“Coward Of The County” caused problems for singer Larry Gatlin, who performed with his two brothers Steve and Rudy as “Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers.” The song implicated three fictitious Gatlin boys in a rape sequence. “It was really a great song,” remembers Larry, “but after it came out, we started getting accused of being rapists. Even my mother came home one day and said she heard a song that accused her boys of rapin’ somebody. It kind of made me mad. I think they could have showed a little good taste and used another name.”
None of the three major players connected with the song (writers Wheeler and Bowling and singer Rogers) claim to have considered the implication, but I must confess that I instantly thought of Larry, Steve and Rudy Gatlin when I first heard this song upon its release in late ‘79 and I’m with Larry in thinking that they could have and should have used a different name. Especially after it was later revealed that Larry Gatlin had once dated a girl named Becky (the name of the girl who was violated in the song), and had earlier written a song about her! That, of course, tied together the already tense situation even closer.
The writers claim that other names were considered (such as “Barlow”), but “Gatlin” was the one that had the best-sounding ring to them and which was deemed “more gritty” (whatever that means). Well, Larry didn’t buy that explanation and once confronted Kenny Rogers about it on live television. Rogers exclaimed “Don’t blame me, I didn’t write it!”
Controversy notwithstanding, “Coward Of The County” slammed into the #1 position on Billboard’s country singles chart on January 5, 1980, where it remained for three weeks (Kenny’s ninth of 21 chart-toppers). The record went on to reach #3 on Billboard’s “Hot 100” pop chart, a sensational showing for a country release. In fact, “Coward Of The County” was Rogers’ third highest placement on the Hot 100 behind his two number ones: “Lady” (written and produced by Lionel Richie) and his million-selling duet with Dolly Parton, “Islands In The Stream.”