The romantic ballads of Texas-born Gary Morris were staples of country
radio in the1980s -- 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 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.
music
concerts
acoustic
theater
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19/05/2015 Last update