Mindy McCready, the 37-year-old country singer originally from Ft. Myers, Florida, died this afternoon of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at a lake home in Heber Springs, Arkansas. The New York Daily News reported at 9:15 pm EST that her brother, Josh McCready, confirmed the singer’s death.

Update, 10:15 pm EST: The following statement now appears on the website of the Sheriff’s Office of Cleburne County, Arkansas.

“At 3:31 PM, Sunday, February 17th Deputies from the Cleburne County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a report of gun shots fired in the area of 1132 Fox Chase Drive in Heber Springs. Officers arrived on the scene at 3:58 PM and discovered the body of 37 year old Melinda Gayle McCready on the front porch of the residence at 1132 Fox Chase. Ms. McCready was pronounced dead at the scene from what appears to be a single self-inflicted gunshot wound. At this time family members have been notified of the incident. Ms. Mcready will be transported to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for an autopsy and the matter will be fully investigated.”

Her death comes exactly five weeks, almost to the hour, after the apparent suicide of David Wilson, her record producer boyfriend and father of her infant boy.

With a history of mental health and substance dependence issues, McCready was ordered to check into a rehabilitation clinic ten days ago due to family concerns for her well-being following Wilson’s death. Billy Dukes at A Taste of Country reported that she was released a few days later for outpatient treatment but her two boys remained in foster care.

In addition to nine-month-old Zayne, McCready has a six-year-old son, Zander, with her former boyfriend Billy McKnight. McKnight served 30 days in prison for viciously beating on McCready in 2005.

News of McCready’s death broke on Twitter with the message above from NBC Dateline correspondent, Andrea Canning. (Note added: I’ve since found that Stacy McCloud, Fox17 Nashville reporter, tweeted the same news 12 minutes earlier.)

Canning had an exclusive interview with McCready on January 29th as Arkansas investigators continued their probe of Wilson’s death. Canning had asked McCreary about her possible role in the shooting:

“Oh my god, no. Oh my god, no,” McCready responded. “He was my life. We were each other’s life. There’s no way to tell where one of us began and the other ended. We slept together every night holding hands.”

The property at the address of 1132 Fox Chase Road (not Drive) in Heber Springs, Arkansas is owned by a family trust that includes David C. Wilson. The 1,400 square-foot home was built in 1970 and valued in 2012 at $141,555 plus $300,000 for the lakefront lot on Greers Ferry Lake in Heber Springs. The property appears to have been in the Wilson family since at least June 1, 1995.

This January 14th press release implies that Wilson shot himself at the same property on the 13th.

McCready broke onto the country music scene in 1996 with her #1 hit, “Guys Do It All the Time,” from her double platinum album entitled, Ten Thousand Angels.

Three years ago today at 2:26pm (PST) Michael Jackson was pronounced dead at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. This happened oddly enough just a few hours after Farrah Fawcett passed away from anal cancer (hold the jokes). Often referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records.

We hope you enjoy this countdown of what we think are some of his best hits! Feel free to comment us below with your thoughts and suggestions!

10. Dirty Diana -

We ALL know this was a bad ass jam! I mean c’mon Diana was the greatest groupie and had no qualms about it. I think when this song came out in 1987, every girl with the name Diana instantly became popular.

09. Give In To me -

With Guns-N-Roses guitarist Slash doing what he does, no way to miss on this track!

08. Smooth Criminal -

This track just simply rocked! And the dancing was incredible!

07. Billy Jean -

This hit from the album that really put Michael Jackson on the superstar radar started the zippered jacket and white glove craze in the 80′s. And the song that spawned the now infamous ‘moonwalk’. Billy Jean also has the distinction of being the 1st music video from a black artist ever played on MTV. Back when MTV actually played music videos all day and night rather than b.s. reality shows.

06. Beat It -

Who could forget MJ as a badass gang member? Yeah we know. Though look what other movie star is in this video. Here’s a hint. “I’ll Be Back”

05. Say Say Say Ft. Sir Paul McCartney

The former Beatle adds his talent to this hit track! Yet another I’m a bad ass video from Michael Jackson!

04. Bad

Ok who could ever forget this one track where once again Michael tries to convince us what a bad ass gangsta he is. We laugh but still love it!

03. Man In The Mirror -

Michael certainly called us to take responsibility for the state of the world we were living in with this 1987 hit! Funny I remember watching many of the events in this video as they happened. This video was a bold move for any artist on MTV, as the artist doesn’t appear in the video.

02. We Are The World -

This 1984 mega – hit featured the hottest and best artists of the time. Every artist in this version of the song is a hall of famer, and all have distinctive voices easily identified. Many of you reading this won’t know most of them but they are all mega-stars.

01. Thriller -

The biggest hit ever in music history! And the first time an artist ever did a mini-movie for a music video!

Bonus: Hold My Hand – Ft. Akon

This posthumous track with Akon is a wonderful track that pretty much sums up the kinds of things that Michael stood for, and was all about! Making the wold a better place.

We hope that you enjoy this tribute to the king of pop.

I asked my boy @DaveStylus over at Mix966FM.Com our party station to come up with a mix for our Michael Jackson Tribute today and I asked him this at around 3PM yesterday. He said he’d see what he could come up with. Earlier this morning I woke up to this AMAZING mix. WOW.

In tribute to the King of Pop here’s 40 of his best hits in 9 Minutes! It’s pretty amazing! Well at least we think so. What do you think? Leave us a comment and let us know.

Given the news today this will be a special Thursday Throwback of Donna Summer. LaDonna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948 €“ May 17, 2012), known by the stage name Donna Summer, was an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She had a mezzo-soprano vocal range, and was a five-time Grammy Award winner. Summer was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach number one on the U.S. Billboard chart, and she also charted four number-one singles in the United States within a 13-month period.

Summer died on May 17, 2012. The Associated Press reports that she died in the morning at her home in Key West, Florida at age 63 following a battle with cancer.  The Bradenton Herald quotes “Sarasota County records” stating that she lived in Englewood, Florida at the time of her death. The reference did not state the place of her death.

On The Radio:

She Works Hard For The Money:

Last Dance:

Our condolences to Donna Summer’s family. Please be sure to leave your comments below, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @FastLaneMag