In the 1990s and 2000s, much contemporary country music merely echoed the Eagles and Lynyrd Skynyrd, yet its youth-oriented commercial focus proved even more frustrating by sidelining accomplished performers from the 1960s and 1970s. This pattern stands out sharply in the trajectory of Florida native Gary Stewart, a leading figure in hardcore honky tonk whose mid- to late-1970s prime found him composing and delivering performances that surpassed those of nearly any current country artist. After years employed at an airplane factory, Stewart left that work behind in the late 1960s when he submitted original material to Jerry Bradley, soon to head RCA’s country division. Although he had been writing with Bill Eldridge and sought nothing beyond steady Nashville songwriting employment, a period of modest success in that role, aided by Bradley’s ongoing support, led to his own recording contract.
Bolstered by Wayne Carson’s songwriting contributions and equipped with a powerful, vibrato-rich tenor reminiscent of Jerry Lee Lewis, Stewart issued the landmark 1975 album Out of Hand, widely regarded as one of honky tonk’s finest statements; its hit single “She’s Actin’ Single (I’m Drinkin’ Doubles)” quickly elevated him to country stardom. Despite crafting material for traditional Grand Ole Opry figures such as Cal Smith and Hank Snow, Stewart rejected the conservative ethos of the Nashville establishment, embracing instead the persona of a “flat natural-born good-timin’ man.” He socialized extensively with Southern rock musicians and featured them on his sessions when such choices remained controversial. As a confirmed renegade who refused to follow industry conventions, his growing popularity granted the freedom to operate independently, though that latitude often manifested in overt excess, particularly involving drugs and alcohol.
From 1975 to 1980 his output remained largely outstanding, reaching a notable peak with the 1977 release Your Place or Mine. That hard-charging, fiercely traditional honky tonk effort offered exuberant vitality, if not quite matching Out of Hand, while underscoring his distance from Music Row’s star-making apparatus. Crossover prospects stayed limited, however, because audiences perceived him as too country for rock listeners and too rock-oriented for country fans. In 1980 he recorded Cactus and a Rose with assistance from Southern rock veterans Gregg Allman, Dickey Betts, Mike Lawler, and Bonnie Bramlett; the album earned praise yet reached only his established listeners, insufficient to sustain broader momentum.
Creative drive appeared to dissipate shortly afterward. Collaborations with Dean Dillon produced a pair of undistinguished, rowdy outings whose rowdiness made even Hank Williams, Jr.’s work seem measured by comparison. Stewart soon withdrew to Florida and ceased recording. Following a stretch in the 1980s dominated by alcoholism and substance issues, he reemerged sober with the 1988 album Brand New. Though it lacked the fire of his earlier work, the record proved solid enough to launch a renewed phase that included I’m a Texan. In 2003 he issued Live at Billy Bob’s Texas, his first live album, demonstrating that his low visibility had not diminished his strength as a honky tonk performer. Stewart died by suicide in December 2003 at age 59, one month after the passing of his wife of forty-three years. Active primarily in the 1970s, he merits recognition for his substantial gifts, persistence, and lasting impact.
