Original image by There Stands the Glass.
My life partner was out of town when I attended a Crystal Gayle concert at Ameristar Casino in 2022. I pounced on a pair of front row seats upon spotting a deep discount on day-of-show tickets to the pop-country artist’s return to the same room on Saturday, July 19. I relished my date’s astonishment at Gayle’s Rapunzel-like hair and her gleeful laughter at Gayle’s endearing delivery of shopworn jokes. And like me, she still finds it hard to believe that Gayle is the younger sister of the late Loretta Lynn. Gayle’s song selection remains problematic. The audience of about 600 heard only a small fraction of Gayle’s hits. Her willingness to share the spotlight with the presumed bandleader is also unfortunate. Those choices may have played a role in the meager turnout. I suspect we may not witness Gayle deliver her songs with her uncommon guilelessness again. It’s a shame. The star’s songs have always been in the background of our "... Long and Lasting Love".