Country music has a way of evoking emotion like no other genre. The songs tell stories and we become deeply attached to the lyrics. It takes more than just a great singer to make a hit. The person responsible for writing the tune is the true genius. Prolific songwriter Larry Bastian passed away at 90 years old on April 6. Among some of his biggest songs were hit records by Garth Brooks. The legendary singer called Larry one of the best writers of all time. He wrote Garth’s hits Unanswered Prayers and Rodeo, songs that made a powerful impact on his career.
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Garth Brooks told the Porterville Record, “If one looks down on the list of music’s greatest writers of all time I couldn’t imagine the list being complete without the name of Larry Bastian.”
Larry Bastian Didn’t Start Out As A Songwriter
According to the Record, he worked on a farm and as a cowboy before becoming a biologist for the Department of Agriculture for Kern and Tulare Counties. In the 1970s, he began writing music for artists like Buck Owens, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Conway Twitty, Reba McEntire, Merle Haggard, and, of course, Garth Brooks.
Garth told the Record that he and Pat Alger spent a lot of time working on a song without a hook, but Larry Bastian changed it into a mega-hit single.
“We passed it by Larry Bastian and it was as if it was meant to be. Larry, his wife Myrna and I were taking a walk and he looked at me and said, ‘Oh, that’s simple. This song should be called ‘Unanswered Prayers’ because some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.’ This is probably the truest song I have ever been involved with as a writer. This actually happened to my wife and me when we went back home to Oklahoma. Every time I sing this song, it teaches me the same lesson… happiness isn’t getting what you want, it is wanting what you’ve got.”
Larry’s family will celebrate his life at a later time.
This story’s featured image is by Kaylee Steffel via Shutterstock.
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