Crossville, Tennessee, native Mandy Barnett, born Amanda Carol Barnett on Sept. 28, 1975, became known as a world-class vocalist and actress celebrated for interpretive skill and devotion to classic country, R&B, and popular standards. She began singing around Crossville at age 5 at funerals and political rallies, opened the Cumberland County Fair each year with the national anthem and “God Bless America,” and was often called “Little Kate Smith.” Her mother, Betty, a bookkeeper at the Cumberland County Courthouse, carefully nurtured her talents and shaped her early musical influences through singers including Brenda Lee, Connie Francis, Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, Patsy Cline, Sara Vaughan, and Tammy Wynette. At 10, Barnett won a talent competition at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge and used the prize money to make a demo tape, which led to an appearance on WSM’s “Midnite Jamboree” in Nashville and then a recording deal with Capitol Records under Jimmy Bowen. For four years she traveled between Crossville and Nashville to record and perform before moving to Nashville at 17. At 18, Gaylord Entertainment chose her to star in the Ryman Auditorium production “Always … Patsy Cline,” which premiered on June 9, 1994, shortly after the Ryman reopened from an $8.5 million refurbishment, drew rave reviews and packed audiences, and made her the only actress to play the title role on that historic stage. She made the first of many guest appearances on the Grand Ole Opry that year and went on to release acclaimed albums including Mandy Barnett, I’ve Got a Right to Cry, Winter Wonderland, Sweet Dreams, I Can’t Stop Loving You: The Songs of Don Gibson, Strange Conversation, and A Nashville Songbook. She also appeared on numerous film and television soundtracks and music compilations, developed her “Nashville Songbook” repertoire with the Nashville Symphony, toured it nationally and internationally, and made her New York City cabaret debut in 2019 at Feinstein’s/54 Below, where she performed that show and a duet with Michael Feinstein. Her career has taken her from the Ryman Auditorium and Grand Ole Opry to symphony halls, historic theaters, and music festivals in major U.S. and international cities, and she continues to record, produce, and perform.