police have said.
The 37-year-old died from an "apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound",
Arkansas sheriff Marty Moss said.
Her death comes weeks after that of her boyfriend and father of one of
her two sons, record producer David Wilson, whose death is being
investigated.
The singer had attempted to take her own life twice before and was
known to have problems with substance abuse.
The singer recorded five studio albums, and scored 12 hits on the US
country music charts, including Ten Thousand Angels and Guys Do It All
The Time.
Her sole UK chart appearance came in 1998, when Oh Romeo reached number 41.
Her fifth album, I'm Still Here, was released in 2010.
Police said they had been called to the singer's house after reports
of gunshots on Sunday afternoon.
They found the body of Malinda Gayle McCready on the front porch. She
was pronounced dead at the scene.
TMZ reported she had shot her dog before turning the gun on herself.
After the death of her partner in January, McCready had told NBC's
Dateline programme that she had "never gone through anything this
painful.
"He didn't just touch my heart, he touched my soul."
She denied any involvement in Wilson's death.
Pain
Born in 1975 in Fort Myers, Florida, McCready began performing at an
early age. Like many of her contemporaries, her first musical
experiences came in her local church.
She left school at 16, intent on pursuing a career in music, and moved
to Nashville two years later.
There, she met producers Norro Wilson and David Malloy, who helped her
produce a demo tape. She was signed exactly 51 weeks after moving to
Nashville.
Her first single, Ten Thousand Angels, reached number six on
Billboard's Hot Country songs chart in 1996. A debut album of the same
title sold 1.2 million copies.
Hits kept coming, but McCready began to be known for her personal life
as much as her music. She became engaged to Lois and Clark actor Dean
Cain in 1997, but they broke up before the wedding.
She also made headlines for claiming to have had a 10-year affair with
former baseball star Roger Clemens that began when she was a teenager.
In 2004, she pleaded guilty to various drug charges and was fined,
given community service and put on probation.
A violent relationship with songwriter Billy McKnight led to her being
hospitalised in 2005, while he was charged with attempted murder.
McCready attempted suicide at least twice before the birth of her
eldest son in 2006, and once again tried to take her own life in 2008.
The young boy was later placed in the care of McCready's mother - and
the singer had engaged in a public battle for custody over the last
few years. At one point she took him from her mother and fled to
Arkansas, saying she had concerns over his safety.
A judge ordered authorities to pick up the boy, who was five at the
time, and days later authorities found McCready hiding with him in a
cupboard at her home.
Both of her children were removed from her care earlier this month
while she was ordered to undergo rehabilitation.
She was discharged last week for outpatient treatment, but her sons
remained in foster care.
The Cleburne County Sheriff's Office said McCready's body would be
taken to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for an autopsy, adding that "the
matter will be fully investigated."
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