It was nothing but good times at the 1997 ACM Awards. LeAnn Rimes was returning as the reigning New Artist of the Year, Mindy McCready was red hot and Terri Clark was amidst a string of Top 10 singles to begin her career. The three country ladies got together for this photo opp, which Clark shared on her Twitter page the day after McCready died in February 2013.

The women would go in three very different directions after it was taken. McCready's troubles would soon begin, and her grip on radio would slip. Clark would remain a stable force in country music for the next eight years. Rimes … she was peaks and valleys. Her ascension as a pop star was underway, but that came with various controversies and increasing tabloid interest. Both issues still dog her career today, even though her new music is some of the best of her career.

This Throwback Thursday photo serves as a lesson to always appreciate the present, because you never know where life will take you. Rimes' new studio album 'Spitfire' comes out on April 9. Clark's 'Classic' album was released in November 2012.

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