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Biography:
Born Brenda Gail Webb, on the 9th of January, 1951, at Paintsville, Kentucky, USA. Gayle was the last of eight children born to Ted and Clara Webb. Her sister, Loretta Lynn, had her own story told in the film Coal Miner's Daughter. By the time Gayle was born, her father had a lung disease, and he died when she was eight. When Gayle was four, the family moved to Wabash, Indiana, where her mother worked in a nursing home. Clara Webb, who was musical, encouraged Gayle to sing at family gatherings and church socials. Unlike Lynn, her influences came from the Beatles and Peter, Paul And Mary. In the late 60s, after graduation, she signed with her sister's recording label, USA Decca. As the label already had Brenda Lee, a change of name was needed and, when they drove past a sign for Krystal hamburgers, Lynn said, 'That's your name. Crystals are bright and shiny, like you.'
At first, she was managed by Lynn's husband, Mooney, and she was part of her stage show. She established herself with regular appearances on Jim Ed Brown's television show The Country Place. Lynn wrote some of her first records ('Sparklin' Look Of Love', 'Mama, It's Different This Time') and therein lay the problem - Crystal Gayle sounded like Loretta Lynn. Gayle first entered the US country charts in 1970 with 'I've Cried (The Blue Right Out Of My Eyes)', which was followed by 'Everybody Oughta Cry' and 'I Hope You're Having Better Luck Than Me'. There was nothing original about the records and Gayle, wanting a say in what she recorded, left the label.
She joined United Artists and was teamed with producer Allen Reynolds, who was having success with Don Williams. Her first records had the easy-going charm of Williams' records, but her 1974 US country hit, 'Wrong Road Again', hinted at the dynamics in her voice. Reynolds, who wrote the song, did not have enough time to devote to composing but nurtured several songwriters (including Richard Leigh and Bob McDill) who supplied Gayle with excellent songs. Gayle also had a country hit with 'Beyond You', written by herself and her lawyer/manager/husband Vassilios 'Bill' Gatzimos. Gayle entered the US country Top 10 with the title song from Somebody Loves You, and followed it with her first number 1 country single, 'I'll Get Over You', written by Leigh. Reynolds, when time allowed, was a fine songwriter and his 'Ready For The Times To Get Better' was featured on Crystal.
In 1976, Gayle was voted Female Vocalist of the Year by the Academy of Country Music, but Reynolds knew there was a bigger market than merely country fans for her records. He seized the opportunity when Leigh wrote the jazz-tinged ballad 'Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue', although United Artists had reservations. 'They thought it was a mistake', said Reynolds. 'It was gimmickless, straight ahead, soulful and classy, but that's all it takes.' The public found 'Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue' irresistible and it went to number 2 in the US pop charts and reached number 5 in the UK. 'Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue' won Grammy awards for the Best Female Country Vocal Performance and for the Best Country Song. The album on which it appeared, We Must Believe In Magic, became the first album by a female country artist to sell over a million copies. Gayle, who was Female Vocalist of the Year for both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association, said, 'There is no rivalry between me and Loretta and if there is, it is on a friendly basis. I know that Loretta voted for me at the CMA awards in Nashville.'
In 1979, she became the first US country artist to perform in China. Although petite in stature, she had a mesmerizing stage act. With her back to the audience, they watched her luxurious hair sway back and forth. Gayle grows her hair to three inches off the floor: 'If it's on the ground, I find I step on it on stage. When you've hair like this, you cannot plan anything other than washing your hair and doing your concert.' Her fifth album, again produced by Reynolds, When I Dream, included the credit, 'Suggestions: Crystal'. It was a lavish production with 50 musicians being credited, including such established Nashville names as Hargus 'Pig' Robbins, Lloyd Green, Bob Moore and Kenny Malone. The title track, a torch ballad, brought out the best in Gayle's voice. The British writer Roger Cook, who had settled in Nashville, gave her a soulful ballad touching on the paranoia some lovers feel, 'Talking In Your Sleep'. Released as a single, it reached number 11 in the UK and number 18 in the USA. Another popular album track/single was 'Why Have You Left The One You Left Me For?'.
In 1979 Gayle released her final album for United Artists, ironically called We Should Be Together. It included two more country hits with the ballads 'Your Kisses Will' and 'Your Old Cold Shoulder'. That year she joined US Columbia and quickly had a US pop hit with 'Half The Way'. She had three country number 1s among her 10 hits for the label. She recorded an excellent version of Neil Sedaka 's 'The Other Side Of Me' and surprised many fans by reviving an early country record, Jimmie Rodgers' 'Miss The Mississippi And You'. In 1982 she moved to Elektra and worked on the soundtrack of the Francis Ford Coppola film One From The Heart with Tom Waits.
Gayle has had many more country chart entries, including number 1s with a revival of Johnnie Ray 's 'Cry' and duets with Eddie Rabbitt ('You And I') and Gary Morris ('Making Up For Lost Time').
In recent years, Gayle joined Capitol Records and her 1990 album, Ain't Gonna Worry, reunited her with Reynolds. Buzz Stone produced Three Good Reasons, which was a heartening return to her country roots. She is now signed to the Branson label.
Taken from Yahoo! Music.
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