Gatlins still 'love to make music'

The press release said that the Gatlin Brothers aren't accepting any new engagements for 2005. These country singers may have clustered their top chart hits in the 1980s, but they are still very much in demand.

"We're pretty well booked as much as we want to in the summer," said Steve Gatlin, "and then starting about Sept. 13, we open in Branson, Mo."

Naming off regular concert dates with Pam Tillis and the Lennon sisters, Gatlin said that the schedule for the next 10 months or so is about as busy as the group wants to be.

It's an interesting development for singers who, in 1992, did a farewell tour and appeared to be hanging up their Texas cowboy hats. But several years down the road, a promoter made them an offer that, in Larry Gatlin's words, they "could not understand," and it brought them out on the road again.

"About three or four years ago, we actually started singing a little bit together," said Steve Gatlin. "We're not touring nearly as much as we used to, but we still love to sing and love to make music, and that's why we're still out there doing it."

Steve said that frontman Larry has just written a musical about the life of Quanah Parker, the last autonomous chief of the Comanche Nation. "He just did a workshop on it at the University of Texas," said Steve. "And I think he's going to do some Will Rogers after the first of the year. He's got a tour with that. Of course, he went to Broadway with ('The Will Rogers Follies') in '92-'93."

The group released its most recent CD about a year ago, "Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers Sing Their Family Gospel Favorites." "We were raised singing gospel music," said Steve.

They were also raised to love golf. When the brothers aren't singing together, they keep busy with their second love. "We play at a lot of golf events. In fact, I was supposed to be in a golf tournament today, but it got rained out because of Hurricane Dennis.

"We play all over the country in some charitable events. I'm leaving for Lake Tahoe next week; I've even got one later this month in Detroit, and one outside of Chicago. So golf's a big part of our lives."

This year marks their 50th year singing together. "We've been very blessed. Larry lives in Austin, I live in Nashville, Rudy lives in Dallas, most of our band lives here. I haven't seen them the last couple of weeks, it's been wonderful," he joked. "I love them dearly, but it's always nice to have a little space, and I know they feel the same way about me."