Gary Morris in concert
Walkway of Stars
Country Music Hall of Fame Inductee
Writer of No. 1 Hits including:
Wind Beneath My Wings
Fri, Jan 28, 7:30 pm
$20 adv, $25 door, $30 priority
One of the Finest Tenors of Our Time Comes to Cottonwood
Back Roads to Broadway, Opera, the Grand Ole Opry, and OTCA
How many performers do you know are in the Country Music Hall of Fame, played the lead role in one of the longest running plays in Broadway history, Les Miserables, starred opposite Linda Ronstadt in Puccini’s Opera La Boheme and have played for every living U.S. President? Only one. Gary Morris will be live and in person at the Old Town Center for the Arts on Friday, January 28th at 7:30 pm.
Gary’s career in country music began in the early 1980's when Morris produced 12 albums that generated 16 Top 10 singles and five No. 1 hits, including Baby Bye Bye, 100% Chance Of Rain, and Leave Me Lonely. Morris then broke new ground with his highly successful self-produced acoustic album Plain Brown Wrapper, far preceding the unplugged genre that is so popular today. He is probably best known for his original recording of Wind Beneath My Wings, which won both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music Song of the Year Awards.
Regarded as one of the finest tenors of our time, Gary Morris’ voice is the only instrument needed to move the listener’s heart and soul.
Listing the accolades and audiences who have raved about Gary Morris is a daunting task. He is at home on the Grand Ole Opry Stage or the back of a truck. His voice was a familiar sound to soap opera fans of Another World whose theme song he had sung for over a decade, the Queen of England asked to shake his hand and Olympian gold medalists admire his skill. Every living U.S. President has requested a performance.
Never one to rest on his laurels and at the height of his Nashville recording career, Morris boldly opted to play opposite Linda Ronstadt in a New York production of Puccini’s Opera La Boheme. Many thought this transition foolhardy since a country singer of his stature had never before attempted the rigors of a live opera. His detractors were quickly silenced as his inspired and fearless performance took the Opera world by storm. With seemingly no ceiling on the talent he possessed, his appearance in La Boheme led to offers from Broadway where he accepted the daunting task of becoming the first American to play the heroic and challenging role of Jean Val Jean in Les Miserables, receiving resounding critical praise, including a Drama Desk Best Actor nomination, his performance set the standard for this challenging role. Morris' famous rendition of Bring Him Home can be found on the platinum-selling Grammy Award-winning International cast album, as well as on his latest CD, Gospel Classics, Volume 2 - Rock of Ages.
Gary Morris is equally comfortable in front of the camera with acting credits including a recurring-role on The Colby’s, Designing Women, and Mike Hammer as well as hosting and producing The Nashville Network’s top rated North American Sportsman.
In 1998, he produced and performed a moving live version of One More Look At You at the special request of Olympic Champion figure skater Scott Hamilton as part of his heralded comeback to figure skating after his bout with cancer. Gary recently produced an animated children’s cartoon, Nine Dog Christmas which was released on both DVD and VHS and aired on the Cartoon Network. Nine Dog Christmas, features songs written and sung, by both Gary and his son, Matt, along with additional performances by James Earl Jones and Olympic Skater, Scott Hamilton.
You have most likely heard his songs, and his voice, and like the Queen of England said after a command performance, you can put a face with the music. This will be a rare opportunity to see one of the great voices of our time in an intimate concert setting.
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