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How Crystal Gayle Stepped Out of Loretta Lynn’s Shadow

How Crystal Gayle Stepped Out of Loretta Lynn's Shadow
Background Photo: Crystal Gayle/ Deezer, Circle Photo: Loretta Lynn/ Facebook
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Breaking into the music industry as the younger sibling of a star comes with its challenges. Many who have faced this can attest to how difficult it is to step out of their older sibling’s shadow, and Crystal Gayle is no exception. As the younger sister of country legend Loretta Lynn, Gayle was no stranger to comparisons, but with her sister’s guidance, she found her own voice.

Loretta Lynn and Crystal Gayle/ Beth Gwinn

Loretta Lynn’s key advice to her younger sister? “Quit singing country and go middle-of-the-road pop.” As Gayle recalls, “Loretta thought I should be different. She knew the business and that we would be compared. People have to know you for you.”

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Nineteen years younger than her famous sister, Gayle grew up in different circumstances. While Loretta experienced the hardships of their coal miner father’s illness in Kentucky, Crystal was only 4 when the family moved to Wabash, Indiana, after their father developed black lung disease. Their mother took a job at a restaurant, allowing the family to start a new life. Crystal, the youngest of eight children and the only one born in a hospital, had a different upbringing in the more urban environment of Wabash, a town of 12,000 people.

>>READ ALSO: Loretta Lynn: Meet All of The Coal Miner’s Daughter’s 7 Siblings

Despite her urban surroundings, Gayle was naturally drawn to country music. Her first major opportunity came at age 16 when she stepped in for her ill sister to perform at the Grand Ole Opry. That moment kick-started a country career, but it was her eventual shift to a more pop-oriented sound that led to her breakthrough.

Before her crossover hit “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” in 1977, Gayle had already enjoyed some success in Nashville with songs like “I’ll Get Over You.” But it was her producer, Allen Reynolds, who had to fight for the song. Richard Leigh, the songwriter, initially intended to offer it to British singer Shirley Bassey.

Gayle recounts, “He was sending it out to California for Shirley to hear it and I think Toni Tennille. When Allen heard it the night before they were going to send it, he said, ‘You’re not going to send that song anywhere.’”

One of the song’s standout features is the iconic opening piano line, crafted by Hargus “Pig” Robbins, a studio legend. “That’s how Pig heard it,” Gayle said. “You don’t want to write every note. Pig had soul.”

“That’s the first take you hear on the radio. I did try to re-sing it and it didn’t work. Allen put strings on it; that was the only thing added later.”

“Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” would become Gayle’s signature hit in a career marked by both highs and lows. When she first signed with Decca Records at 19, she faced her first challenge: her name. The label felt that one Brenda, namely Brenda Lee, was enough. With some help from Loretta, who spotted a Krystal fast-food chain while they were driving, the stage name Crystal Gayle was born.

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>>READ ALSO: Crystal Gayle Shares the Career-Changing Advice from Sister Loretta Lynn

Her career took off when she switched to United Artists in 1974, following Loretta’s advice to shift away from pure country. With Reynolds as her producer, she developed a polished country-pop sound, paving the way for a successful career that included starring in two CBS-TV specials and collaborating with artists outside the country genre, like gravelly voiced singer Tom Waits for the soundtrack of Francis Ford Coppola’s film One From the Heart.

“Tom Waits was taking a train to L.A. and he heard me sing ‘Cry Me a River.’ He thought that was the type of voice he wanted for the soundtrack,” Gayle said. “It worked because it was so totally opposite in our voices.”

In the ‘70s and ‘80s, Gayle scored 18 No. 1 country singles, including “Talking in Your Sleep” and her duet with Eddie Rabbitt, “You and I.” She continues to perform and release music, with her most recent album, You Don’t Know Me: Classic Country (2019), featuring her takes on country standards like “Hello Walls” and “Walkin’ After Midnight.” The album also includes a 1969 demo recorded with Loretta of “I’ve Cried (The Blue Right Out of My Eyes).”

>>READ ALSO: Loretta Lynn’s 7 Nicknames and How They Came to Be?

Beyond her music, Gayle is known for her iconic floor-length hair. “I wash it in the shower, let it dry, if I’m not performing, it’s [worn] up a lot because it does get caught in everything,” said Gayle, now 73. Her hair has since shortened slightly, now falling somewhere between her knees and ankles. “I’m lucky to have healthy hair. I always attribute it to my American Indian blood, Cherokee.”

Haircare for Gayle has been a lifelong commitment, dating back to when she was in junior high and accidentally gave herself a disastrous perm. After a trip to the hairdresser left her with an extremely short cut, her mother was less than pleased. “My hair looked like Midge, Barbie’s friend,” she said, referring to the popular doll.

Over time, Gayle embraced her long hair as a practical style, especially since she couldn’t afford a hairdresser while on tour. “I could wash it and let it dry and hit the stage. That’s how it became long,” she said.

Her hair may present its challenges, such as being prone to headaches when worn up for too long, but she’s not planning to cut it anytime soon. “It’s hard to get rid of it,” she confessed. “It’s almost like another child.”

>>READ ALSO: Loretta Lynn’s Children: Meet The Coal Miner’s Daughter’s 6 Kids

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