Mindy McCready, the troubled country music star, has been found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, aged 37. Reuters reported that McCready, whose singing career was shadowed by substance abuse and suicide attempts, was found on the front porch of a home in Heber Springs, Arkansas, around 4 p.m. Sunday.
She left behind two young sons, Zander, 6, and Zayne, 10 months, however The Guardian cited Coroner Waren Olmstead as saying that he did not have further information on who was taking care of them.
The death of McCready, whose albums include "Ten Thousand Angels" and "If I Don't Stay the Night," prompted an outpouring from other country stars.
Reuters quoted Tracy Lawrence as tweeting:
"My thoughts and prayers go out to Mindy McCready and her family today,"
Carrie Underwood reportedly wrote:
"I grew up listening to Mindy McCready... so sad for her family tonight. Many prayers are going out to them."
Time wrote that it wasn't the first suicide attempt for McCready, whose complicated personal life was marked by substance abuse, disputes with her family over custody of her sons, and tragedy.
Her boyfriend, producer David Wilson, Zayne's father, died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in January. Previous relationships included baseball player Roger Clemens and actor Dean Cain.
McCready had recently been embroiled in a custody battle over Zander with her mother, Gayle Inge, the boy's legal guardian.
She fled to Arkansas without permission over what she called child abuse fears but the authorities caught up with her, taking Zander into custody.
McCready famously arrived in Nashville in 1994 with tapes of her karaoke vocals and was signed by BNA Records.
Her 1996 "Guys Do It All the Time," a dig at male chauvinism, hit No 1. "Ten Thousand Angels" sold 2 million copies.