Larry Gatlin
Larry Wayne Gatlin ( born May 2, 1948 in Seminole, Texas) is an American country musician and songwriter who with his brothers Steve (born 4 April 1951) and Rudy ( born August 20, 1952) as " Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers " was successful in the 1980s.
The first public appearance had Gatlin at the age of six years. Accompanied by his younger brothers Steve and Rudy, he participated in a talent competition. Developed in the early years, the three will be modeled after the Everly Brothers Close Harmony style with which they mainly reciting gospel songs. For a while, they came every Sunday at a local radio station program.
After finishing school, Gatlin changed with a scholarship to the University of Houston, where he joined the gospel group " The Imperials " joined. In Las Vegas, where the Imperials appeared in the Jimmy Dean Show, he met Dottie West know and asked her some self-written songs before. West recorded two of his songs and was henceforth to his patron.
Career
Dottie West picked him early seventies to Nashville and gave him a job as a songwriter in her newly established music publisher. He also worked as a background singer in the backing band of Kris Kristofferson, for which he also wrote some songs. Through the mediation of Kristofferson Gatlin received in 1973 by the Monument label a recording contract. For the production of his first album, The Pilgrim, he took his brothers to Nashville, who had meanwhile joined forces with a sister group Young Country. Some singles were released from the album, which could be placed in the central region of the country top 100.
Also in the next and the next album, his brothers were involved. The single Broken Lady 1976 reached fifth place and was awarded the following year with a Grammy for Best Country Song of the Year. In the same year Gatlin made her first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry. He made the first number 1 hit in 1978 with I Just Wish You Were Someone I Love.
In 1979 he joined the Columbia label. From that moment on, the brothers called " Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers". From the soloist with a band accompanying group had become. Already the first single, All The Gold In California, reached number one on the country charts and was single of the year the Academy of Country Music. The 1980s were the most successful decade of Gatlins. However, could not put every song in the top 20 at a distance. The next number 1 hit, Houston ( Means I'm One Day Closer To You ), it was not until 1984. Subsequently, it came to a career break, as Larry Gatlin fought his alcohol and drug addiction in a rehabilitation clinic. Even his brothers managed to get away from the alcohol.
The comeback succeeded. In 1986 they had their next Top 10 hit with She Used To Be Somebody 's Baby. Since her move to the Columbia label their music increasingly oriented towards the mainstream and pop. The sales figures gave them right. Nevertheless, the end of the decade, their popularity began to wane. A change to the Capitol label in 1989 could not stop the trend. 1992 took the Gatlins their official farewell tour ( after ten -year break she took from 2003 public appearances again ). They played for smaller labels but still one albums. Larry Gatlin, in 1993, a role in the Broadway musical Will Rogers Follies.