Gary Stewart wasn't your typical Nashville star. He didn't have the polished, rhinestone-studded look of the Grand Ole Opry elite. Instead, he had a wild, quivering vibrato and a piano style that sounded like it was fueled by equal parts heartache and high-proof bourbon. Honestly, when you listen to songs by Gary Stewart, you aren't just hearing music; you're hearing the sound of a man who lived every single line he sang.
He was often called the "King of Honky-Tonk" by Time magazine back in the mid-seventies. It’s a title that stuck, mostly because nobody else could capture the sheer desperation of a barroom floor quite like him.
His voice was a strange, beautiful thing. It shook. It wavered. Some critics at the time found it annoying, but for the rest of us, that vibrato was the sound of raw nerves. He stood right on the edge of country, rock, and soul. If you’ve ever felt like the world was closing in on you at 2:00 AM in a dimly lit dive bar, Gary was singing specifically to you.
The Tracks That Defined an Era
When people talk about the essential songs by Gary Stewart, they almost always start with "She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles)." It’s his only number-one hit, reaching the top of the Billboard country charts in 1975. The song is basically a masterclass in the "punny" songwriting style of the era, but Gary makes it feel like a Greek tragedy. You can hear the ice clinking in the glass.
Then there’s "Drinkin' Thing." Released in 1974, it was the song that really put him on the map. It’s a dark, brooding track about using alcohol to numb the pain of a failing relationship. It reached number ten on the charts, and it’s still one of those songs that gets requested at every roadhouse from Florida to Texas.
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What’s wild is how much his music resonated with the rock crowd. Bob Dylan was a huge fan. He reportedly told Stewart that he played "Ten Years of This" over and over again. It’s a slow-burn ballad about marital distress that’s so honest it’s almost uncomfortable to listen to. Stewart didn't hide behind metaphors. He just laid it all out there.
The Masterpiece: Out of Hand
If you only ever buy one country album from the 70s, it probably should be Out of Hand. Released in 1975, it’s a perfect record. From start to finish, there isn't a single skip.
- "Out of Hand": The title track reached number four and features some of the best pedal steel work of the decade.
- "I See the Want To in Your Eyes": A sultry ballad later made famous by Conway Twitty, but Gary's version has a nervous energy that Twitty’s lacks.
- "Backsliders Wine": A Michael Martin Murphey cover that Stewart turned into a definitive anthem for the Saturday night sinner.
The album was produced by Roy Dea, who realized that Gary shouldn't be polished. He needed to sound a little dangerous. They brought in session greats like Pig Robbins on piano and Pete Drake on steel guitar. The result was a sound that was too country for the rock stations and too rock for the country stations. He was an outlaw before the "Outlaw Country" movement even had a name.
Why the Music Felt So Real
People often assume Gary Stewart was a wild, hard-living bachelor because of his lyrics. The truth is much more interesting. He married his wife, Mary Lou, when he was just 17 years old. They stayed together for 43 years until she passed away in 2003. Most of those heartbreak songs weren't about him chasing women; they were about the internal demons he wrestled with while trying to maintain a normal life.
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He grew up in Florida, working in an airplane factory before he got his break. He spent years writing hits for other people, like Cal Smith and Billy Walker. You can hear that "songwriter's sensibility" in his own tracks. He knew how to build a hook, but he also knew when to let the music breathe.
In the late 80s, after a long hiatus and some serious personal struggles, he made a comeback with the album Brand New. The song "An Empty Glass (That's the Way the Day Ends)" became a late-career favorite. It proved that even after years away, he hadn't lost that ability to find the poetry in a whiskey bottle.
The Legacy of the Vibrato
You don't hear voices like Gary's on the radio anymore. Modern country is often too processed, too "perfect." Gary Stewart was the opposite of perfect. He was jagged. He was intense.
When he performed live, especially at places like Billy Bob's Texas, he would attack the piano like it owed him money. He had this way of leaning into the microphone, eyes closed, looking like he was exorcising ghosts. It was physical. It was loud. It was honky-tonk in its purest, most volatile form.
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Essential Songs by Gary Stewart Checklist
If you're looking to build the ultimate playlist, you need these deep cuts and hits:
- "Whiskey Trip" (1978): A mid-tempo groove that shows off his soul influences.
- "Your Place or Mine" (1977): One of the greatest barroom "come-hither" songs ever recorded.
- "Single Again" (1978): A devastating look at the loneliness that follows a breakup.
- "Cactus and a Rose" (1980): A track featuring Southern rock royalty like Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts.
- "Quits" (1977): A heartbreaking Danny O'Keefe cover that Gary absolutely owned.
Honestly, the best way to experience his music is to find a copy of The Essential Gary Stewart. It’s got all the RCA hits, but it also gives you a sense of the range he had. He could do the "flat natural-born good-timin' man" thing, but he could also break your heart with a single note.
Gary’s story ended tragically in late 2003, just weeks after his wife died. He couldn't imagine a world without her. But the music he left behind is immortal. It’s the gold standard for anyone who wants to understand what real country music sounds like when the lights go down and the neon turns on.
To truly appreciate his impact, take an evening to listen to the Out of Hand album from start to finish. Focus on the interplay between his piano and the pedal steel. Pay attention to how he uses that vibrato to emphasize the most painful words in a lyric. Once you "get" Gary Stewart, most other country music starts to sound a little bit thin.
Practical Steps for New Listeners
- Start with the RCA years: His work between 1974 and 1980 is his creative peak.
- Watch live clips: Look for 1970s TV appearances to see his frantic energy on the piano.
- Read the credits: Note how many of his hits were written by Wayne Carson, the same man who wrote "Always on My Mind."
- Explore the "Lost Tapes": Recent releases of his early demos show a raw, bluesy side of Gary that never made it to the radio.