Crystal Gayle Biography, Photos and Posters

Crystal Gayle

Biography

Born: January 9, 1951
Hometown: Paintsville, KY
Instrument: Vocalist
Music Training:
Awards: 1977 Grammy Best Country Vocal Performance, Female, "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue;"
Top Recordings: "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue," "I'll Get Over You," "If You Ever Change Your Mind," "It's Like We Never Said Goodbye," "You and I"
Crystal Gayle biography: Brenda Gail Webb is the younger sister of country music legend Loretta Lynn. By the time she was born her older sister had already left home. When Brenda was 4 her family moved to Wabash, IN. Inspired by the success of her sister she started singing along with country and western singers on the radio at an early age. She learned guitar and started singing folk songs in high school and singing backup with her brothers band. Her older sister would bring her along to perform on tour a few weeks each summer. As soon as she finished high school she signed a recording contract with her sister's label Decca, who suggested a name change to avoid confusion with Brenda Lee. Her sister suggested Crystal from the Krystal hamburger chain and Brenda Gail Webb dropped her last name and became Crystal Gayle. Known as musch for her good looks and long locks Crystal's first recording "I've Cried (The Blues Right Out of My Eyes)" was a Loretta Lynn sound alike that made the country and western top 40. The label was content with the early success and pushed for more similar efforts, but her work failed to enable her to establish her own identity. Frustrated she left Decca and signed with United Artists in 1974. No longer pressured to be someone else she began experimenting with her own style. Her first album simply titled Crystal Gayle was released in 74 and the following year she had her first to 10 country hit with "Wrong Road Again." In 1976 she had her first of 17 number 1 country hits with "I'll Get Over You." In 1977 her producer Allen Reynolds felt that Crystal was ready to break the pop charts which she did with the jazzy pop ballad "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" which hit the to of the country charts and climbed all the way to number 2 on the pop charts and her album We Must Believe in Magic became the first album by a female country artist ever to go platinum. Over the next decade several more number 1 country hits followed including: You Never Miss a Real Good Thing (Till He Says Goodbye)" (1977), "Ready for the Times to Get Better" (1978), "Talking in Your Sleep" (1978). In 1982 she teamed with country star Eddie Rabbitt to hit the top 10 of the pop charts once again with "You and I." Numerous country chart toppers followed until in 1986 she had her last number 1 country hits with "Cry" and "Makin' Up for Lost Time" a duet with Gary Morris. Although she continued to record she never again achieved the popularity she had in her earlier days.

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