Larry Gatlin
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Larry Gatlin (born May 2, 1948 in Seminole, Texas) is an American singer, songwriter, stage actor and author.
The son of an oil field worker, he was the eldest of three Gatlin boys who all began singing together as small boys at family and church socials. A football star in high school, after graduating he studied at the University of Houston on a football scholarship. While in college, Gatlin began performing locally, which eventually led to a chance meeting with Dottie West. West was impressed by Gatlin's songwriting talents and, in addition to recording a couple of his compositions herself, she talked Gatlin into moving to Nashville, eventually sending him a plane ticket to do so. He would eventually land a record deal with Monument Records where he had several successful solo records beginning in the mid 1970s, becoming part of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee 1976.
In 1977, Larry Gatlin won the Grammy Award for Best Country Song for his composition of ""Broken Lady" and in 1979 he was voted the "Top Male Vocalist of the Year" by the Academy of Country Music.
However, he is also well known for his hit partnership with his younger brothers Steven and Rudy Gatlin in The Gatlin Brothers Band on Monument Records, and later Columbia Records. The Gatlins first hit No. 1 in 1978 with "I Just Wish You Were Someone I Love," a year before their most famous hit, "All the Gold in California." Their only other No. 1 hit was 1983's "Houston (Means I'm One Day Closer to You)."
Other well-known hits by the Gatlins include "Love is Just a Game" (1977); "Take Me to Your Lovin' Place" (1980); "Denver" (1984); and "She Used to Be Somebody's Baby" (1986).
In 1985, Larry Gatlin teamed up with Barry Gibb to write the song "Indian Summer" that he would record as a duet with singing legend Roy Orbison.
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 Branson, Missouri. Larry Gatlin went on to star in the Broadway production of "The Will Rogers Follies."
Larry Gatlin wrote a memoir called "All the Gold in California" that was published in 1998.
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