Some of the biggest and most influential voices can come from the smallest, most unassuming small towns. I don’t know if there’s anyone who hasn’t heard of Crystal Gayle, especially with her massive 1977 hit “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue.” She’s been a hugely influential singer in the country pop genre for decades, and it all started in a tiny Kentucky town that you can visit! Here’s what awaits when you visit Crystal Gayle’s birthplace in Paintsville, Kentucky. 

This remote Kentucky small town looks mostly unchanged from the time Crystal Gayle grew up here. Lush forested peaks surround this tiny valley and if it weren’t for Crystal and her sister Loretta Lynn, it would likely still be unknown.
Nicolai Edgar Andersen/Wikipedia
In this rustic house, Brenda Gail Webb began her life singing along to the radio and being inspired by her older sister Loretta Lynn who was already making a name for herself. After graduating high school, she took on the name Crystal Gayle after Loretta saw a sign for a restaurant named Krystal and said, "That's your name. Crystals are bright and shiny, like you."
Crystal was known for her very long black hair almost as much as her voice. Her first album “Crystal Gayle” was released in 1974 and reached number 25 on the Billboard charts. She went on to record 24 more albums, the most recent being “You Don’t Know Me: Classic Country” in 2019.
Crystal Gayle/Facebook
The US 23 Country Music Highway Museum in Paintsville has exhibits celebrating top country musicians and you can bet that this hometown musical hero is among them!
Karen McKarney/Google

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Her childhood home at Butcher Hollow, locally known as “Butcher Holler” is the biggest attraction in the town. Country fans from all over the country consider it almost a pilgrimage to see the place where two of the most iconic voices in the genre got their start, and it is curated by Crystal's brother, Herman Webb.
Lindzmarie15/TripAdvisor
You can take a tour and you’ll even see Crystal’s childhood bedroom! This is where her musical dreams began and she made them come true.
Joseph W/TripAdvisor
Crystal is still performing to this day to her millions of adoring fans and keeping her legend alive and well.
Crystal Gayle/Facebook

Have you ever been to Paintsville, Kentucky? Did you ever see Crystal Gayle perform live? Let us know about your experiences in the comments! Keep up with current updates on her official Facebook page. While you’re in the area, take a look at this scenic hiking trail in Paintsville. Pop in your earbuds and listen to the music of Crystal Gayle while you hike the same hills that she likely did.

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