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Get to the Heart: My Story
To her millions of fans around the world she is beautiful, blond, and talented. A multifaceted performer whose music strikes a chord of truth. A loving wife and mother whose traditional values and tremendous faith touch the heart. But in September 1984 fate placed Barbara Mandrell and two of her children on a Tennessee highway, where a car crossed two lanes of traffic to hit her car head-on...and Barbara Mandrell and her story book life were changed forever.
Here, for the first time, the spirited star who made her professional debut at age eleven who performed with country legends such as Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash, and who was chosen Entertainer of the Year two years running, shares her memories of the accident and her long, painful journey back. This is a chronicle of her remarkable rise to fame, a tribute to the extraordinary family who protected and sustained her. But most of all this is Barbara's own triumphant story of hard-won survival.
Get To The Heart
Here, for the first time, the spirited star who made her professional debut at age eleven who performed with country legends such as Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash, and who was chosen Entertainer of the Year two years running, shares her memories of the accident and her long, painful journey back. This is a chronicle of her remarkable rise to fame, a tribute to the extraordinary family who protected and sustained her. But most of all this is Barbara's own triumphant story of hard-won survival.
Get To The Heart
464 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 1990
5 people are currently reading
115 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 28, 2020
This autobiography by Barbara Mandrell, the beautiful and talented country singer popular in the seventies and eighties was published in 1990 and hit the New York Times Best Seller List within three months of publication. It unfolds with two principal narratives: the one in which Mandrell shares the story of her life growing up as the eldest daughter in her family and a performer from the age of eleven and the car crash in 1984 that derailed her career and almost took her life.
Mandrell was out on the road early in life, touring with her family and playing the steel guitar, good enough at performing that she was traveling with the likes of Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline and George Jones by the time she was thirteen. In 1979, having just finished high school, she married Ken Dudney, the drummer in the family band, a marriage that has stuck through thick and thin. She went on to a profitable and award winning singing career with several hit records of country music in the seventies and eighties, was accepted into the Grand Old Opry and had her own prime time TV show on NBC. Among the many accolades she received from the music industry, was that of CMA’s Entertainer of the Year award which she won three times.
At the peak of her career, disaster struck when she was traveling down the highway in her car with her two children Mathew and Jaimie. A driver on the other side of the highway crossed two lanes of traffic and plowed into her, hitting her head on, instantly killing himself and seriously wounding Barbara. It took a year and a half for her to recover, a process that was long, hard and painful and during which she became severely depressed. Unable to work during that time, she needed the insurance money to pay her medical bills and keep her band touring on the road but was required by law to sue the survivors of the dead driver, nineteen-year-old college student Mark White to access the money. That information, splashed liberally over news outlets gained an angry reaction from her fans who knew that Mark’s family was not prosperous.
After the accident she returned to her career, but interest in country music was waning, her records were not selling well and Mandrell was tired. She found the work was just not the same and gave her little satisfaction. She retired and gave her final show at the Grand Ole Opry in 1997.
In the sections revealing her life story, readers learn little about Mandrell as a person that is not already known. She shares her political opinions, as well as her thoughts on guns, nuclear weapons, the death penalty and abortion, thanks her family and everyone she has ever met for her success and insists the only bad thing she ever did was swear at the health care workers in the hospital while recovering from her injuries.
The book which presents Barbara in the best light possible as a woman married to the same man for many years, a Christian and a mother devoted to her family, contrasts starkly with many celebrity biographies filled with gossip, divorces, addiction and mental health issues. But it is empty. It feels like a self-made promotional piece, void of any revealing pieces of her character, intent on presenting her in the most favourable light possible during a difficult health experience. As such, it may be of interest to her avid fans, but most readers will not find it satisfying.
Mandrell was out on the road early in life, touring with her family and playing the steel guitar, good enough at performing that she was traveling with the likes of Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline and George Jones by the time she was thirteen. In 1979, having just finished high school, she married Ken Dudney, the drummer in the family band, a marriage that has stuck through thick and thin. She went on to a profitable and award winning singing career with several hit records of country music in the seventies and eighties, was accepted into the Grand Old Opry and had her own prime time TV show on NBC. Among the many accolades she received from the music industry, was that of CMA’s Entertainer of the Year award which she won three times.
At the peak of her career, disaster struck when she was traveling down the highway in her car with her two children Mathew and Jaimie. A driver on the other side of the highway crossed two lanes of traffic and plowed into her, hitting her head on, instantly killing himself and seriously wounding Barbara. It took a year and a half for her to recover, a process that was long, hard and painful and during which she became severely depressed. Unable to work during that time, she needed the insurance money to pay her medical bills and keep her band touring on the road but was required by law to sue the survivors of the dead driver, nineteen-year-old college student Mark White to access the money. That information, splashed liberally over news outlets gained an angry reaction from her fans who knew that Mark’s family was not prosperous.
After the accident she returned to her career, but interest in country music was waning, her records were not selling well and Mandrell was tired. She found the work was just not the same and gave her little satisfaction. She retired and gave her final show at the Grand Ole Opry in 1997.
In the sections revealing her life story, readers learn little about Mandrell as a person that is not already known. She shares her political opinions, as well as her thoughts on guns, nuclear weapons, the death penalty and abortion, thanks her family and everyone she has ever met for her success and insists the only bad thing she ever did was swear at the health care workers in the hospital while recovering from her injuries.
The book which presents Barbara in the best light possible as a woman married to the same man for many years, a Christian and a mother devoted to her family, contrasts starkly with many celebrity biographies filled with gossip, divorces, addiction and mental health issues. But it is empty. It feels like a self-made promotional piece, void of any revealing pieces of her character, intent on presenting her in the most favourable light possible during a difficult health experience. As such, it may be of interest to her avid fans, but most readers will not find it satisfying.
January 16, 2017
Awesome Book on Ms. Mandrell Live.
July 8, 2023
"Get To the Heart" was written by Barbara Mandrell in the late 1980s. I read this book back then and reading it for a second time now. In 1984 Barbara Mandrell was in a horrific car accident. Her two children who were 14 and 8 at the time. In this memoir Mandrell goes back and forth between the chapters. part of the chapters goes over her whole life. Her start is show business at a young age. Then every other chapter writes about how serious the accident was. she had severe damage to one leg,ankle, tailbone. And what she also writes about is the brain injury she received from the accident. She took a long time to heal with her bones and brain. she describes how awful the accident was and how it affected her life and her families. She also writes about the rest of her life. and building her career with her Mandrell family. this book ends in 1990 when it came out in paperback, she added one more chapter to update her life up to that time. a good read. glad I read it again.
July 6, 2014
I had started reading this book a long time ago and never finished so I started over again. Enjoyed hearing Barbara's story in her words and even though she came of a little "holier than thou" through some of it, I thought it was pretty good and probably was a good portrayal of her. I had to keep reminding myself how old the book was and how long ago all of this had happened. Went to her website to catch up on what the family is doing and how it has grown since then. I want to read more about other country stars since I really love country music and know that some of them have led extraordinary lives.
April 29, 2019
If it was 1990 and I had big bangs, wore cowboys boots and attended church weekly, this may have been a 5 stars.
I grew up listening to Barbara Mandrell and she was "country when country wasn't cool" haha but I wouldn't necessarily call myself a fan. This book was definitely written for her fans.
The timeline variations are an interesting choice. I found them confusing at times but I don't think I would have liked the book any more or any less had it been written in chronological order.
Barbara's a strong woman! You go girl!
I grew up listening to Barbara Mandrell and she was "country when country wasn't cool" haha but I wouldn't necessarily call myself a fan. This book was definitely written for her fans.
The timeline variations are an interesting choice. I found them confusing at times but I don't think I would have liked the book any more or any less had it been written in chronological order.
Barbara's a strong woman! You go girl!
December 21, 2024
A Must-Read for Everyone!
This is a wonderful book for Barbara Mandrell fans as well as those who may not be fans, but are just interested in her life story. Barbara writes in a way that makes you feel like a friend who she's telling her story to. I've read this book a couple of times and enjoyed it immensely.
This is a wonderful book for Barbara Mandrell fans as well as those who may not be fans, but are just interested in her life story. Barbara writes in a way that makes you feel like a friend who she's telling her story to. I've read this book a couple of times and enjoyed it immensely.
March 8, 2018
perfect title for such an emotional story. it was a bit jumpy in spots, but a story of healing, faith and survival.
January 22, 2020
I loved it, it was a very encouraging story
March 3, 2021
Nice story but lost interest as I went on
August 4, 2022
This book is wonderful. Barbara Mandrell touched on her career, family and car accident.
August 31, 2022
Interesting and informative story of Barbara's life
November 23, 2016
I have been a big fan of Barbara Mandrell for many years now, ever since I was a very young child! Anyone who reads this book will be sure to enjoy it! This was a book that I could not put down. Barbara has done a wonderful job on telling her story in this book. After you read this you will really feel like you know her as a friend. Barbara is a very beautiful and talented lady and you will be sure to see that after you read this book. It’s written in such a way that you feel like she’s speaking directly to you.
This Queen of Country Music exposes herself in every way possible; she lives through the happy times and the times she suffered dramatically through her car accident. I remember reading about the accident in the newspaper, but never did I imagine to what extent her injuries were. It's so sad that her career never fully recovered after the horrible car accident she was in, and she eventually retired. Ironically enough the accident happened on September 11, 1984.
Please understand I did find this book a difficult read. That was simply because of the nature of the story. Half the book is about Barbara's life prior to the accident that almost killed her (and did kill somebody else in the other car) and half is about her recovery from it. The recovery is sometimes a very difficult read and it may be for that reason that the book is not presented chronologically. Instead, chapters on the recovery alternate with chapters on the earlier years, so you could read about Barbara's life chronologically by reading alternate chapters.
Barbara's life was (and remains) in total contrast to so many celebrity lives. She was married to the same man throughout her career and was devoted to her family and her Christianity. No drugs, no extra-marital affairs, no hint of any kind of scandal. So although the early part of her life is of interest to her fans, of which I am definitely one, the general public is likely to be mainly interested in the accident and Barbara's recovery from it.
It seemed to me at the time that although Barbara made a full physical recovery (which was a miracle in itself, that she completely credits to God, but the mental scars never healed). She was less enthusiastic about her work than she had been before her accident.
This book was in the American bestseller listings soon after its publication. With Barbara's retirement from the music business, it seems that few people are interested in reading about her life any more (except her fans, which are likely to have a copy already) this is a pity, because it's one of the more interesting country music biographies despite being a difficult read.
Wow. Read this book!!!
This Queen of Country Music exposes herself in every way possible; she lives through the happy times and the times she suffered dramatically through her car accident. I remember reading about the accident in the newspaper, but never did I imagine to what extent her injuries were. It's so sad that her career never fully recovered after the horrible car accident she was in, and she eventually retired. Ironically enough the accident happened on September 11, 1984.
Please understand I did find this book a difficult read. That was simply because of the nature of the story. Half the book is about Barbara's life prior to the accident that almost killed her (and did kill somebody else in the other car) and half is about her recovery from it. The recovery is sometimes a very difficult read and it may be for that reason that the book is not presented chronologically. Instead, chapters on the recovery alternate with chapters on the earlier years, so you could read about Barbara's life chronologically by reading alternate chapters.
Barbara's life was (and remains) in total contrast to so many celebrity lives. She was married to the same man throughout her career and was devoted to her family and her Christianity. No drugs, no extra-marital affairs, no hint of any kind of scandal. So although the early part of her life is of interest to her fans, of which I am definitely one, the general public is likely to be mainly interested in the accident and Barbara's recovery from it.
It seemed to me at the time that although Barbara made a full physical recovery (which was a miracle in itself, that she completely credits to God, but the mental scars never healed). She was less enthusiastic about her work than she had been before her accident.
This book was in the American bestseller listings soon after its publication. With Barbara's retirement from the music business, it seems that few people are interested in reading about her life any more (except her fans, which are likely to have a copy already) this is a pity, because it's one of the more interesting country music biographies despite being a difficult read.
Wow. Read this book!!!
March 12, 2010
Actually this wasn't a bad book, however, after reading half of the book, my interest began to wane. For family and a true, blue Mandrell fan, I'm sure they would have kept reading. Just felt it was too lengthy. May be something I'll pick up again someday.
January 12, 2011
What a high energy woman this lady was. She really suffered after that terrible car accident. She has always been one of my favorite female performers. Love the way her Christian faith is woven throughout the book.
July 31, 2016
Wow I learned a few things that I did not know about Barbara. I used to watch her show that she had with her sisters. I knew that she was in an accident but I did not know what kind of recovery she had to go through. I think you will like this book.
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February 22, 2008782.42
March 15, 2015
Entertaining Fluff. The parts of the book about the accident were very interesting.
May 7, 2016
Loved it. Learned a lot I didn't know about Barbara. Great Book.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews