OREM — Country artist Crystal Gayle said the music business used to look after its artists, but now it's strictly business.
"Things change," she told the Deseret Morning News in a phone interview. "You can have a big hit one year and not have a label the next year. I'm shocked with some of the names that have been dropped."
With her signature voice and a list of hits as long as her sleek, dark hair, Gayle will entertain at the SCERA on Labor Day.
The first female country artist to reach platinum status for album sales, Gayle hit the country scene in the mid-1970s with the encouragement of her older sister, country legend Loretta Lynn. Success came early. She signed her first recording contract while still in high school and her debut single, "I've Cried the Blue Right Out of My Eyes," written by her sister, reached the top 25 on national country charts.
Gayle is 19 years younger than her famous sister, who "was married and out of the house with a couple of kids when I came along," she said. Her challenge was to carve a career outside the shadow of her sister.
Brenda Gail Webb was the last of eight children. Lynn suggested she change her name to Crystal because Brenda Lee was singing on the same label, which didn't want two "Brendas."
Gayle grew up in the business when television specials were popular. She appeared on many, which included performing with the Osmonds at the family's studio in Orem in the early 1980s.
She said she plans to perform a mixture of her old hits and more recent tunes at the SCERA. Several of her top 10 songs include "Wrong Road Again," "Beyond You," "Never Miss a Real Thing," and her first No. 1 hit, "I'll Get Over You."
Gayle's most successful song, "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue," came from her fourth album, "We Must Believe in Magic." It earned her a Grammy Award. She and songwriter Richard Leigh were honored again more than a decade later when ASCAP recognized the song as one of the top 10 most-performed country songs of the century.
Gayle performs about 50 concerts a year, down from 100 earlier in her career. "It's in the blood," she said.
She's scheduled to receive a Hollywood Star next year.
"With Crystal Gayle you get a beautiful, timeless artist who is truly one of a kind," said Adam Robertson, SCERA president and corporate executive officer, in a press release.
If you go
What: Crystal Gayle in concert
When: Monday, 8 p.m.
Where: SCERA Shell Outdoor Theater, 699 S. State, Orem
How much: $10/$8 children
Phone: 225-2569
Web: www.scera.org
E-mail: rodger@desnews.com