From Patsy To Porter: Mandy Barnett Sings The Great American Songbook
Join us for a very special evening with Mandy Barnett, Grand Ole Opry member and “a torch singer in the grandest sense of the word” (Chicago Tribune), as she celebrates the Great American Songbook. With “From Patsy To Porter,” Barnett rolls seamlessly from heart-wrenching ballads to toe-tappers penned by legendary songwriters like Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, and more, and recorded by a diversity of iconic artists from Patsy Cline to Billie Holiday. Barnett’s recent Songbook turns include her Every Star Above project, showcasing standards featured on Holiday’s Lady In Satin and named one of the best albums of 2021 by Variety magazine, and Barnett’s duet with Great American Songbook Ambassador Michael Feinstein on his 2022 Gershwin Country album. Of Barnett, Feinstein says, “Few singers have the gifts inhabiting the soul of Mandy Barnett. Her blessed voice connects to the truth of every note she sings. She’s simply one of my favorite voices.”
Called the “Nashville Sound Chanteuse” (Music Row) and “the Judy Garland of our time” (American Songwriter), Barnett has built a reputation for her commanding voice and unwavering devotion to classic country and popular standards. Barnett has enchanted listeners around the globe with her world-class vocals and musical chameleon qualities. A Tennessee Music Pathways historical marker in Barnett’s Tennessee hometown honors her contributions in making Tennessee the “Soundtrack of America.” Of this singer’s singer, songwriter’s dream, and audience favorite, renowned songwriter/artist Jimmy Webb states simply, “Mandy Barnett has a voice for the ages.”
Barnett first gained national notice as the original star of the jukebox musical Always…Patsy Cline at Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium. She is the only actress to have played the role of Cline on the stage where Cline’s legend began.
Barnett’s music has been featured in many major film and television soundtracks, including projects starring Clint Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, Martin Sheen, Reese Witherspoon, Matthew Broderick, Sigourney Weaver, Ellen Burstyn, Bill Paxton, and SpongeBob SquarePants.
Among the many publications praising Barnett’s talents, the Los Angeles Times heralds her “pipes of steel,” “big voice, and vintage sounding arrangements.” Time, People, Billboard, Rolling Stone, and other major media have likewise extolled Barnett’s superlative vocals, “natural musicality” (People), and “vocal finesse” (New York Times). USA Today calls Barnett one of Nashville’s “finest classic country and torch singers.”