A number of years ago I met Mindy McCready at a country radio event in Nashville where our morning show was broadcasting live with dozens of other shows from around the country. She was not friendly. I think the opposite of Kellie Pickler.

Her song “Guys Do It All The Time” had gone to No.1 and she was becoming a big deal. At the time I thought her stand-off attitude was due to just youth, immaturity, and part of the act. Unfortunately, I guess I was wrong, and not the only one who felt that way.

Of all the “friends” and sycophants who’ve weighed-in on McCready’s  suicide , actor Dean “Superman” Cain is the person I’ve really wanted to hear from.  They got engaged at the height of her career and busted up about a year later.

People Magazine finally caught up with Cain who had a lot to say.  Naturally, he was “saddened” by her death: “My first thought was of the poor kids.  To think about the legacy those boys have been left, it’s just tragic.”

(credit: Getty Images)

He also added: “I can’t paint too pretty a picture.  She would start arguments, start drama.  Things weren’t allowed to be good.  Everything she did was a manipulation of sorts.  She would just get combative.  She was kind of poisonous.

“All her troubles were self-inflicted.  She had everything.  She was a tremendous talent but everything about it was a waste.  I saw all the bad signs and told her to get out.”  (So, yes.  She was messed up even before the drugs.)

One more thing:  Back in 1997 a writer named Chet Flippo interviewed McCready for Billboard  while she was busy destroying her career.  He talks a little more about what went down in an article on CMT.com.