Gary Burr

Induction Year: 2005

Birth Name: Gary Scott Burr

Birth Date: 02-26-1952

Place of Birth: Meriden, Connecticut

With more than 20 ASCAP Awards, Gary Burr became one of the most successful Nashville songwriters of the 1980s and 1990s. Burr was ASCAP's Country Songwriter of the Year in 1995. He was named Songwriter of the Year by the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) in 1992 and 1994. He earned a similar citation from Billboard magazine in 1994.

His pop/rock-influenced songwriting style has had broad appeal. In addition to writing many big country hits, he has also provided songs to such pop stars as Michael Bolton, Ricky Martin, Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken. As a touring musician, he has backed Carole King and Ringo Starr, and has provided songs for their albums.

Gary Burr is a native of central Connecticut. At age 17, he attended the Woodstock Festival in August 1969. "I wasn't even thinking about being in the music business until I went to the first Woodstock," he told CMA Close Up magazine. "I was sitting there with my friend, and we were looking around and looking up on stage, and we both said, ‘We can do this. We have to do this.' And we came back and started a band."

In 1972, Burr moved to California to pursue a recording contract. He issued his debut LP on Lifesong Records in 1978. After Vince Gill left Pure Prairie League, Burr became the group's lead singer in 1982. Returning to Connecticut, he took a job installing residential fire and burglar alarms.

His songwriting breakthrough came with "Love's Been a Little Bit Hard on Me," a #7 pop hit and a #30 country hit for Juice Newton in 1982. He followed that in 1985 with the Oak Ridge Boys' #1 country hit "Make My Life with You." He moved to Nashville in 1989 and soon hit his songwriting stride with hits sung by Patty Loveless, Tanya Tucker, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Randy Travis and other top stars.

Gary Burr produced the all-star 1996 album Country Disney and co-produced Olivia Newton-John's 1997 CD Back with a Heart. In 2010, he wrote and sang "When One of Us Stands," which became the fund-raising anthem for Nashville flood victims. His solo CDs include Lime Creek (1996), Stop Me If You've Heard This One (1997) and Marianne's (2004). He also records and performs in the group Blue Sky Riders with Kenny Loggins and Georgia Middleman.

Read More

Read Less

Song Catalog

 

"A Man Ain't Made of Stone"

(written with Franne Gold, Robin Lerner)

Randy Travis1999 #16 country, #82 pop
 

"A Thousand Times a Day"

(written with Gary Nicholson)

George Jones1993 
Patty Loveless1996 #13 country
 

"Burned Like a Rocket"

Billy Joe Royal1985 #10 country
 

"Can't Be Really Gone"

Tim McGraw1995 #2 country, #87 pop
 

"Gold Don't Rust"

(written with Neil Diamond, Bob DiPiero)

Neil Diamond1996 
 

"I Don't Know Why"

Carole King2001  
 

"I Try to Think About Elvis"

Patty Loveless1994 #3 country
 

"In a Week or Two"

(written with James House)

Diamond Rio1993 #2 country
 

"It Was"

(written with Mark Wright)

Chely Wright2000 #10 country, #64 pop
 

"Love's Been a Little Bit Hard on Me"

Juice Newton1982 #7 pop, #30 country
 

"Make My Life with You"

The Oak Ridge Boys1985 #1 country
 

"Man of My Word"

(written with Allen Shamblin)

Collin Raye1994 #8 country
 

"More Love"

(written with Doug Stone)

Doug Stone1994 #6 country

"Nobody Wants to Be Lonely"

(written with Desmond Child, Victoria Shaw)

Ricky Martin & Christina Aguilera2001 #3 adult contemporary, #13 pop
 

"Nothin' 'Bout Love Makes Sense"

(written with Kylie Sackley, Joel Feeney)

LeAnn Rimes2005 #5 country, #52 pop
 

"On the Side of Angels"

(written with Gerry House)

LeAnn Rimes1998 #4 country
 

"One Night a Day"

(written with Pete Wasner)

Garth Brooks1994 #7 country
 

"Out of My Bones"

(written with Sharon Vaughn, Robin Lerner)

Randy Travis1998 #2 country, #64 pop

"Sure Love"

(written with Hal Ketchum)

Hal Ketchum1993 #1 country

"That's My Job"

Conway Twitty1987 #6 country
Gary Burr1997 
 

"The Vows Go Unbroken"

(written with Eric Kaz)

Kenny Rogers1989 #8 country
 

"This Is the Night"

(written with Aldo Nova, Chris Braide)

Clay Aiken2003 #1 pop, #13 adult contemporary
 

"Till You Love Me"

(written with Bob DiPiero)

Reba McEntire1995 #2 country, #78 pop

"To Be Loved By You"

(written with Mike Reid)

Wynonna1996 #1 country, #25 adult contemporary
 

"Too Busy Being in Love"

(written with Victoria Shaw)

Doug Stone1993 #1 country
 

"Watch Me"

(written with Hal Ketchum)

Lorrie Morgan1992 #2 country
 

"We Don't Have to Do This"

(written with Victoria Shaw)

Tanya Tucker1994 #11 country

"What Mattered Most"

(written with Vince Melamed)

Ty Herndon1995 #1 country, #90 pop
 

"What's in It For Me"

John Berry1994 #5 country
 

"Whenever I Remember Loving You"

(written with Michael Bolton)

Michael Bolton1997 

Other Media

Gary Burr

Induction Year: 2005