Barbara Mandrell

You could say that she was 'Country When Country Wasn't Cool.'

It's been nearly 25 years since she disappeared. Why?

Born on Dec. 15, 1948 in Houston, Texas, Mandrell was raised around country music.

They struck it rich, but they never abandoned their roots.

Just like big hair and Spandex, country music was alive and well in the '80s, celebrating true love, simple pleasures and American pride.

Did you know that on this day in Country Music History in 1981 MCA released Barbara Mandrell's "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool"?