Crystal Gayle to perform at Sky City

By Jim Tiffin
Cibola County Bureau

Country singer Crystal Gayle will perform at the Sky City Casino on I-40 at 8 p.m. tonight. [Courtesy Photo]

PUEBLO OF ACOMA — Like her name, Crystal Gayle's voice is just that, crystal clear and distinctive.

A new song, "You Don't Even Know My Name," is not yet available in stores, but has been sent to radio stations. It honors our soldiers.

She performs today at 8 p.m. in Sky City Casino's VIP Showroom, doors open at 7 p.m.

In a phone interview from her home in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, she said that she is planning to return to the recording studio soon.

"Definitely country is my roots," she said.

"Growing up all those years, I sang all kinds of styles in groups and my brother's band," she said.

Today, Gayle's play list is a little bit of everything and of course will have her signature song, "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue," as part of every show she performs.

"I love country music and I love to sing different things in different styles."

That is evident with her latest CD, "All My Tomorrows," that has three one-minute MP3 downloads on her Web site so that anyone can listen to "You Belong to Me," "Hallelujah I Love him So," and "Sentimental Journey."

Her Web site is http://crystalgayle.com.

The 14 song CD is a mixture of uptempo songs along with classics like "Sentimental Journey," "It had to be you," and "Cry me a River."

Gayle's interpretation of "Sentimental Journey" indicates a unique blend of piano and saxophone and shows her versatility in range.

She said younger country female singers are not fully developed yet but will be soon.

"A lot of entertainers and singers need to work to mature with their music," she said.

Younger singers are facing something that she has not had to, and that is they may have a huge hit this year and the next year be dropped from the label because it wants a different or newer singer.

Gayle has turned down movie offers in the past, "I am a singer. That's what I do," she said. "I'm never comfortable doing something I'm not. I have seen a lot of singers try to be actors and actors try to be singers. I am looking forward to seeing my fans, and it will be a lot of fun to perform at Sky City."

The members of her band will be playing sax, piano, guitar, bass and drums.

She said she has no thoughts of quitting anytime soon.

"All these years entertaining, it's hard to say you're going to quit," she said. "We've made some wonderful friends and meet new ones every day."

Her sister, Peggy Sue, will also be performing during the concert, Gayle said.

Gayle's older sister is Loretta Lynn, but Gayle never lingered in her shadow. While still in school she was signed to her first recording contract and her song, "I've Cried the Blue Right Out of My Eyes," made the Top 20. And, of course, it was written by Loretta Lynn.

She has been named the Country Music Association's "Female Vocalist of the Year" twice, a Grammy Award winner for "Best Female Vocal performance," and three times was the CMA's "Top Female Vocalist."

She also was honored as the "Favorite Female Artist" three times by the American Music Awards. In 1999, ASCAP named "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue," one of the 10 most performed songs of the 20th century.

Her class act will be in Sky City tonight. Listen for the voice that you won't forget it will be crystal clear.