Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers will be headlining entertainment at a community event Saturday, January 26, at 7:30 p.m., to highlight the Grand Opening of Hempstead Hall on the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope Campus. Tickets for this event will be available following the Hempstead Hall ribbon cutting Thursday at 10:30 a.m. The Box Office will be open Thursday from 11:00 a.m. until 6:00p.m.; Friday from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.; and the day of the show from 2:00 p.m. until tickets run out. Tickets are first come first serve with a limit of 4 tickets per person.
Larry, Steve, and Rudy Gatlin started singing in their hometown of Abilene, Texas, Over 50 years ago and from there went on to make music history. Over the course of a four-decade career, the Gatlin Brothers have gone from dusty Texas stages to White House performances, from Broadway to Grammy Awards, and to the top of the country charts.
Their road to success began in 1972 when Larry landed a solo deal with Monument Records through his friend and now famous entertainer, Kris Kristofferson. Larry invited his siblings to Nashville to sing backup on his first two albums—1974’s The Pilgrim and 1975’s Rain Rainbow. Release of The Pilgrim landed Gatlin his first hit with “Sweet Becky Walker.” He then found himself at #1 on the charts the next year with “Broken Lady,” a song that captured him a Grammy in 76′. The same year all three brothers were inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. 1977’s High Time, credited to “Larry Gatlin with Brothers and Friends,” featured the No.1 hit “I Just Wish You Were Someone I Love.” The success of this album encouraged the brothers to become an official trio; and in 1979, they signed a group deal with Columbia records. When demand due to hit records sent them on the road, The Gatlin Brothers proved more than capable of fulfilling the musical call on their lives. In concert, their performances were filled with incredible family harmonies, total professionalism, and downright fun for both the trio and their audiences.
Over the next decade the Brothers scored more than a dozen Top 40 hits, including “Denver,” “Houston (Means That I’m One Day Closer To You),” “Midnight Choir (Mogen David),” and “She Used To Be Somebody’s Baby,” “I Don’t Want To Cry,” “Statues Without Hearts,” “What Are We Doing Lonesome,” “I’ve Done Enough Dyin’ Today,” “Take Me To Your Lovin’ Place,” “Night Time Magic,” “Love Is Just A Game,” “The Lady Takes The Cowboy Every Time,” and “Talkin’ To The Moon.” It was also in 79′ that Larry Gatlin won Academy of Country Music’s “Top Male Vocalist;” “Straight Ahead” won “Album of the Year;” and “All The Gold In California” won “Single of the Year.”
The Gatlin Brothers have continued to play a large role in country and gospel music. They are traveling and sharing their remarkable harmony with crowds of all ages. Get your tickets January 24, 25, or 26th at the Hempstead Hall Box office. For more information, visit the College website at www.uacch.edu.
