Larry Willoughby facts for kids

Larry Willoughby (born February 24, 1950 – died January 14, 2021) was an American country music singer and songwriter. He also worked as a top executive, helping to find new musical talent for Capitol Records. This job is called Artist and Repertoire (A&R) vice president.

About Larry Willoughby

Larry Willoughby was born in Sherman, Texas. He was a talented singer and songwriter who loved country music. His first album, called Building Bridges, came out in 1984. It was released by Atlantic America, a record company.

From this album, three songs were released as singles. A single is a song released on its own to be played on the radio. The song "Building Bridges" was special because it was the only one of Larry's songs to reach the Top 60 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. This chart shows the most popular country songs in the United States.

Years later, in 2006, the famous country duo Brooks & Dunn covered "Building Bridges." Their version became very popular, reaching number 4 on the charts! Another song from Larry's album, "Heart on the Line (Operator, Operator)," was also covered. Eddy Raven sang his own version, called "Operator, Operator," and it became a Top 10 country hit in 1985.

Many other well-known artists have recorded songs written by Larry Willoughby. These include The Oak Ridge Boys and Waylon Jennings. His cousin, Rodney Crowell, also produced Larry's album.

Larry Willoughby passed away in Sherman, Texas, at the age of 70. He died after getting sick with COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Texas.

Larry Willoughby's Music

Larry Willoughby released one studio album and several singles during his career.

Albums

Singles

Books Larry Willoughby Wrote

Larry Willoughby also contributed to books about music history.

• Texas Rhythm, Texas Rhyme: A Pictorial History of Texas Music
• Texas, Our Texas