One of country music's most innovative artists during the late '70s and early '80s, Eddie Rabbitt has made contributions to the format that have often gone overlooked. Especially in songs like the R&B-inflected "Suspicions" and the rockin' "Someone Could Lose a Heart Tonight," Rabbitt challenged the commonly recognized creative boundaries of the... [+] Read More

One of country music's most innovative artists during the late '70s and early '80s, Eddie Rabbitt has made contributions to the format that have often gone overlooked. Especially in songs like the R&B-inflected "Suspicions" and the rockin' "Someone Could Lose a Heart Tonight," Rabbitt challenged the commonly recognized creative boundaries of the idiom. Hailing from Brooklyn and New Jersey, Rabbitt moved to Nashville in 1968. Though it took a few years to get his recording career off the ground, he paid the rent through songwriting, authoring Elvis Presley's "Kentucky Rain" and Ronnie Milsap's "Pure Love." Eddie continued to write professionally until 1975, when he signed with Elektra Records' newly established country division. Initially, Rabbitt made recordings that were decidedly country -- mostly uptempo material, like "Two Dollars in the Jukebox" and "Drinkin' My Baby (Off My Mind)" -- with thick, inimitable harmonies, most of them overdubbed by Rabbitt himself. However, with the assistance of his then-associates David Malloy and Even Stevens, Rabbitt's records became "progressively progressive." In 1976, he started a string of Top Ten hits that ran uninterrupted until 1989. During that time, he had 16 number one singles, including "Drinkin' My Baby (Off My Mind)" (1976), "You Don't Love Me Anymore" (1978), "Every Which Way But Loose" (1979), "Drivin' My Life Away" (1980), "I Love a Rainy Night" (1980), "Step by Step" (1980), and "You and I," a 1982 duet with Crystal Gayle. In the late '80s he returned to more traditional sounds, as his country shuffle "On Second Thought" demonstrates, but it was too late for Rabbitt to return to the top of the country charts, since he had already been supplanted by a newer generation of artists. The terminal kidney ailment of his son also factored in his decision to only sporadically record and perform during the '90s. In 1997, Rabbitt was diagnosed with lung cancer; the disease claimed his life on May 7, 1998. The LP From the Heart was issued posthumously. ~ Tom Roland, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Ronnie Milsap was one of the major figures of country music in the 1970s, developing a hybrid of country and pop which brought him a large audience. Milsap was born in Robbinsville, North Carolina, and was raised by his father and grandparents following his parents' divorce. He was born blind from congenital glaucoma, and when he was five began... [+] Read More

Ronnie Milsap was one of the major figures of country music in the 1970s, developing a hybrid of country and pop which brought him a large audience. Milsap was born in Robbinsville, North Carolina, and was raised by his father and grandparents following his parents' divorce. He was born blind from congenital glaucoma, and when he was five began attending the Governor Moorhead School for the Blind. When he was seven, his instructors noticed his extraordinary musical talents and he began to study classical music formally. A single year after he began learning the violin, Milsap was declared a virtuoso; he also mastered piano, guitar and a variety of other stringed instruments, as well as various woodwinds. Eventually, he became interested in rock & roll music and while still in school formed his first rock band, the Apparitions. He briefly attended college in Atlanta where he studied pre-law; though he was awarded a comprehensive scholarship, Milsap decided to become a full-time musician instead. His first professional gig was as a member of J.J. Cale's band in the early '60s.

In 1965, Milsap started his own band and four years later, after having an R&B hit with "Never Had It So Good," moved to Memphis to become a session musician. There he frequently worked for Chips Moman and can be heard playing keyboards on Elvis' "Kentucky Rain" and singing harmony on "Don't Cry Daddy." When not doing session work, Milsap and his backing group were the house band at TJ's Club. In 1970, he had a pop hit with "Loving You Is a Natural Thing." Following its success, in 1971 he released his eponymous debut. Two years later, Milsap moved to Nashville in hopes of jump-starting his flagging career, and became a client of Charley Pride's manager Jack D. Johnson. Within a year, he signed to RCA Victor, where he would remain for the bulk of his career. "I Hate You," his first single for RCA, reached the country Top Ten in the summer of 1973. The following year, he had three number one hits in a row -- "Pure Love," "Please Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends," and "(I'd Be) A Legend in My Time," a cover of Don Gibson's classic.

Milsap had a handful of Top Ten hits in 1975 and but in late 1976, he became a genuine star, with a string of six number one hits in a row. In turn, that string of hits begat a remarkable run where Milsap didn't leave the Top Ten for 15 straight years. During that time, he had a number of pop crossover hits, beginning with 1977's "It Was Almost like a Song." Between 1980 and 1982, Milsap had ten more consecutive number one hits including the crossover smashes "Smoky Mountain Rain," "No Gettin' Over Me" and "Any Day Now." Milsap had yet another string of uninterrupted number one hits between 1985 and 1987, racking up eight consecutive chart toppers. He had his last number one hit in 1989, when "A Woman in Love" spent two weeks on the top of the charts. In total, he had 35 number one singles.

In the early '90s, Milsap's commercial appeal began to decline -- after 1992, he wasn't able to break into the country Top Ten. Nevertheless, he continued to record. In 1992, he left RCA and signed to Liberty, where he recorded True Believer, which failed to yield any major hits. Despite his decline in popularity, Milsap continued to record and perform successfully throughout the '90s. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Juice Newton (born Judy Kay Newton, February 18, 1952, Lakehurst, NJ) was part of the first wave of country singers raised on rock, folk-rock, and singer/songwriters, which is evident from her hit singles. "Angel of the Morning" and "Queen of Hearts," her two crossover hits, have country-pop arrangements, but their roots are in '60s pop and new... [+] Read More

Juice Newton (born Judy Kay Newton, February 18, 1952, Lakehurst, NJ) was part of the first wave of country singers raised on rock, folk-rock, and singer/songwriters, which is evident from her hit singles. "Angel of the Morning" and "Queen of Hearts," her two crossover hits, have country-pop arrangements, but their roots are in '60s pop and new wave roots rock, respectively. That's why she managed pop crossover hits in the early '80s and also why she was able to sustain country success throughout the decade.

Although Newton was born in New Jersey, she was raised in Virginia. As she entered high school, her mother gave her a guitar, prompting her infatuation with folk music. After graduating from high school, she attended Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, CA, where she continued to play folk in coffeehouses. During this time, she met Otha Young, a fellow guitarist and songwriter. The two formed a folk-rock band called Dixie Peach and began playing bars around northern California.

Dixie Peach only lasted a year, but they did gain a local following while they were active. After the band broke up, Newton and Young formed Juice Newton & Silver Spur, which had more country leanings than Dixie Peach. They were also more successful. Their fan base was large enough to convince the band to go to Los Angeles and try to land a record contract. In 1975, Juice Newton & Silver Spur signed to RCA Records and released an eponymous debut which spawned the minor hit single "Love Is a Word" in early 1976. Later that year, the group released After the Dust Settles, which didn't attract much attention, and RCA dropped them after its release. The band signed with Capitol Records, releasing Come to Me in 1978. Like its predecessor, the album was more or less ignored, causing the Silver Spur to disband.

Though Silver Spur had broken up, Newton and Young continued to work together. Newton still had a contract with Capitol, and the pair immediately began working on her solo debut. The result, Juice, was released in early 1981 and quickly became a crossover hit. The first single from the record, "Angel of the Morning," reached number four on the pop charts, and it peaked at 22 on the country charts. "Queen of Hearts" was a bigger hit, reaching number two on the pop charts and number 14 on the country charts. "The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)," the third single taken from Juice, was her biggest country hit, peaking at number one; on the pop charts, it hit number seven. Juice would eventually go platinum

Newton's follow-up album to Juice, Quiet Lies, was released in the spring of 1982. It was also a hit, spawning the pop Top Ten "Love's Been a Little Bit Hard on Me" and the number two country hit "Break It to Me Gently." The album won a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female; it also went gold by the end of the year. Dirty Looks, her third solo album, was released in 1983. The record marked the first time Newton failed to crack either the pop or country Top 40.

In 1984, she switched labels, signing with RCA. Newton's first album for the label, Can't Wait All Night, was a transitionary album, seeing her move away from pop and begin to concentrate on country. Old Flame, released in 1985, was her country breakthrough, spawning the hits "You Make Me Want to Make You Mine," "Hurt," and the duet with Eddie Rabbitt "Both to Each Other (Friends & Lovers)," which all went to number one; the album had three additional Top Ten hits -- "Old Flame," "Cheap Love," and "What Can I Do With My Heart."

Old Flame happened to be Newton's only major country hit. Its follow-up, 1987's Emotion, only yielded one Top Ten hit, "Tell Me True." In 1989, she released Ain't Gonna Cry, which featured the single "When Love Comes Around the Bend," which barely scraped the Top 40.

Ain't Gonna Cry turned out be Newton's last album for several years. She abandoned country and began performing showy mainstream pop, which she performed in nightclubs. Throughout the '90s, she continued to perform live concerts without recording any new material for years. Finally, she reunited with producer Richard Landis in 1997, recording The Trouble With Angels, a collection of re-recorded hits and new songs that was released in the spring of 1998. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Country-pop singer/songwriter/keyboardist Terri Gibbs enjoyed some success in the early '80s before returning to the gospel music she grew up with. Gibbs was born in Miami in 1954 and raised from age one in Augusta, GA; blind from birth, she turned to music at an early age, first playing the piano at only three years old. In addition to gospel... [+] Read More

Country-pop singer/songwriter/keyboardist Terri Gibbs enjoyed some success in the early '80s before returning to the gospel music she grew up with. Gibbs was born in Miami in 1954 and raised from age one in Augusta, GA; blind from birth, she turned to music at an early age, first playing the piano at only three years old. In addition to gospel music, she listened to early rock & roll, pop, and soul (particularly Ray Charles), and loved the Grand Ole Opry radio show. She sang in choirs and talent contests while growing up, and met Chet Atkins backstage at one show. At his request, she sent him a demo tape, and at 18 followed his advice to try her luck in Nashville. She didn't have much luck attracting record companies, and instead moved to Miami, where she played keyboards in a band called Sound Dimension. In 1973, she quit the band to attend college, but dropped out after a year to focus on songwriting. She returned to Augusta, formed her own band in 1975, and played locally for the next several years. Her demo tape found its way into the hands of producer/songwriter Ed Penney, who signed her to MCA in 1980.

The title cut of Gibbs' Top Ten debut album, Somebody's Knockin', was a major crossover hit in 1981; not only did it reach the country Top Ten, it also just missed similar territory on the pop side, and climbed into the Top Five on the adult contemporary charts. The follow-up, "Rich Man," was a Top 20 country hit, and Gibbs was named the ACM's Best New Female Vocalist, also winning the CMA's inaugural Horizon Award (for artists rising to new levels of prominence). However, while Gibbs charted with two more albums (1981's I'm a Lady and 1983's Over Easy), neither matched the success of her debut. Likewise, she managed two more Top 20 country hits in 1982's "Ashes to Ashes" and 1983's "Anybody Else's Heart but Mine," but nothing on the level of "Somebody's Knockin'." Still, she embarked on a high-profile tour with George Jones over 1981-1982, often duetting on-stage with him. Gibbs spent several years off-record, then switched to the kind of country gospel music she'd started out singing. She returned in 1987 with the Grammy-nominated Turn Around; "Unconditional Love," "Comfort the People," and "Promised Land" were all successful on the CCM charts. After 1990's Great Day, on the small Morning Gate label, Gibbs left music to concentrate on her family. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide [-] Hide

After working as a backup vocalist for several country-rock acts and serving as a member of Commander Cody's Lost Planet Airmen for several years during the mid-'70s, vocalist Nicolette Larson launched a solo career in the late '70s. Initially, Larson followed the sound of laid-back Californian country-rock, which resulted in a Top Ten pop hit... [+] Read More

After working as a backup vocalist for several country-rock acts and serving as a member of Commander Cody's Lost Planet Airmen for several years during the mid-'70s, vocalist Nicolette Larson launched a solo career in the late '70s. Initially, Larson followed the sound of laid-back Californian country-rock, which resulted in a Top Ten pop hit in 1979 with "Lotta Love." In the years following the success of "Lotta Love," Larson continued to mine the soft rock California sound, eventually leaving it behind for country music in the mid-'80s. During the course of the '80s, she racked up a number of country hits before moving into semi-retirement.

Born in Montana, Nicolette Larson and her family eventually settled in Kansas City. Following her high-school graduation, she moved out to San Francisco, where she began working on the Golden Gate Country/Bluegrass Festival. While she was working the festival, she met a number of musicians, who were all impressed by her voice and encouraged her to pursue a professional musical career. Larson followed their advice, joining David Nichtern and the Nocturnes, playing clubs around the Bay Area. Eventually, she came to the attention of Commander Cody & the Lost Planet Airmen, who invited her to sing on their 1975 album, Tales From the Ozone. Following its release, Larson toured with the band, and over the next three years, she sang on two of the group's albums -- Rock 'n' Roll Again and Flying Dreams -- in addition to touring with the band.

Around the same time as she began singing with Commander Cody, Larson moved to Los Angeles, where she began singing as a studio musician. Over the next four years, she appeared on numerous albums by country and rock musicians, including records by Neil Young, Linda Ronstadt, Hoyt Axton, Guy Clark, Jesse Winchester, Emmylou Harris, Jesse Colin Young, John Stewart, the Doobie Brothers, Rodney Crowell, and Graham Nash. In 1978, she signed a record contract with Warner Brothers, releasing her first single, a cover of Young's "Lotta Love," at the end of the year. "Lotta Love" became a huge hit, reaching number eight on the pop charts, helping to send her debut album, Nicolette, into gold status. Though Nicolette and "Lotta Love" were hits right out of the box, she wasn't able to replicate her success, as "Rhumba Girl" stalled at number 47, which also happened to be the peak chart position of her second album, In the Nick of Time. The album did spawn a hit with the Top 40 "Let Me Go, Love," a duet with Michael McDonald, but her third album, Radioland (1980), was largely ignored.

Following one other attempt at pop success with 1982's All Dressed Up & No Place to Go and the single "I Only Want to Be With You," Larson retreated from the mainstream and starred in the country musical Pump Boys and Dinettes. Larson received positive reviews for her performance, which led to a record contract with MCA in 1983. On the basis of her performance, the Academy of Country Music named her the Best New Female Vocalist in 1984, even though she had yet to have any country hits. Larson finally released a country album in 1985 with ...Say When, but the record didn't live up to its hype. Though it was critically acclaimed, the album was far from a commercial success, with only one single, "Only Love Will Make It Right," reaching the Top 50, yet the record was strong enough for Cash Box to name Larson the Best New Female Vocalist of the year.

Larson finally broke into the country charts in 1986 when "That's How You Know When Love's Right," a duet with Steve Wariner, climbed into the Top Ten and stayed in the charts for five months. "That's How You Know When Love's Right" was drawn from Rose of My Heart, which performed respectably. However, Larson didn't choose to follow the album up with another country record. In 1987, she recorded an album, Shadows of Love, in Italy, and in the next year, she began pursuing an acting career. In 1988, she appeared on Family Reunion, a black gospel television show and the Arnold Schwarzenegger/Danny DeVito comedy Twins, as well as the television series Throb. During the early '90s, she began touring with singers Valerie Carter and Lauren Wood, and the trio went on a USO tour. In 1994, she released a children's album titled Sleep Baby Sleep. Larson died on December 16, 1997. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 contains a 11-track cross-section of Alabama's hit singles from the mid- and late '80s, including the number one singles "Dixieland Delight," "Lady Down On Love," "The Closer You Get," "Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler)," "Fallin' Again," "Song of the South," "High Cotton," and "Take Me Down." On the, this second volume is even... [+] Read More

Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 contains a 11-track cross-section of Alabama's hit singles from the mid- and late '80s, including the number one singles "Dixieland Delight," "Lady Down On Love," "The Closer You Get," "Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler)," "Fallin' Again," "Song of the South," "High Cotton," and "Take Me Down." On the, this second volume is even stronger than the first and represents some of the best mainstream rock-influenced country of the '80s. ~ Thom Owens, All Music Guide [-] Hide

The Best of Barbara Mandrell collects her biggest hits from the late '70s, including "After the Lovin'," "Married But Not to Each Other," "Tonight," "Woman to Woman," and "Sleeping Single in a Double Bed." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

The Best of Barbara Mandrell collects her biggest hits from the late '70s, including "After the Lovin'," "Married But Not to Each Other," "Tonight," "Woman to Woman," and "Sleeping Single in a Double Bed." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide [-] Hide

This 18-track compilation traces the work of Larry Gatlin, his brothers, family, and friends (as the various billings on the records had it) from 1975 to 1988. A greatest-hits collection, it slightly favors Gatlin's early work, including "Sweet Becky Walker" and "Delta Dirt," which were among his first chart singles, while skipping "Night Time... [+] Read More

This 18-track compilation traces the work of Larry Gatlin, his brothers, family, and friends (as the various billings on the records had it) from 1975 to 1988. A greatest-hits collection, it slightly favors Gatlin's early work, including "Sweet Becky Walker" and "Delta Dirt," which were among his first chart singles, while skipping "Night Time Magic" and "Nothing But Your Love Hatters," which were bigger hits. Otherwise, it's all country Top Ten singles, including the number ones "I've Done Enough Dyin' Today," "All the Gold in California," and "Houston (Means I'm One Day Closer to You)." Gatlin, who wrote all the songs and sings all the lead vocals, has a traditionalist bent, though the productions are not as lush as the '60s Nashville sound, the romantic lyrics are more erotic (it was the '70s, after all), and the best songs, such as "All The Gold In California," are unique efforts thematically and musically. (The unnecessarily brief 55-minute CD running time probably is due to song publishing royalties: all the albums in Columbia/Legacy's Country Classics series have only 18 tracks.) ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide [-] Hide

The Essential by Earl Thomas Conley highlights the gruff-voiced country singer's 20 chart-topping entries from the late '70s and early '80s. These original RCA recordings include "Holding Her and Loving You," "Angel in Disguise," "Chance of Loving You," and his first number one single, "Fire and Smoke." The only complaint about this set is the... [+] Read More

The Essential by Earl Thomas Conley highlights the gruff-voiced country singer's 20 chart-topping entries from the late '70s and early '80s. These original RCA recordings include "Holding Her and Loving You," "Angel in Disguise," "Chance of Loving You," and his first number one single, "Fire and Smoke." The only complaint about this set is the omission of Conley's duets with Emmylou Harris ("We Believe in Happy Endings," number one in 1988) and Anita Pointer ("Too Many Times"). ~ Al Campbell, All Music Guide [-] Hide

[-] Hide