Crystal Gayle

Crystal Gayle ranked among the era's most prominent and recognizable women in country music, distinguished by her signature nearly floor-length hair, a smooth and adaptable voice, a natural affinity for ballads, and a country-pop approach that occasionally yielded mainstream success. Born Brenda Gail Webb in Paintsville, Kentucky, in 1951, she was the younger sister of future star Loretta Lynn, who had already moved away from home before Brenda arrived. When Brenda turned four, the family relocated to Wabash, Indiana, where she began harmonizing with country and pop radio songs at an early age. Motivated partly by her sister's achievements, she picked up guitar and performed folk material in high school while also contributing backing vocals to her brother's band. Lynn supported her sibling by inviting her along on tour for short stretches each summer. Once Brenda finished high school, Lynn's label Decca offered a contract but recommended changing her name to prevent mix-ups with existing artist Brenda Lee. Lynn proposed "Crystal," drawn from the Krystal hamburger chain, and Brenda incorporated her middle name to become Crystal Gayle.

Her first single, 1970's "I've Cried (The Blues Right Out of My Eyes)," echoed Lynn's style closely and climbed into the country Top 40. Rather than urging Gayle toward an independent sound, Decca continued releasing material that cast her as a younger version of her sister, with Lynn even penning several early tracks. This strategy did not generate distinct recognition for Gayle despite frequent spots on Jim Ed Brown's television program The Country Place. Dissatisfied, she left Decca and joined United Artists in 1974, where producer Allen Reynolds took charge of her recordings. Reynolds granted her the artistic latitude she sought, allowing her to refine her phrasing and explore new directions that led to a personal style. The self-titled debut album Crystal Gayle appeared in 1974, followed in 1975 by her initial Top Ten country single, "Wrong Road Again." The next year, "I'll Get Over You" marked the first of her 17 chart-topping country releases. Sensing broader appeal, Reynolds guided her toward the jazz-tinged pop ballad "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue," which he believed carried crossover promise. The track reached number one on the country chart in 1977, rose to number two on the pop side, gained international radio play, and earned Gayle a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance; its parent album, We Must Believe in Magic, became the first platinum-certified release by a female country artist.

Once established as a major star, Gayle maintained a run of hits that spanned roughly the following ten years. Before the decade ended she added several more country number ones: "You Never Miss a Real Good Thing ('Til He Says Goodbye)" in 1977, "Ready for the Times to Get Better" in 1978, "Talking in Your Sleep" in 1978 (which also reached the pop Top 20), and "Why Have You Left the One You Left Me For" in 1979. Her first Columbia single, 1979's "Half the Way," peaked at number two on the country chart and likewise entered the pop Top 20. Success continued into the 1980s with two 1980 chart-toppers, "If You Ever Change Your Mind" and "It's Like We Never Said Goodbye," another in 1981 titled "Too Many Lovers," and her debut number-one duet "You and I" in 1982, recorded with Eddie Rabbitt; the track also became her second Top Ten pop hit and signaled her move to Elektra/Warner. Three additional country number ones arrived in 1983 ("Baby, What About You," Rodney Crowell's "Til I Gain Control Again," and "Our Love Is on the Faultline"), followed by two more in 1984 ("The Sound of Goodbye" and "Turning Away"), while her recordings increasingly appeared on adult-contemporary lists as well.

Gayle's final country chart-toppers occurred in 1986 with "Cry" and the polished Gary Morris duet "Makin' Up for Lost Time," after which she largely stepped away from the singles charts. She kept releasing music, returning to Allen Reynolds for the 1990 Capitol album Ain't Gonna Worry and pursuing specialized projects on independent labels afterward. Two gospel collections emerged during the 1990s, Someday and He Is Beautiful, and in 1999 she completed the tribute album Crystal Gayle Sings the Heart & Soul of Hoagy Carmichael. During this period she also operated a Nashville store specializing in fine jewelry and crystal items. Gayle opened the 2000s with the children's album In My Arms. All My Tomorrows, a set of Great American Songbook standards, followed in 2003 before she entered a long recording hiatus.

Throughout the 2000s and 2010s she maintained a steady performance schedule and received multiple honors, most notably her 2017 induction into the Grand Ole Opry. This recognition sparked renewed visibility that led to the 2019 album You Don't Know Me, consisting of country covers.