Brenda Gail Webb (born January 9, 1951), known professionally as Crystal Gayle, is an American country music singer widely known for her 1977 hit "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue".

Under the direction of producer Reynolds at United Artists Records, Gayle shifted towards a country pop style that was more successful.

[6] She was the last of eight children born to Clara Marie "Clary" (née Ramey; May 5, 1912 – November 24, 1981) and Melvin Theodore "Ted" Webb (June 6, 1906 – February 22, 1959).

On the program, Gayle performed original songs written by Loretta Lynn including "Sparklin' Look of Love" and "Mama, It's Different This Time".

[11] In a 2019 interview with Forbes, Gayle reflected on the experience, "It didn't take me long to realize I was only there because I was Loretta's sister.

[13] Reynolds (who had recent success producing Don Williams) encouraged Gayle to record in a softer, mellower format.

"[12] Encyclopedic writer Collin Larkin called her new music approach to have the "easygoing charm" of records by Don Williams.

[20] This arrangement proved successful when in 1976, Gayle had her first number 1 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart with "I'll Get Over You", written by Leigh.

[22] Producer Allen Reynolds believed Gayle was poised to have crossover pop success if the right song were found.

"[30] We Must Believe in Magic became the first album by a female country artist to certify platinum in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America.

[34] When I Dream also received positive reviews, garnering 3 out of 5 stars from AllMusic[35] and another "Grade A" rating from My Kind of Country.

Thom Jurek of AllMusic gave the release 4.5 out of 5 stars, who called it "one of the most beautifully wrought soundtrack collaborations in history".

[52] Steve Pond of Rolling Stone called it "a dreamy series of duets with Crystal Gayle that drift in and out of the film, comment on the action and supply some crucial transitions.

First produced by Allen Reynolds, when the album was presented to Jimmy Bowen (Elektra's division head), he commented that it "rocked too much".

[54] Tom Roland of AllMusic praised Gayle's performance, notably on the tracks "Our Love Is on the Faultline" and "Deeper Than the Fire".

[59] In 1984, she sang a duet with Hong Kong singer Danny Chan, titled "Tell Me What Can I Do",[60][61] it was largely unknown due to lack of promotional budget.

It became an anthem for supercouple Bobby (Patrick Duffy) and Pam Ewing (Victoria Principal) on the popular CBS prime time soap opera.

Bill Kohlhaase of the Los Angeles Times gave the song and video a positive review, saying, "The video, alternating between scenes of Gayle and her swirling tresses with sparsely staged visions of a single mother and her two children, is the kind of heartfelt, yet assertive statement that Gayle has parlayed into major success in the past.

In 1999, she released an album of jazz and American Standards called Crystal Gayle Sings the Heart and Soul of Hoagy Carmichael.

"[78] Billboard Magazine praised the lead single, "Two Sleepy People" (a duet with Willie Nelson), calling it "sweet" and "playful".

"[82] In January 2007, fugitive Christopher Daniel Gay escaped from custody at an Interstate 95 welcome center near Hardeeville, South Carolina, and made his way to Tennessee where he stole Gayle's tour bus.

[88] Markos Papadatos of the Digital Journal gave it an "A" rating, commenting, "Overall, Crystal Gayle is sensational on her new album, You Don't Know Me, which is country as grits.

[8] In October 2001, she was inducted into the Native American Music Awards Hall of Fame in honor of her self-identified Cherokee linkage.

In 2003, she commented, "I've always enjoyed folk, pop, rock, gospel, country, everything..." As a child, she especially liked music by Lesley Gore, Brenda Lee and Patsy Cline.

[82] Stephen L. Betts of Rolling Stone explained that Gayle had "a polished persona and singing style tailor-made for country-pop crossover.

"[101] Kurt Wolff of Country Music: The Rough Guide commented that she had a "sweet radio-friendly voice" that "made a picture-perfect pop-country star.

Writers Robert K. Oermann and Mary A. Bufwack wrote in 2003, "Crystal Gayle will be forever recalled by music fans for the sexy toss of her head that sent waves of motion through her Godiva-like brunette tresses.

[24][12][11] Gayle's music and career helped open doors for future female country pop artists, including Faith Hill, Shania Twain and Carrie Underwood.

[37][3] Writer Kevin John Coyne described her successes and contributions: "... she had accumulated an astonishing eighteen No.1 hits, two more than her older sister had under her belt, and fourth among all women in country music history, behind Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire and Tammy Wynette.

"[108] In November 2016 almost 50 years after making her debut as a guest artist, Gayle was asked to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry by Carrie Underwood.