Larry Gatlin

With West's help, Gatlin found work in Nashville as a background singer for Kris Kristofferson. In 1973, Gatlin landed a solo recording contract with Monument Records.

In December 1973, Gatlin released his first album, The Pilgrim. Two singles were released from the album: "Sweet Becky Walker" and "Bitter They Are, Harder They Fall", though both failed to chart. The latter was recorded by Elvis Presley in 1976 (who had also recorded Gatlin's "Help Me" in 1973). In 1974 came the release of a new album, Rain/Rainbow, and a new song "Delta Dirt". The album and single proved more successful. "Delta Dirt" was a top-20 country hit, peaking at number 14. The song was also Gatlin's only entry on the pop charts, when it reached number 84. In 1975, Gatlin had his first major hit with his composition "Broken Lady", which reached number five on the Hot Country Songs chart in 1976. Gatlin won a Grammy Award for the song in 1977 for Best Country Song. A new album, High Time, was released in 1976. Gatlin is also credited on guitar on Willie Nelson's 1976 album The Troublemaker.

Brothers Steve and Rudy made their first appearance on Larry's 1976 album Larry Gatlin with Family & Friends. They were featured on some of Gatlin's other hits during the late 1970s, notably "I Don't Wanna Cry", "Love Is Just a Game", and "Statues Without Hearts". In 1978, Gatlin scored his first number-one hit with "I Just Wish You Were Someone I Love." Gatlin continued his success as a solo artist until 1978, when he released his last solo album, Oh Brother, which featured the top-10 hits "I've Done Enough Dyin' Today" and "Night Time Magic", the latter of which also made an entry into the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. Both songs spotlighted Gatlin's soaring falsetto that became a trademark of his vocal style.

In 1985, Gatlin purchased shares in the Nashville Sounds, a Minor League Baseball team of the Triple-A American Association.[5][6]

The Gatlin Brothers in the uniforms of the Nashville Sounds in 1985 (from left to right: Larry, Steve, and Rudy)

In 1979, when Gatlin signed with Columbia Records, he decided to officially have his brothers billed on his singles and on his albums. That year, their name was officially "Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers". In October, they released the album Straight Ahead. It spawned the classic single "All the Gold in California", which became their biggest hit together, reaching number one on the Hot Country Songs list. This was Gatlin's second number-one hit and led to his being awarded "Top Male Vocalist of the Year" by the Academy of Country Music that year. On June 6, 1980, Straight Ahead was certified gold.

The group's next big hit came in early 1980, with "Take Me To Your Lovin' Place", which peaked at number five in 1981; they followed up with "What Are We Doin' Lonesome", which peaked at number four later in the year. They continued their hit success, having top-10 and top-20 hits with "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). In 1983, the group had their third (and last) number-one hit, "Houston (Means I'm One Day Closer to You)". On January 19, 1985, the Gatlin Brothers sang "All the Gold in California" at the nationally televised 50th Inaugural Gala, the day before the second inauguration of Ronald Reagan. Though the group never achieved another number-one hit, they had hits that came close, like the jaunty release in 1986, "She Used to Be Somebody's Baby" (which peaked at number two), and 1987's "Talkin' to the Moon", and 1988's "Love of a Lifetime" (both of which peaked at number four).

The Gatlin Brothers were also one of the first country groups to have music videos, such as 1984's "The Lady Takes the Cowboy Everytime". In 1985, Gatlin wrote the song "Indian Summer" with Barry Gibb, which he recorded as a duet with Roy Orbison. In 1989, the Gatlin Brothers sang National Anthem before game three of the 1989 World Series, played at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California. (Incidentally, the Loma Prieta earthquake hit just after their National Anthem playing, and the game was played 10 days later at the same site.) They had also sung the National Anthem at game five of the 1985 World Series at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, and would do so again at game six of the 2005 NBA Finals at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Gatlin's chart success declined greatly when a new breed of "Neotraditional country" singers entered Nashville around 1986. New stars such as Dwight Yoakam and Randy Travis pushed Gatlin and other Countrypolitan vocalists out of the top 10. He had a duet recording in 1987 with another country-pop styled singer, Janie Fricke.[7] However, their duet only reached number 21. He briefly signed with Universal Records in 1989, where he recorded his last singles. His last charted single came in 1989, called "Number One Heartache Place". Gatlin underwent surgery on his vocal cords in 1991 after the years of wear and tear on his voice. In concert, he had begun to struggle with the high falsetto notes that were featured prominently in many of his songs. After recovery, Gatlin worked briefly with an opera coach to rebuild his voice and his vocals took on a powerful operatic style.

Gatlin (left) playing cards with Seabees in Croatia after a performance in 1995

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 Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Gatlin went on to star in the Broadway production of The Will Rogers Follies. In 1994, Gatlin and his brothers opened a 2,000-seat theater in Myrtle Beach. In 1995, he played himself in the TV movie about Dottie West's life, Big Dreams & Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story. West had died four years before in a major car accident.

Gatlin co-wrote with celebrity biographer Jeff Lenburg a memoir called All the Gold in California that was published in 1998. In 1999, Gatlin toured and entertained troops of the 1st CAV division in Bosnia.

Since 2010, Gatlin has contributed to Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network as a political and social commentator. In 2010, Gatlin acted as substitute host for Don Imus on Imus in the Morning[8] and Fox Across America with Spencer Hughes on March 16, 2011. He also hosts radio shows for WSM, including a weekly gospel program and the Grand Ole Opry spin-off Opry Country Classics.

On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Larry Gatlin among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.[9]