Back in the late 1980s, there was much more than an outside chance country singer/songwriter Larry Dean would become a star. The Texas native had it all – great songs, good looks, charisma and one of the best voices to ever come out of the Lonestar state.

 People in the music business were beginning to take notice and make offers. And Dean was steadily attracting a worldwide fan base through his radio hits and appearances on television shows like Ralph Emery’s Early Morning Show and TNN’s Nashville Now.
 
But in the midst of all that momentum, Dean admits he made a few bad decisions that caused his career to come crashing down. In a moment of confusion, he walked away from it all and admits he still doesn’t know exactly why.
 
“Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be,” he said from his home in Los Angeles. “Or maybe it’s the fact that I had no clue how popular I had become or how close I was to hitting it big. My dream had always been to be on Nashville Now. When I did that, I guess I thought that was it.  And it this business, if you make one bad decision, you’re back to square one.”
 
Dean’s story is a disappointing one, but through the pain of giving up on his dream, he has learned many valuable lessons.   And he’s nowhere near down-for-the-count even though he may have to prove himself all over again.
 
That shouldn’t be too difficult given the strength of his vast catalog of songs and CDs he’s recorded over the years. But the one he’s hoping fans will pay attention to at the moment is his 1989 debut CD on USA Records, “Outside Chance.”   The 12-song project was critically acclaimed and caught the attention of famed music manager Jack McFadden, who managed Buck Owens and the late Keith Whitley.
 
Dean said although McFadden offered to take him on as a client, he turned him down.
 
“I was drinking pretty heavily at the time and felt like I was headed down the same path a Keith Whitley, who died from alcohol poisoning. “When Jack told me he wanted to manage me, I was thinking, ‘I’m just another Keith and I don’t think this is such a good idea.’”
 
Dean first significant break in the music business was being hired as a staff writer for a independent country music publishing company. In 1986 he moved to Los Angeles and began performing his original music at live venues in California and around the world. In 1988 he was signed to USA records and released “Outside Chance” in 1989.
 
Along with appearances on the Ralph Emery Show and Nashville Now, Dean also has toured Australia, New Zealand, Denmark and The Netherlands. Additionally, several of Dean’s songs have been featured in films and television commercials.
 
In1985, he was named “Entertainer of the Year” by the California Country Music Association.
In 2007, he won four Maverick Awards for Top Male Vocalist, Top Country Album, Best Original Song and Best Cover Song. 
 
“I’m not chasing after fame at all,” said Dean, who has released three CDs in addition to “Outside Chance. “I just want to give people the opportunity to hear my music and enjoy it. If I could cut the whole idea of fame out of the apple, I would. It can really mess with you.”