Crystal Gayle

Crystal Gayle’s warm, nimble voice carried her smooth country-pop to the top of the charts in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Born Brenda Gail Webb in Kentucky in 1951, Gayle was born to sing—her older sister is country superstar Loretta Lynn. With Lynn’s endorsement, Gayle began performing as a teen and signed to Lynn’s label when she finished school. The relationship didn’t prove fruitful, but in the mid-’70s, with a new label and more creative freedom, Gayle embraced a crossover sound and came into her own with the countrypolitan heartbreak of 1977’s “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue” (the accompanying full-length, We Must Believe In Magic, was the first by a female country artist to be certified platinum). Now an established star—and instantly recognisable by her iconic floor-length locks—Gayle was a constant presence on country and pop charts over the next decade, offering up irresistibly catchy tunes like 1978’s “Why Have You Left the One You Left Me For”, 1980’s soaring “It’s Like We Never Said Goodbye” and 1981’s “Too Many Lovers”. She released her 26th studio album, the classic country covers record You Don’t Know Me, in 2019.