The Last of the Outlaws - Paperback

by P. Gail Davies (Author)

Gail Davies' autobiography contains a wealth of information about the music industry and humorous anecdotes about life on the road. Although best known as the first female record producer in country music, Gail is also a prolific songwriter and the author of such country radio standards as "Bucket to the South" for Lynn Anderson, "Hometown Gossip" for The Whites, and "Tell Me Why" for Jann Browne, as well as her own self-penned hits, "Boys Like You," "Grandma's Song," and "Someone Is Looking For Someone Like You."

As a singer, Gail's voice (described by jazz critic Nat Hentoff as "brilliantly evocative") has earned her two standing ovations on The Grand Ole Opry, an IBMA Award, and a Grammy nomination for her duet with bluegrass patriarch Ralph Stanley. She was voted "Best Female Vocalist" by the DJs of America, nominated by the CMA and ACM and, in 2018, was inducted into The Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame.Born Patricia Gail Dickerson in Broken Bow, Oklahoma (the daughter of country singer Tex Dickerson) Gail grew up watching her father perform on the Louisiana Hayride. She moved to Washington State when she was five years old. Her last name was changed when her mother remarried and Gail and her two brothers were adopted by their stepfather, Darby Davies. After graduating from high school, Gail moved to Hollywood, California and found work as a session singer at A&M Studios backing artists like Hoyt Axton, Glen Campbell and Neil Young. She was even invited to sit in on a recording session (produced by Phil Spector) with ex-Beatle John Lennon and made her television debut on The Merv Griffin Show singing a duet with country legend Roger Miller.

Surrounded by great songwriters, including her older brother Ron Davies (the writer of "It Ain't Easy" for David Bowie and "Long Hard Climb" for Helen Reddy), Gail bought a guitar and started writing songs. She signed with EMI Publishing in 1976 and moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where she quickly established herself as a singer, songwriter and record producer. She delivered a series of successful albums and Top 10 hit singles during the 1980s. Since then, Gail has produced 21 albums, including two star-studded tributes featuring George Jones, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, John Prine, Crystal Gayle, Charley Pride, Alison Krauss, Dwight Yoakam, Pam Tillis, Vince Gill, Shelby Lynne, and Guy Clark