Mindy McCready dead of apparent suicide

Sheriff's deputies in Cleburne County, Arkansas are confirming the singer's death, saying McCready was found inside her home in Heber Springs Sunday, and that it appeared she died from a single gun shot wound to the head. Her body has been sent to the State Crime unit. No other details have been released.

The 37-year-old singer has had a long history of personal struggle. She had been in and out of rehab while battling addiction and mental health issues. McCready was being treated at a facility earlier this month before she was released to an outpatient program. Her death comes one month after the January 13th death of her boyfriend, David Wilson, 34, at his Arkansas home. Authorities are still investigating his death.Mindy leaves behind two young sons: 6-year-old Zander (with ex Billy McKnight) and 9-month-old Zayne (with Wilson).

Mindy McCready moved from her hometown of Fort Myers, Florida at the age of 18 to launch her country music career. She scored a top ten hit with her first single, "Ten Thousand Angels," which was the title track to her 1996 debut album. The CD also featured Mindy's first chart-topper, "Guys Do It All The Time" as well as the 1997 hit "A Girl's Gotta Do (What A Girl's Gotta Do)." The album went double platinum. McCready's next two albums, 1997's If I Don't Stay the Night and 1999's I'm Not So Tough both cracked the top ten, but the country star never matched the success of her first studio effort.

As the years progressed, Mindy began making more headlines for her turbulent personal life than for her music. In 2004 McCready was arrested on drug charges and put on probation after pleading guilty. But she ended up in jail more than once on probation violations. In May 2005, McCready's ex-boyfriend, Billy McKnight, was arrested for attempted murder after a brutal attack on the singer. In the months that followed, McCready was twice hospitalized following suicide attempts, the second of which occurred after she learned she was pregnant with McKnight's child. She gave birth to son Zander in March 2006. In 2008, McCready came forward with allegations that she'd had an affair with baseball great Roger Clemens when she was just 15 years old. Clemens denied McCready's claims.

McCready's legal and substance abuse problems led to her losing custody of Zander, who was placed with her mom in Florida. Mindy spent years battling her parents for custody, which she eventually won in late 2011 - after taking the boy from her father's home and hiding out with him at boyfriend David Wilson's Arkansas home. Last April she and Wilson celebrated the birth of their son, Zayne. McCready attempted to relaunch her music career in 2010 with I'm Still Here, her first studio effort in eight years. The album peaked at number 71 on the chart, and neither single from the disc charted.

Stacy McCloud, a reporter for FOX 17 Nashville initially tweeted the news Sunday night. Several sources, including E! Online, People.com and NY Daily News, soon reported the news as well.

• McCready was born on November 30th, 1975 in Fort Myers, Florida.
• Her debut album Ten Thousand Angels sold two-million copies and featured number-one hit song “Guys Do It All The Time.”
• She had multiple arrests on charges including DUI, assault and battery.
• Released five albums over the course of her career.

Mindy moved to Nashville at age 18 to pursue a career in country music. She released her debut album, Ten Thousand Angels, included the number-one hit “Guys Do it All the Time” and sold more than two-million copies. Subsequent albums -- 1997’s If I Don’t Stay the Night, 1999’s I’m Not So Tough and 2002’s self-titled project -- failed to match the success of her first release. Nonetheless, she had 12 singles make the Billboard country chart over her career.

Mindy spent far more time in the news for her personal problems.

• In 1997 she got engaged to actor Dean Cain, but the engagement ended after a year.
• In August 2004 she was arrested for using a fake prescription to obtain OxyContin. She pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years probation and community service.
• 2005 was perhaps her worst year.
  • On May 6th, she was arrested in Nashville for DUI, but was found not guilty and charged with driving on a suspended license.
  • Two days later, Mindy’s then boyfriend, Billy McKnight, was arrested for attempted murder after choking the country star.
  • In July of 2005, she was charged with identity theft and fraud in Arizona.
  • A week later that July, authorities were called to a Florida hotel where Mindy was found unconscious in the lobby from a toxic mix of alcohol and drugs -- an apparent suicide attempt.
  • That August she was arrested for parole violation.
  • She attempted to take her life again in September overdosing on antidepressants while pregnant with McKnight’s child.
• On March 25th, 2006 Mindy gave birth to son Zander, but motherhood did little to change her. In July of the same year, she was charged with battery after assaulting her mother and resisting arrest in Florida, and spent three months in jail.
• In April 2008, Mindy admitted to a decade-long affair with baseball legend and married father of two Roger Clemens, saying it had begun when she was 15. Clemens denied the story, saying they were close family friends.
• That June, Mindy was arrested in Tennessee for parole violation. She spent another 30 days in jail.
• On December 17th, 2008, paramedics once again responded to a call when Mindy attempted suicide by slashing her wrists. 
• In 2009, she appeared on Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew.
• In May of 2010, Mindy lost a court battle to stop Vivid Entertainment from releasing a sex tape she’s featured in. She said the tape was intended to be private and was stolen.

Mindy, whose latest album, I’m Still Here, was released in March of 2010, leaves behind her sons Zander and Zayne.

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