Larry Wayne Gatlin was born on 2 May 1948, in Seminole, Texas USA, and is a singer and songwriter, best known for being in a band with his brothers Steve and Rudy, finding significant success with the country music genre in the 1970s. All of his efforts have helped put his net worth to where it is today.
How rich is Larry Gatlin? As of early 2017, sources estimate a net worth that is at $10 million, mostly earned through a successful career in the music industry. Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers created many hit songs, mostly written by Larry. They were also responsible for the country style that would eventually be known as “Countrypolitan”; all of these ensured the position of his wealth.
Larry Gatlin Net Worth $10 million
While travelling around with his family during his youth, Gatlin would be influenced by southern gospel music and country. He performed along with his siblings at their local church, and even had opportunities to perform on local radio stations. During this time, they recorded a gospel music album entitled “Sword and Shield”. Larry would attend Odessa High School and matriculate in 1966. He was eligible to serve in the Vietnam War but enrolled at the University of Houston, becoming a wide receiver in the American Football team. He then decided to audition for the gospel music group The Imperials, and would later perform at “Jimmy Dean’s Las Vegas Revue”, and was noticed by Dottie West, who was very impressed with Gatlin’s song-writing and she would use several of his songs. She also sent Gatlin’s demo around Nashville and helped him relocate there. His net worth was established.
Larry started off with Kris Kristofferson as a background singer, but would soon find a recording contract opportunity with Monument Records. In 1973, he released his first album entitled “The Pilgrim” but it failed to chart. However his song “Bitter They Are, Harder They Fall” was recorded by Elvis Presley, and proved to be successful. The following year, he released another album “Rain/Rainbow”, with the single “Delta Dirt” reaching the Top 20 in Country charts. He then had his first major hit with “Broken Lady”, which reached fifth spot on the Hot Country Songs Chart, which led to a Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 1977. His net worth was rising steadily.
His brothers would make their first appearance in the albums “Larry Gatlin with Family & Friends” in 1978, and he made his first number one hit with “I Just Wish You Were Someone I Love”, the following year signing with Columbia Records along with his brothers. They were officially named “Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers”, releasing their first album entitled “Straight Ahead” which contained their biggest hit “All the Gold in California”, with Larry being awarded “Top Male Vocalist of the Year” by the Academy of Country Music. The band would continue to release hit songs in the 1980s, including “Denver”, “Sure Feels Like Love” and “Houston (Means I’m One Day Closer to You)”. The brothers would also become one of the first country groups to make music videos.
In the late 1980s, Gatlin’s popularity started to decline and he would record his last few singles with Universal Records. His last charted song would be “Number One Heartache Place” before he would go to have surgery on his vocal cords due to wear and tear; the Gatlin Brothers would go on a farewell tour in 1992. He would then write a memoir entitled “All the Gold in California”, and appear in a film “Big Dreams & Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story”.
For his personal life, Larry has been married to Janis Ross since 1969. It is known that Larry is a Christian and still continues to serve musically with his brothers through Gospel music. He also does a bit of social commentary, and the brothers have a personal website gatlinbrothers.com
