Larry Gatlin

Larry Gatlin is a country music singer, songwriter, and Broadway performer born on May 2, 1948, in Seminole, Gaines County, Texas, near the New Mexico border. His father worked in the oilfields, and the family relocated frequently during Gatlin's youth, living at various points in Abilene and Odessa. Raised on country and Southern gospel music, Gatlin began performing alongside his brothers Steve and Rudy in childhood, singing at their local church with their sister LaDonna and making occasional appearances on local radio and television. The brothers also recorded a gospel album for the Sword and Shield label and defeated Roy Orbison in a local talent contest.

Gatlin played quarterback at Odessa High School, graduating in 1966. Rather than entering military service during the Vietnam War, he enrolled at the University of Houston, where he played wide receiver and caught a touchdown pass in a 1968 game in which his team scored 100 points. He subsequently auditioned for and joined the gospel group the Imperials, who performed at Jimmy Dean's Las Vegas Revue in January 1971. It was there that country singer Dottie West noticed Gatlin, struck by his resemblance to Mickey Newbury and impressed by his songwriting. West recorded two of his compositions, "You're the Other Half of Me" and "Once You Were Mine," circulated his demo tapes in Nashville, and arranged his relocation there by purchasing his plane ticket. West later recorded his song "Broken Lady," which appeared on her 1978 album Dottie.

With West's assistance, Gatlin secured work in Nashville as a background singer for Kris Kristofferson and in 1973 signed a solo recording contract with Monument Records. His debut album, The Pilgrim, was released in December 1973, followed by Rain/Rainbow in 1974, which produced the top-20 country hit "Delta Dirt," peaking at number 14 and reaching number 84 on the pop charts. His composition "Broken Lady" became his first major hit, reaching number five on the Hot Country Songs chart in 1976 and earning him a Grammy Award for Best Country Song. That same year, Gatlin received a guitar credit on Willie Nelson's album The Troublemaker. His brothers Steve and Rudy first appeared on his 1976 album Larry Gatlin with Family & Friends, contributing to subsequent hits including "I Don't Wanna Cry," "Love Is Just a Game," and "Statues Without Hearts." His 1978 solo album Oh Brother produced the top-10 hits "I've Done Enough Dyin' Today" and "Night Time Magic," the latter of which also charted on the Billboard Easy Listening chart, both showcasing the soaring falsetto that became a hallmark of his vocal style. That same year he scored his first number-one country hit with "I Just Wish You Were Someone I Love."

When Gatlin signed with Columbia Records in 1979, he officially incorporated his brothers into the billing as Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers. The group's album Straight Ahead, released that October, produced "All the Gold in California," which reached number one on the Hot Country Songs chart and was certified gold on June 6, 1980. The Academy of Country Music named Gatlin Top Male Vocalist of the Year. The group continued charting through the early 1980s with hits including "Take Me to Your Lovin' Place" (number five, 1981), "What Are We Doin' Lonesome" (number four), "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). Their third number-one hit came in 1983 with "Houston (Means I'm One Day Closer to You)." That year the group also provided backing vocals for Kenny Rogers on his single "Buried Treasure." In 1985, Gatlin co-wrote "Indian Summer" with Barry Gibb and recorded it as a duet with Roy Orbison. That same year he purchased shares in the Nashville Sounds, a Triple-A Minor League Baseball team, and the Gatlin Brothers performed "All the Gold in California" at the nationally televised second inauguration gala for Ronald Reagan on January 19, 1985. Later hits included "She Used to Be Somebody's Baby" (number two, 1986), "Talkin' to the Moon" (number four, 1987), and "Love of a Lifetime" (number four, 1988). Across their recording career, the group placed 33 singles in the top 40 on the country charts.

The group's chart success diminished after 1986 as neotraditional artists such as Dwight Yoakam and Randy Travis reshaped the country landscape. Gatlin briefly signed with Universal Records in 1989, releasing his final charting single, "Number One Heartache Place," that year. In 1991, he underwent surgery on his vocal cords to address difficulties he had developed hitting the high falsetto notes central to his repertoire. Following his recovery, he worked with an opera coach, and his voice took on a more operatic quality. In December 1992, the Gatlin Brothers embarked on a farewell tour, and in 1994 they opened a 2,000-seat theater in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Gatlin's Broadway career spanned from 1991 to 1999. He appeared in The Will Rogers Follies and starred in The Civil War. Among the group's notable public performances, the Gatlin Brothers sang the national anthem before Game 3 of the 1989 World Series at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, moments before the Loma Prieta earthquake struck, as well as at Game 5 of the 1985 World Series and Game 6 of the 2005 NBA Finals.