Steve Petro, left, and Kelly Petro, right, talk with Andrea and Darryl Gatlin. (Photo by Deb Patterson)
Is your music favorite Country? Rock? Pop? Heavy Metal? Opera?
Darryl and Andrea Gatlin can sing any genre of music.
That’s what those attending The Gatlin Show at the North Webster Community center discovered Saturday evening. The event, organized by Susan Todd, was a fundraiser for the Syracuse-Wawasee Trails.
Many in the crowd of 150 are regulars of The Gatlin Shows in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., where they entertain five nights a week during the winter. But those who have never heard the couple were in for a treat.
Looking like Tim McGraw in his blue jeans, opened buttoned black shirt and black Stetson cowboy hat, Darryl achieved major success in Nashville with two albums, 11 performances on the Grand Ole Opry, CMA, TNN and ACM award nominations. He’s toured with Reba McEntire, Alabama, Oakridge Boys and had a Billboard Top 40 Hit “No Sir.”
Dressed in black as if she’s ready to perform on one of the top music stages in the country, his wife, Andrea, majored in opera at Ashland University and won the title of Miss Ohio. She sings in six different languages, has written and recorded on hip-hop albums.
It was seven years ago when Darryl was 95 percent country he heard Andrea sing and knew they had to sing together. She agreed to learn country if he could “learn something other than country.” The Gatlin Show was born. A part of their show is when the “Grand Ole Opry meets Opera.”
They now perform over 200 shows a year. During the summer they perform at various venues on the Lake Erie Islands, at fairs and festivals and special events.
The night’s entertainment included crowd participation ranging from Darryl singing Meatloaf’s hit “Your Once, Twice Three Times A Lady” to women in the crowd, to getting a few volunteers to play “Darryl Says” while his wife sang, to songs made popular from movies and taking requests from all genre.
Songs from “Footloose,” “Beaches,” “Rocky,” “Grease,” “Ghostbusters,” “Chicago,” “Saturday Night Fever,” “Dirty Dancing,” “9 to 5,” “Bodyguard” and “Best Little Whore House In Texas,” were among the many sang.
The conclusion of the evening was a medley of songs from artists chosen by the crowd: REO Speedwagon, Journey, Pink Floyd, Johnny Cash, ZZ Top, Brittney Spears, Neil Diamond, The Eagles, James Brown, Kenny Rogers, The Band Perry, Billy Crash Craddock, The Everly Brothers, Bob Seger, Miranda Lambert, Rod Stewart, Merle Haggard, Garth Brooks, Don Williams, Sting, AC/DC, Trace Atkins, Almond Brothers, Temptations, Sony and Cher, James Taylor, Carrie Underwood, John Couger Mellencamp, Stevie Wonder, Dianna Ross, Elton John and many others.
The evening closed with Andrea singing a selection from Andrea Bocelli, Italion tenor, joined by her husband.
Plans are already in the works to have the Ohio couple return to the area next summer for not one, but two concerts to benefit local organizations.
Sponsors for the evening included Steve and Sally Springer, The Papers, Inc. and Todd Realty, Inc. Food and beverages were catered by The Sleepy Owl, Syracuse.
Learn more about The Gatlins at www.gatlinshow.com
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