohol.
The couple finally reconciled, and McCready became pregnant. She attempted suicide again in September 2005, while pregnant with McKnight's kid, by overdosing on antidepressants.
McCready gave birth to a son, Zander Ryan McCready, in March 2006.
Paramedics were called to McCready's Nashville house on December 17, 2008, after an apparent suicide attempt; they carried her to a hospital after seeing wounds on her wrists.
She co-starred on Celebrity Rehab 3 with Dr. Drew Pinsky in 2009.
McCready was hospitalized in Cape Coral, Florida, on May 25, 2010, for a probable drug overdose; she may have had an allergic reaction to Darvocet, which her mother had given her.
Later that day, she was released and returned home.
McCready gave birth to her second child, a son called Zayne, in April 2012.
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On January 13, 2013, the child's father, record producer David Wilson, was discovered dead at McCready's house after an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Wilson's death was investigated by the Cleburne County Sheriff's Department in Arkansas.
McCready issued a statement following Wilson's death in which she referred to him as her “soulmate” and “life partner.”
