Gatlin’s Professorship Launches January 23 with Eight-Week
Songwriting Course
GRAMMY® Award-winning Larry Gatlin is headed back to school. Not to learn— but to teach! The University of Texas Permian Basin (located in Odessa, TX) will debut its latest faculty member, Professor of Practice Gatlin, on January 23 when the legendary singer begins his own eight-week songwriting master class.
“Grammy Award-winning musician Larry Gatlin will be sharing his art of creative writing and storytelling with students this spring—all the skills that made him a hall of fame singer-songwriter,” explains UT Permian Basin President, Dr. Sandra Woodley. “As UTPB’s new Professor of Practice, he will lead an exciting new master class to share his experiences and encourage people from all walks of life to explore their own creativity and passion. We are thrilled about this partnership.”
“I believe there are only two kinds of people in the world … rocks and sponges,” quips Gatlin. “I am a sponge, and I am going to squeeze myself out on those kids at UTPB in the hope that some of them are sponges too.”
Gatlin is no stranger to West Texas. He was born in Seminole in 1948 and graduated from Odessa High School. He attended the University of Houston on a football scholarship where he majored in English and developed “a love affair with the English Language” that later served him well in his songwriting.
On the strength of his songwriting talents, Gatlin became known throughout the Nashville music industry. Gatlin, along with brothers Steve and Rudy, collectively known as the Gatlin Brothers, racked up hit after hit and banked some of the most prestigious awards in the industry. Gatlin penned every Gatlin Brothers hit you’ve ever heard. He has written songs that were later recorded by Elvis Presley, Glen Campbell, Barbra Streisand, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Charlie Rich, Johnny Mathis, Dottie West, and many more. In 2019, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Photo Caption: Larry Gatlin (orange shirt – center) and UTPB President Dr. Sandra Woodley (left of Gatlin),
Gather with University Faculty, Staff and Students to Celebrate Upcoming Course
Photo Courtesy UTPB | Size: 2.46 MB | Type: JPEG | High Resolution Download