Gary Stewart (singer)

Gary Stewart
Birth nameGary Ronnie Stewart
Born(1944-05-28)May 28, 1944
Jenkins, Kentucky, U.S.
DiedDecember 16, 2003(2003-12-16) (aged 59)
Fort Pierce, Florida, U.S.
GenresCountry, outlaw country, country rock, honky-tonk, Southern rock
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter
Instrument(s)Piano, guitar, bass
Years active1968–2003
LabelsCory, Kapp, Decca, RCA, MCA, HighTone, Smith Music Group

Gary Ronnie Stewart (May 28, 1944 – December 16, 2003)[1] was an American musician and songwriter, known for his distinctive vibrato voice and his outlaw country sound influenced by southern rock. At the height of his popularity in the mid-1970s, Time magazine described him as the "king of honkytonk."[2] He had a series of country chart hits from the mid- to late 1970s, the biggest of which was "She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles)", which topped the U.S. country singles chart in 1975.

On December 16, 2003, Stewart died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, one month after the death of his wife.[3][4][5]

  1. ^ Some sources state he was born in 1945, but Kentucky birth records and the Social Security death index proves he was born in 1944. The latter confirms his death date. See Gary R Stewart birth record, Commonwealth of Kentucky, vol. 061, certificate number 30044, 1944.
  2. ^ DeVoss, David (September 27, 1976). "A Honky-Tonk Man". Time. New York. Archived from the original on November 3, 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2008. He was often introduced as the "King of Honky-Tonk"; see, for instance, the intro to his 2003 live album Live at Billy Bob's.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference auto was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Flippo, Chet (December 17, 2003). "Honky-Tonk Singer Gary Stewart Dies: Out of Hand country rocker apparently committed suicide". CMT.com. Archived from the original on June 30, 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2008.
  5. ^ Passy, Charles (March 14, 2004). "The Ballad of Gary & Mary Lou: Gary Stewart was a Hard-Partying Country Star, the King of Honky-Tonk, but it was his Devoted Lou Who Kept His Life Together, and When She Died, He Just Couldn't Go On". Palm Beach Post. Retrieved February 10, 2008.[dead link]