About Gary

Explain it Away

Biography

GARY BURR  is one of Nashville’s most accomplished songwriters with 32 top forty hits, 24 top tens, and 14 number-one songs.


One of the rare breed who writes hits alone as well as co-writing, Gary is a favorite collaborator of writing icons such as Carole King, Richard Marx, Don Schlitz, Victoria Shaw, Kenny Loggins … even Ringo Starr!

His songs have been recorded by Christina Aguilera, Juice Newton, Garth Brooks, Kenny Rogers, Joe Cocker, Reba McEntire, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Michael Bolton, Randy Travis, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, LeAnn Rimes, Kelly Clarkson, and many others. He’s been named Songwriter of the Year by Billboard and ASCAP, twice by the NSAI, and has been inducted into the Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame.


The next song is never far from my mind …


Gary has been teaching songwriting courses to a new generation of musicians and was featured in the Poets and Prophets series by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.  Over the years Gary has kept his joy of music alive by keeping his hand in as many musical adventures as he can… replacing Vince Gill as the lead singer in the seminal country-rock group Pure Prairie League; spent years writing and performing with pop legend Carole King; guitarist/vocalist for Ringo Starr in his band The Roundheads; is a member of the group Laurel Canyon Band (with Mark Mirando and Mark Hudson), and co-founded Blue Sky Riders (with Georgia Middleman and Kenny Loggins).

 

In the early 2000s, Gary was invited to work on a record with Ringo Starr, beginning a decades-long friendship that continues to this day. They have now recorded ten albums together. He has just written and produced a country single for Ringo that will be released in March of ‘24. His years of friendship and working alongside living legends like Ringo, Carole, Kenny, and many others have given him profound insights into what goes on in front of and behind the curtain. All of that helped inspire and bring life and authenticity to his first novel, Reunion.

Bands and collaborations

Laurel Canyon Band

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Crosby, Stills & Nash cover band
with Mark Hudson and Mark Mirando

Middleman Burr

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As a duo with
Georgia Middleman

Blue Sky Riders

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The trio with Kenny Loggins
and Georgia Middleman