Larry Gatlin

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Larry Wayne Gatlin (born May 2, 1948) is an American country and Southern gospel singer and songwriter.

He performed on 33 top-40 singles (both his solo albums and those with his brothers) as part of a trio with his younger brothers Steve and Rudy.

Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers emerged as the band's fame grew. Larry Gatlin is known for his rich falsetto singing style as well as the unique pop-inflected songs he wrote and recorded in the 1970s and 1980s.

"Broken Lady", "All the Gold in California," "Means I'm One Day Closer to You"), "I'm One Day Closer to You," "She Used to Be Somebody's Baby"), and "Talkin' to the Moon" are among Gatlin's most popular hits.

Around this period, country music soared heavily toward slick pop music arrangements, a style that came to be termed Countrypolitan.

Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers came to prominence and enjoyed their best results during this period, with hit singles that showcased the brothers' three-part harmony and Larry's poetic lyrics.

Early life

Gatlin was born in Seminole, Texas, Texas, just south of the New Mexico border. His father, a oilfield worker, lived in many places as a child, including Abilene and Odessa. He was raised listening to country and Southern gospel music. Steve and Rudy's brothers, Steve and Rudy, have been performing together since childhood; when they were younger, they sang in their local church with their sister, LaDonna, attending them. They appeared on local radio stations and occasionally on television shows, and occasionally on television broadcasts. They also released a gospel music collection for the gospel label Sword and Shield. In a local talent competition, the brothers were able to defeat Roy Orbison. Gatlin, a quarterback at Odessa High School in 1964, was a quarterback. He was the last quarterback to beat Permian until Rick Leach did it in 1997.

Gatlin had been allowed to serve in the military during the Vietnam War after graduating in 1966; however, he did not attend the University of Houston. In a 1968 game in which his team, the Cougars, scored 100 points, wide receiver Drew Jones caught a touchdown pass on the football team.

He auditioned for and joined the Imperials, a Christian music group. In January 1971, the Imperials returned to Las Vegas, Nevada, for Jimmy Dean's Las Vegas Revue. He caught country singer Dottie West's attention while strolling through the showroom, who said he looked like Mickey Newbury.

West was immediately impressed with Gatlin's songwriting abilities. "You're the Other Half of Me" and "Once You Were Mine" were two of Gatlin's compositions. West also passed one of Gatlin's demo tapes around Nashville, Tennessee, and even arranged for him to relocate there by buying a plane ticket for him (a tale he related to on the RFD-TV's Larry's Country Diner's November 12, 2009). West also performed other compositions by Gatlin that would later be hits for him, including "Broken Lady" on West's 1978 album, Dottie.

Gatlin obtained a job in Nashville as a background singer for Kris Kristofferson with West's assistance. Gatlin's 1973 debut with Monument Records as his first recording deal.

Gatlin's first album, The Pilgrim, was released in December 1973. "Sweet Becky Walker" and "Bigger They Are, Not That Many" were two singles released from the album, but neither of them made it to the charts, and both of them failed to chart. Elvis Presley recorded the latter in 1976 (who also recorded Gatlin's "Help Me" in 1973). Rain/Rainbow, a new album, and a new song "Delta Dirt" were released in 1974. The album and single were more popular. "Delta Dirt," a top-20 hit, was a top-five country hit, peaking at number 14. When it reached number 84, Gatlin's first entry on the pop charts was also. Gatlin's composition "Broken Lady," which debuted at number five on the Hot Country Songs chart in 1975, became his first major hit. In 1977, Gatlin received a Grammy Award for the song as Best Country Song. In 1976, High Time, a new album, was released. Willie Nelson's 1976 album The Troublemaker also credits Gatlin on guitar.

With Family & Friends, Brothers Steve and Rudy made their first appearance on Larry Gatlin's 1976 album Larry Gatlin. They were included on some of Gatlin's older hits, including "I Don't Wanta Cry," "Love Is Just a Game," and "Statues Without Hearts." "I Just Wish You Were Someone I Love" was Gatlin's first number one hit in 1978. Gatlin continued his success as a solo performer until 1978, when he unveiled his last solo album, "I've Done Enough Dying Today" and "Night Time Magic," the latter of which also made its way into the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. Both songs emphasized Gatlin's soaring falsetto, which became a hallmark of his vocal style.

Gatlin bought shares in the Nashville Sounds, a Minor League Baseball team of the Triple-A American Association, in 1985.

In 1979, when Gatlin signed to Columbia Records, he decided to have his brothers payed on his singles and on his albums. The Gatlin Brothers were officially named "Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers" in that year. Straight Ahead was released in October. It was the result of their best hit on record, debuting at number one on the Hot Country Songs chart, with the single "All the Gold in California." Gatlin's second number one hit and culminated in him being named "Best Male Vocalist of the Year" by the Academy of Country Music this year. Straight Ahead was named gold on June 6, 1980, in the United States.

"Take Me To Your Lovin' Place," the group's next big hit, peaked at number five in 1981, was followed by "What I Am Doing Lonesome," which peaked at number five later this year. They maintained their hit popularity with "In Like With Each Other" (1982), "She Used to Sing on Sunday" (1982), and "Denver" (1984). "Houston" was the group's third (and last) number-one hit, "Means I'm One Day Closer to You" in 1983. The Gatlin Brothers performed "All the Gold in California" at the national television broadcasted 50th Inaugural Gala on January 19, 1985, the day before Ronald Reagan's second inauguration. Despite the fact that the company never achieved another number one hit, they did have hits, including 1991's "She Used to Be Somebody's Baby" (which peaked at number two), 1986's "Talkin' to the Moon" (which peaked at number one), and 1988's "Love of a Lifetime" (both of which peaked at number four).

The Gatlin Brothers were also one of the first country groups to have music videos, such as 1984's "The Lady Takes the Cowboy Everytime." Gatlin wrote the song "Indian Summer" with Barry Gibb in 1985, which he recorded as a duet with Roy Orbison. The Gatlin Brothers performed National Anthem in 1989, just shy of Game Three of the 1989 World Series, which was played at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California. (Incidentally, the Loma Prieta earthquake struck just after their National Anthem was played, and the game was played ten days later at the same location.) At game five of the 1985 World Series at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, they sang the National Anthem and would do so again at game six of the 2005 NBA Finals at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Gatlin's chart success fell dramatically when a new generation of "Neotraditional country" singers descended on Nashville around 1986. Gatlin and other Countrypolitan vocalists were pushed out of the top ten by new stars, such as Dwight Yoakam and Randy Travis. Janie Fricke, another country-pop styled musician, had a duet recording in 1987. Nevertheless, their duet reached no. 21. He briefly signed with Universal Records in 1989, where he sang of his last singles. "Number One Heartache Place" was his last charted single and appeared in 1989. After years of wear and tear on his voice, Gatlin underwent surgery on his vocal cords in 1991. He had begun to fail with the high falsetto notes that were prominent in several of his albums. Gatlin spent a short time with an opera coach to restore his voice and his vocals took on a more nuanced operatic style after recovering.

The Gatlin Brothers began on a farewell tour in December 1992 before retiring to their own theater in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Gatlin went on to act in The Will Rogers Follies, a Broadway performance. Gatlin and his brothers opened a 2,000-seat theater in Myrtle Beach in 1994. Big Dreams & Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story, a 1995 film about Dottie West's life. West had died in a major car accident four years earlier.

Gatlin co-wrote with celebrity biographer Jeff Lenburg a memoir called All the Gold in California, which was published in 1998. Gatlin toured and entertained troops of Bosnia's 1st CAV division in 1999.

Gatlin has been contributing to Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network as a political and social commentator since 2010. On April 16, 2011, Gatlin appeared on Imus as a substitute host for Don Imus on Imus on Imus in the Morning and Fox Across America with Spencer Hughes. In addition, he hosts radio shows for WSM, including a weekly gospel show, and the Grand Ole Opry spin-off Opry Country Classics.

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