Biography

Biography
Morris' voice is the only instrument needed to move the listener's heart and soul. 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. At the height of his Nashville recording career, Morris boldly opted to play opposite Linda Ronstadt in the New York Shakespeare Festival production of Puccini's opera La Bohème. Next, he accepted the heroic lead role of Jean Valjean in "Les Misérables," on Broadway. 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.



His career in country music began in the early 1980's when Morris produced twelve albums that generated sixteen 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.



The Texas-born vocalist earns ovations whenever he performs. The Dallas Morning News writes, "There are voices that transcend seasons and settings. They are the kind of voices that through sheer beauty and unbridled passion soar above others. Gary Morris has one of those voices."



Gary's magnificent voice has graced the historic stage of the Grand Ole Opry, as well as the White House, where he has performed for every U.S. President since Jimmy Carter. Morris' versatile career has taken him around the world-- a command performance for the Queen of England, producing a Hungarian rock band, corporate appearances, Christmas shows from our Nation's capital, and numerous network television specials. Morris was featured in the powerful and moving PBS documentary, "Gary Morris and the Art of Tretyakov," as the first musician to ever perform live in this venerable museum and gallery that houses over 100,000 Russian masterpieces, Morris seamlessly wove hauntingly beautiful music with images of classic Russian paintings to create a unique and exciting documentary.



Morris is equally comfortable in front of the camera. For five years, he hosted TNN's top-rated show, North American Sportsman, which highlighted his love for the great outdoors, and featured such celebrity guests as Bryant Gumble, Troy Aikman, and Larry Csonka among others. His acting credits include recurring roles on The Colby's, Designing Women, and Mike Hammer.



One of the most poignant moments of his career came when Olympic Gold Medalist and figure skater, Scott Hamilton, asked Gary to sing on his CBS televised comeback special, marking his return to the ice after a battle with cancer. There weren't many dry eyes when Hamilton took the ice to Gary's masterful rendition of the ballad "With One More Look At You."



After a self imposed hiatus from music to focus on other ventures, GARY MORRIS has returned to the road and to the studio, much to the delight of his fans. Morris presently divides his time between Nashville, Tennessee, and a second home at Mountain Spirit, his spectacular hunting and fly-fishing executive resort in Southern Colorado.



AWARDS: Billboards New Male Artist of the Year 1982; ACM Single of the Year 1984 for "Wind Beneath My Wings"