Gary Morris

All Music Guide:

The romantic ballads of Texas-born Gary Morris were staples of country radio in the 1980s -- none more so than "The Wind Beneath My Wings," which was covered by Bette Midler later in the decade and became a song heard at weddings perhaps more often than any other. From the start, Morris had a powerful voice well suited to the musical theater stage, and after his string of country hits came to an end he enjoyed a successful theatrical career. Morris was born in Fort Worth, TX. Although his own style would become thoroughly contemporary, he was descended from a long line of traditional country and gospel musicians on both sides, and in the third grade he and his twin sister won a talent contest with a rendition of "This Old House." Morris played four sports in high school and won an athletic scholarship to Cisco Junior College near Abilene, intending to go on to Texas Tech. But music intervened as Morris and two college friends spent a summer working in Colorado, which would become the singer's permanent home.

The trio asked a Colorado Springs bartender if they could get up on the bandstand and perform a few songs, and the audience's response (and tips) convinced Morris to put his college plans on hold and to pursue a performing career. He made a living singing in Denver clubs in the early '70s, also composing advertising jingles for local corporations such as Frontier Airlines. In 1976, Morris signed on with Jimmy Carter's presidential campaign and sang at several fundraisers. That got him invited to perform at the White House after Carter won the election, and Nashville producer Norro Wilson happened to be in the audience as well. When Morris later presented Wilson with a demo tape, the producer remembered him well and signed him to the Warner Bros. label.

Morris notched a few hits with up-tempo country-rock pieces, but it was his decisive turn toward ballad material on the 1983 Why Lady Why album that put him at the top of the charts. That album spawned several Top Ten hits, including the title track, "The Love She Found in Me," and "The Wind Beneath My Wings," which steadily grew in popularity. In 1984 and 1985 Morris won a host of awards and made guest appearances on several daytime and evening television series. That made it clear to entertainment-industry insiders that although Morris had never studied either singing or acting formally, he was that rare animal: a natural performer and a vocal powerhouse. He was offered the role of Jean Valjean in the Broadway production of Les Misérables in 1987, becoming the first American to play the part in that European musical.

Morris didn't give up on country music at first; he recorded 12 country albums in all, including the innovative, mostly acoustic Plain Brown Wrapper, and he notched 16 Top Ten singles. But his role in Les Misérables evolved into a part in the show's touring production and then in its symphonically accompanied recording. These activities took time, and Morris' country career suffered. His live-theater activities, on the other hand, flourished; he appeared with another former progressive country singer, Linda Ronstadt, in the Broadway adaptation of Puccini's opera La Bohème, and he spent much of the 1990s working on other pop projects such as a PBS special concert performance in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, Russia. Morris returned to country music as a performer in Branson, MO, and as a producer in the late '90s. He has shepherded the career of his son, Matthew, and has often performed private concerts for corporate clients. Morris resides at his own fly-fishing lodge in the Colorado Rockies.

Wikipedia:

Gary Gwyn Morris (born December 7, 1948) is an American country music artist who charted a string of countrypolitan-styled hit songs throughout the 1980s.

Morris is known for the 1983 ballad "The Wind Beneath My Wings", although his credits include more than twenty-five other chart singles on the Billboard country charts, including five No. 1 hits. He has also released nine studio albums, with his 1983 album Why Lady Why having earned a gold certification from the RIAA.

Early life

Morris has two siblings, a twin sister (Carey) and younger brother, Mark. Even though Morris was best known for pop-oriented hits in the 1980s, he was descended from a long line of traditional country singers, who sang hard-twang country and also gospel.

Gary's family moved from Fort Worth, Texas to North Richland Hills, Texas in the late 1950s. While in the third grade, Morris and his sister won a talent show after singing their rendition of the pop hit "This Old House," originally popularized by Rosemary Clooney. Morris, a good athlete, played four sports at Richland High School, which led to a scholarship with Cisco Junior College in Texas. It was during college that singing became Morris's chosen vocation, and he decided to move to Colorado. He and his two friends formed a trio, and asked a Colorado Springs bartender if they could get up on the bandstand and perform a few songs, and the audience's response (and tips) convinced Morris to put his college plans on hold and to pursue a performing career.

In the early 1970s, Morris made a living by singing in nightclubs in Denver, Colorado. He also wrote a few commercial jingles for Frontier Airlines. In 1976, Morris signed on with Jimmy Carter's presidential campaign and sang at fundraisers during Carter's campaign. This job led to Morris' performing at the White House following Carter's election. In the audience was Nashville country music producer Norro Wilson, to whom Morris later gave a demo tape. Wilson liked what he heard, and soon signed Morris to his label Warner Bros. Records.

Recording career

Morris signed his recording contract with Warner Bros. in 1980. After a pair of minor hits landed just inside the top 40 of the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, he scored his breakthrough hit with "Headed for a Heartache"; that song reached No. 8 on the country chart in late 1981. Two follow-up singles also reached the top 15.

Morris' 1983 album, Why Lady Why focused more on ballads. One of the album's four singles was "Wind Beneath My Wings," which showcased Morris' soaring tenor. Written by Larry Henley and Jeff Silbar, the song about heroes — which Morris recorded as a ballad — became one of the earliest hit versions of the song; a better-known version by Bette Midler would top the Billboard Hot 100 in 1989. The Why Lady Why album also featured the ballad "The Love She Found in Me," the mid-tempoed "Velvet Chains" and the up-tempoed title track as singles; all of them peaked in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. Also during this time, Morris recorded a duet with Lynn Anderson called "You're Welcome to Tonight," which became a top 10 hit.

After two more top 10 hits in 1984 — "Between Two Fires" and "Second Hand Heart" — Morris scored his first No. 1 country hit in March 1985 with "Baby Bye Bye." During what was his most prolific hitmaking part of his career, Morris had three more solo No. 1 hits during the next two years: "I'll Never Stop Loving You," "100% Chance of Rain" and "Leave Me Lonely." He also recorded a chart-topping duet with Crystal Gayle, "Makin' Up For Lost Time (The Dallas Lovers Song)." Although he rarely saw any success outside country music, many of Morris' hit songs were in the pop-country vein during the height of his career.

Morris had two more hits in 1987: the solo "Plain Brown Wrapper" and another duet with Gayle called "Another World." The latter song was used for many years as the theme for the NBC soap opera. After that, Morris' success on the country charts began to fade, as tastes switched once again to neo-traditional country music. Morris later opened a music publishing office in Nashville, with one of his employees being future star Faith Hill.

In early 2008, Morris released two Gospel CD's. His most recent CD is called, "Faith and Freedom," dedicated to the military troops. Gary Morris performed two songs featured on Juice Newton's album Duets: Friends & Memories, which was released in October 2010.

Acting career and life today

Morris took a break from touring to pursue a serious acting career. One of his first big roles was in the Broadway production of Les Misérables, as Jean Valjean. The full symphonic recording of "Les Misérables" is a platinum selling, Grammy Award-winning album and features Gary's now famous version of Bring Him Home. Morris has also appeared in a production of Puccini's opera La Boheme with another fellow Country/Pop singer Linda Ronstadt.

In the 1980s, he did a stint on The Colbys as a blind country music singer signed to Dominique Deveraux's label.

In the 1990s, he spent a great deal of time working on music projects, such as the PBS special concert production, in Moscow, Russia, in the famous Tretyakov Gallery. He returned to country music in the 1990s, performing in concerts and as a record producer. Morris hosted and also produced the Nashville network's top rated The North American Sportsman.

An induction into the Walkway of Stars, Country Music Hall of Fame; the Tex Ritter Award; a Drama Desk nomination, and accolades as the host and producer of TNN’s top rated show, “North American Sportsman” followed, as did the PBS special which he hosted and produced, “The Art of the Tretyakov.” Featured in the Johnny Cash Festival set to air in 2012 on PBS TV, his 2012 tour and latest CD “If You Were Mine” will take Morris and his music across the country and around the world.

Be it a crowd of thousands or an intimate acoustic set, Gary Morris’ voice is the one you will remember. From the backroads of Texas to Music City, Broadway, and concert halls around the world; Gary Morris is known foremost for his God-given voice. The Queen of England asked to shake his hand following a concert; Olympic gold medalists skate to his music; and every U.S. President since Jimmy Carter has requested a performance.