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Thelma Louise Mandrell (born July 13, 1954) is an American country music singer. She is the younger sister of fellow country singer Barbara Mandrell, and older sister of musician Irlene Mandrell. Louise had a successful singing career in country music from the 1970s, with a string of hits during the 1980s.
Although Louise Mandrell never developed the scale of fan base or the worldwide recognition that her older sister Barbara Mandrell gained in country music, she is still credited as one of country music's more successful female vocalists of the 1980s. With their parents coming from a musical background, Barbara started off working as a singer, and playing the steel guitar and other instruments, and toured with Patsy Cline in the early 1960s. Mandrell learned to play the guitar and bass. Soon, their parents founded the Mandrell Family Band, which toured the United States and Asia.
Barbara's professional recognition in country music in the early 1970s with hits like "Tonight My Baby's Coming Home" and "The Midnight Oil" gave Louise opportunities at success. She started performing in Barbara's band The DoRites in 1969. (1993). 9780851127262, Guinness Publishing. ISBN 9780851127262 Her first time in the studio was on the recording "Always Wanting You", a no. 1 hit for country singer-songwriter and Bakersfield sound pioneer Merle Haggard in 1975. In 1978, she signed with Epic Records.
1983 turned out to be her most successful year. She entered the top 15 with "Runaway Heart," and had the two top 10 hits "Save Me" (originally recorded by Northern Irish singer Clodagh Rodgers) and "Too Hot to Sleep". In 1984, Mandrell had two other Top 40 hits, "Goodbye Heartache" and "I'm Not Through Loving You Yet" (co-written by Holly Dunn), and in 1985 the song "I Wanna Say Yes" entered the top 5.
In 1985, RCA released her first music video for the hit single "Some Girls Have All The Luck", a female-centric cover version of the 1973 hit song recorded by The Persuaders and Rod Stewart.
Mandrell's last studio album Dreamin' was released in 1987, with the single "I Wanna Hear It from Your Lips" and having her last top 40 hit with the single "Do I Have To Say Goodbye". Her last charted single came in 1988 with a cover of the song "As Long As We Got Each Other", a duet with Eric Carmen. The latter was the theme song of the 1985-1992 television sitcom Growing Pains.
RCA and Mandrell parted ways in 1988. During the early 1990s, she released the videos and songs "Jean Paul" (written by R.C. Bannon) and "Down Home Christmas". Both songs are extremely hard to find, and “Jean Paul” appears in Anthology, a 1998 compilation album containing many of her successful hits from the Epic and RCA years, which is also hard to find.
Mandrell was named the official 'Sweetheart of Tennessee.'
She was the unanimous choice of 50 Tennessee city managers -- the first time the city manager's association has so honored anyone. Mandrell accepted 50 inscribed crimson hearts from the managers and, in return, entertained them with a few tunes. She also was named 1981's 'Yellow Rose of Texas' by the Texas state legislature, another first.
In 1978, Mandrell met R.C. Bannon. They married on February 26, 1979. He co-wrote a few songs for Louise’s sister Barbara. "One of a Kind Pair of Fools" is a 1983 single written by Bannon and John Bettis and recorded by Barbara Mandrell. "Only One Love in My Life," also written by R.C. Bannon and John Bettis, was Ronnie Milsap's 10th number 1.
Mandrell and Bannon adopted Nicole Mandrell Shipley in 1986. The couple divorced in 1991 and she married, for a fourth time, to John Haywood on July 16, 1993.
She became a grandmother for the first time in 2013.
From 1992 to 1994, she headlined at the 4,000 seat Grand Palace Theatre in Branson, Missouri along with Kenny Rogers. On occasion, she shared the stage with Barbara, Sawyer Brown, Roger Miller, Waylon Jennings, and several other well-known country and pop music entertainers at The Grand Palace.
On September 12, 1997, Mandrell opened her own 1,400-seat theater, The Louise Mandrell Theater in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, in the heart of the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, alongside other theaters such as Lee Greenwood's. Mandrell appeared in every performance there and encompassed numerous musical styles, including country, jazz, and big band. It was considered the most attended (non-dinner) show in the Smoky Mountains. The Triumphant Quartet, formerly known as the Integrity Quartet, was the in-house Southern gospel group and back-up singers for Louise. The Louise Mandrell Theater had its last performance, to a sold-out house, on December 31, 2005. Mandrell sold the theater afterwards and it has changed hands twice since. The theater is now home to the "Smoky Mountain Opry."
In 1983, Mandrell co-wrote The Mandrell Family Album with writer Ace Collins. Later, they produced a series of children's books.
In 2012, she performed the title role of "Calamity Jane" at Roger Rocka's Dinner Theatre in Fresno, California through September 16, 2012. Mandrell reprised her role from July until September 15, 2019.
Over the Christmas and New Year seasons in 2008 and 2009, Mandrell performed at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville for one month. The multi-instrumental dinner show was entitled "Joy to the World". Mandrell also announced her intention to create a new show in 2010, "The Gift".
In 2009, she signed with Strouadavarious Records and announced her intention to release an album of country classics and a Christmas-themed album.
During 2011 and 2012, Mandrell joined fellow 80s country superstar Lee Greenwood on selected tour dates, including a six-week Branson run at the Welk Resort Theatre from September 12 —- October 22.
Mandrell's final Christmas show at Gaylord Opryland titled "Louise Mandrell's Christmas Dinner Party" took place on November 18 – December 25, 2011.
After 30 years, she released Playing Favorites, her most recent studio album consisting of country standards, on October 4, 2019. It was produced by Buddy Cannon.
Mandrell appeared on the Opry's country classic show in Nashville. The last time she performed on that stage was 50 years ago. The show was broadcast live on the radio program, Opry Country Classics at the Ryman Auditorium, October 3, 2019. She performed on the Grand Ole Opry live from the Ryman on November 30, 2019.
On July 30, 2022, Louise and Irlene joined the special Opry show celebrating the 50th year membership of sister Barbara Mandrell as a Opry member.
Louise once again took to the Opry stage in the Country classics segment on October 13, 2022, December 4, 2022, and March 9, 2023.
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart |
| 1978 ! scope="row" | "Put It on Me" | 77 | — | Louise Mandrell |
| 1979 ! scope="row" | "Everlasting Love" | 69 | — | |
| 1980 ! scope="row" | "Wake Me Up" | 63 | — | |
| 1982 ! scope="row" | "(You Sure Know Your Way) Around My Heart" | 35 | 40 | Me and My R. C. |
| 1983 ! scope="row" | "Save Me" | 6 | 2 | Close Up |
| 1984 ! scope="row" | "I'm Not Through Loving You Yet" | 7 | 8 | I'm Not Through Loving You Yet |
| 1985 ! scope="row" | "Maybe My Baby" | 8 | 23 | Maybe My Baby |
| 1986 ! scope="row" | "I Wanna Hear It from Your Lips" | 35 | 41 | Dreamin' |
| 1987 ! scope="row" | "Do I Have to Say Goodbye" | 28 | 57 | |
| 1988 ! scope="row" | "As Long As We Got Each Other" (with Eric Carmen) | 51 | — | The Best of Louise Mandrell |
| 1991 ! scope="row" | "Jean Paul" | — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
| 1979 ! scope="row" | "I Thought You'd Never Ask" | 46 | — | Inseparable |
| 1981 ! scope="row" | "Where There's Smoke There's Fire" | 35 | 45 | Me and My R. C. |
| 1982 ! scope="row" | "Our Wedding Band" / "Just Married" | 56 | 45 | |
| 1983 ! scope="row" | "Christmas Is Just a Song for Us This Year" | 35 | — | A Country Christmas |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
| 1985 ! scope="row" | "Some Girls Have All the Luck" | Michael Lindsay Hogg |
| 1991 ! scope="row" | "Jean Paul" | Louise Mandrell |
| 1992 ! scope="row" | "Down Home Christmas" | Louise Mandrell |
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