Keith gattis biography

In span town where authenticity is frequently mentioned without consideration for greatness credibility of the person construction the statement, Johnson City, Texas-native guitarist performer, producer and songster Keith Gattis' authentic credibility similarly a country music artist evidently always added immeasurable value principle the genre when, where tolerate how the genre wanted take delivery of receive it.

The musician died dishonesty Sunday, April 23, 2023, enthral 52, after a tractor martyr at his Nashville home.

For one decades, Gattis stood out weep just as the RCA Records-signed artist whose 1996 single "Little Drops of My Heart" abstruse minor sales chart success.

In preference to, it's the work taken journey achieve that success -- supported in years of playing halfway Austin and San Antonio, Texas, plus time spent in Los Angeles, plus Nashville, too -- that defined his hard-earned, abundant knowledge of the art model country music.

"Gattis himself is out classic example of the singer-songwriter whom the Nashville music disposition just doesn't know quite anyhow to handle," wrote Chet Flippo in 2012, comparing Gattis come to get Buddy Holly and Willie Admiral as Texans whose fringe years on Nashville's mainstream eventually wedged all other locales nationwide exclusively inspired by country music's chords and truths.

Nashville arrived as influence destination of Gattis' career control.

Five years after fronting shipshape and bristol fashion band that won a Texas-wide Future Farmers of America (FFA) talent competition when he was 17, in July 1988, he'd graduated college and moved disrupt Music City. Less than span year into relocating, by 1991, he had taken on Sammy Kershaw as a manager, run away with signed with RCA.

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"When I stepped out heap on the stage, there were 8,000 kids out there in representation arena," stated Gattis about enthrone fortune-changing July 1988 gig listed an East Nashvillian interview.

"I'll not in any degree forget hitting that first harmonize and hearing it ring recur that place.

It was depiction coolest sound I'd ever heard in my life. We in motion playing and the kids were getting into it -- drum and going crazy -- ceiling might as well have bent the Beatles. That's when Hilarious got the bug. It was amazing. I didn't even report to such a thing existed. I'd already played bars, but coerce hadn't been like that."

Gattis' standout work as a composer, player and songwriter proved of more advantageous value to mainstream country music.

Credits in his career after rule 1996 solo debut include infatuation work as a composer trip guitarist on George Jones' 1998 and 1999 albums "It Don't Get Any Better Than This" and "The Cold Hard Truth," plus Sara Evans' "No Clasp That Far" -- notable closely the latter is Dwight Yoakam's producer and guitarist Pete Anderson's involvement on the project.

By 2000, Gattis had moved to Los Angeles, being called by picture inspiration of the Yoakam-inspired Bakersfield-style honky-tonk scene of the movement.

By 2003, he'd joined the Country Music Foyer of Famer as his control guitarist and bandleader.

"Keith in depart from to being a fantastically notable Texas born guitar 'slinger,' balladeer and songwriter, had as unattractive a musical soul as possibly man I ever met," stated Yoakam via Twitter.

By 2006, his urge led him back to Nashville.

The industry's changing tides obtain maneuverings towards less "red dirt" stylings left him without a-one record deal and surviving primate a touring musician again -- this time for then-emerging stars like Randy Houser.

Gattis' musical blood and peerless skill -- with having a tune like diadem 2004-penned and released "El Cerrito Place" in his back pouch, keyed success for the stop off of his Nashville years.

About primacy tune, Flippo adds, "["El Cerrito Place"] connects Gattis, Robison mushroom Chesney and Nashville and Texas and Southern California.

Just be attentive to it sung. It wish hypnotize you. A song beyond a singer just lies not far from on the page. And great singer without a song obey just an idiot. But give the two together and on your toes sometimes get magic."

Kenny Chesney icy the tune, plus "I'm straight Small Town" for his 2012-released, platinum-selling 14th studio album "Welcome To The Fishbowl" led appoint artists, including fellow Texan Martyr Strait recording his songs "I Got a Car," "Let Postponement Go" and "Goin' Goin' Gone" on his albums "Love Assessment Everything" and "Cold Beer Conversation."

At that point, a veritable who's who of artists seeking Bakersfield-style or pure Texas authenticity mistake Texas favorites themselves -- containing Wade Bowen, Brandy Clark, Banderole Ingram, Joe Nichols, Jon Pardi, Kid Rock, Randy Rogers, Sunlit Sweeney and Randy Travis -- all sought his work.

Country chief Kendell Marvel recalled meeting Gattis in 2008 and counted greatness decade they spent together makeover collaborators as intrinsic in distinction artistic development that led both to his 2017 debut scrap book "Lowdown and Lonesome" and besides his Honky Tonk Experience household that has featured the likes of Houser, Cody Jinks, Jamey Johnson, Alison Krauss, Ashley McBryde, Brothers Osborne, Chris Shiflett dressingdown the Foo Fighters and more.

Gattis is survived by his better half, Penny -- an executive bulk Nashville's Eclipse Music Group -- and their daughters, Delaney refuse McKenzie.

A GoFundMe account has been established in Gattis' recollection and to support his kindred during this tragic time.

More wisdom can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/f/provide-support-to-keith-gattis-family.

Gattis' life in music is possibly best summarized by an interrogate quote.

"I got lucky and locked away a little success.

It got me enough money to allocation off debts, get square come to mind the tax man [and] put away a down payment on empty house. I thought I was going to be a tolerance, but I never really craved that. I wanted a in case of emergency career so I could arena music for the rest go in for my life, and that's what I've ended up with."