Larry Gatlin
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Larry Gatlin | |
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Member of | The Gatlin Brothers |
Formerly of | The Imperials |
Website | www |
The Gatlin Brothers | |
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Origin | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
Genres | |
Years active | 1973–present |
Labels | |
Members |
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Larry Wayne Gatlin (born May 2, 1948)
Gatlin is known for his tenor voice and for the country songs that he recorded in the 1970s and 1980s. Some of Gatlin's greatest hits include "
Early life
Gatlin was born in Seminole in Gaines County, Texas, United States,[1] next to the New Mexico border. His father was an oilfield worker, and the family lived in several locations while he was a youth, including Abilene and Odessa.[1] He was reared listening to country and Southern gospel music. He has performed with his brothers Steve and Rudy since childhood. When they were younger, they often sang at their local church along with their sister LaDonna[1] and occasionally performed on local radio and television shows. They also recorded a gospel music album for the Sword and Shield label and topped Roy Orbison in a local talent contest.[citation needed]
Gatlin was a quarterback at Odessa High School. After graduation in 1966, he was eligible to serve in the military during the Vietnam War,[2] but he chose to attend the University of Houston.[1] As a wide receiver on the football team, he caught a touchdown pass in a 1968 game in which his team scored 100 points.[3]
He later auditioned for and joined the gospel music group
As a solo artist
With West's help, Gatlin found work in Nashville as a background singer for Kris Kristofferson. In 1973, Gatlin landed a solo recording contract with Monument Records.[1]
In December 1973, Gatlin released his first album, The Pilgrim.
Brothers Steve and Rudy made their first appearance on Larry's 1976 album Larry Gatlin with Family & Friends. They were featured on some of Gatlin's other hits during the late 1970s, notably "I Don't Wanna Cry", "Love Is Just a Game" and "Statues Without Hearts".[1] In 1978, Gatlin scored his first number-one hit with "I Just Wish You Were Someone I Love".[1] In 1978, he released his last solo album, Oh Brother, which featured the top-10 hits "I've Done Enough Dyin' Today" and "Night Time Magic". The latter song reached the Billboard Easy Listening chart. Both songs spotlighted Gatlin's soaring falsetto that became a trademark of his vocal style.
In 1985, Gatlin purchased shares in the
With the Gatlin Brothers
In 1979, when Gatlin signed with Columbia Records, he decided to officially have his brothers billed as Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers. In October, they released the album Straight Ahead. It spawned the single "All the Gold in California", which became their greatest hit together, reaching number one on the Hot Country Songs list. This was Gatlin's second number-one hit, and he was named Top Male Vocalist of the Year by the Academy of Country Music. On June 6, 1980, Straight Ahead was certified gold.
The group's next big hit came in early 1980 with "Take Me to Your Lovin' Place", which peaked at number five in 1981. They next released "What Are We Doin' Lonesome", which peaked at number four later in the year. They continued with top-10 and top-20 hits such as "In Like with Each Other" (1982), "She Used to Sing on Sunday" (1982), "Sure Feels Like Love" (1982), "Almost Called Her Baby by Mistake" (1983) and "Denver" (1984). In 1983, the group released their third and last number-one hit, "Houston (Means I'm One Day Closer to You)". On January 19, 1985, the Gatlin Brothers sang "All the Gold in California" at the nationally televised second inauguration gala for Ronald Reagan. Though the group never achieved another number-one hit, they came close with "She Used to Be Somebody's Baby" (1976, number two), "Talkin' to the Moon" (1987, number four) and "Love of a Lifetime" (1988, number four).
The Gatlin Brothers were also one of the first country groups to appear in music videos, such as 1984's "The Lady Takes the Cowboy Everytime" [sic]. In 1985, Gatlin wrote the song "Indian Summer" with Barry Gibb, which he recorded as a duet with Roy Orbison. In 1989, the Gatlin Brothers sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" before Game 3 of the 1989 World Series at Candlestick Park in San Francisco just before the Loma Prieta earthquake occurred. They also sang the national anthem at Game 5 of the 1985 World Series and Game 6 of the 2005 NBA Finals.[citation needed]
Later work
Gatlin's chart success declined greatly when a new breed of neotraditional country singers entered Nashville around 1986. New stars such as Dwight Yoakam and Randy Travis pushed Gatlin and other Countrypolitan vocalists out of the top 10. Gatlin recorded a duet in 1987 with country-pop singer Janie Fricke,[8] but the song reached only number 21. He briefly signed with Universal Records in 1989, where he recorded his last singles. His last charting single was released in 1989, titled "Number One Heartache Place". Gatlin underwent surgery on his vocal cords in 1991. In concert, he had begun to struggle with the high falsetto notes that were featured prominently in many of his songs. After recovery, Gatlin worked briefly with an opera coach to rebuild his voice, and his vocals took a powerful operatic style.[citation needed]
After more than a decade of singing together, in December 1992, the Gatlin Brothers embarked on a farewell tour before retiring to their own theater in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Gatlin starred in the Broadway production of The Will Rogers Follies. In 1994, Gatlin and his brothers opened a 2,000-seat theater in Myrtle Beach. In 1995, he played himself in the television movie about Dottie West's life, Big Dreams & Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story. West had been killed four years earlier in an automobile accident.
Along with celebrity biographer Jeff Lenburg, Gatlin wrote a memoir titled All the Gold in California that was published in 1998. In 1999, Gatlin toured and entertained troops of the 1st Cavalry Division in Bosnia.[citation needed]
Since 2010, Gatlin has contributed to
In 2023 Larry, Steve, and Rudy
Discography
References
- ^ ISBN 0-85112-726-6.
- ^ Jack Shifflett (September 4, 2014). "President Gatlin Declares World War III". Retrieved September 7, 2014.
- ^ "1968: About That Houston 100-Points Game". The Pecan Park Eagle. September 15, 2013. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
- ^ "Southern Gospel History | I / Imperials". Sghistory.com.
- ^ "PBS – Austin City Limits". PBS. November 11, 2001. Archived from the original on November 11, 2001. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ISBN 1886371334
- ^ "Sounds Owners". The Nashville Sounds 1985 Official Souvenir Program. Nashville Sounds. 1985. p. 6.
- ISBN 0-8230-8291-1, 2006
- ^ "Larry Gatlin to Sit In for Vacationing Don Imus". Theboot.com. June 2010.
Sources
- Wood, Gerry. (1998). "The Gatlin Brothers". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 195–6.