Austin Gary


Austin Gary is an American novelist, mostly known as a BMI award-winning songwriter for "The Car" by Jeff Carson and recordings by other country performers like Tammy Wynette and John Berry, and as associate producer of albums by Carson, Berry and Hank Williams, Jr.'s Hog Wild album. A Documentarian, his Martin Luther King Documentary, "They Killed Martin: 3 Lives Forever Changed" is available on YouTube. Also a storyteller, he has appeared on Seattle Public radio station KUOW with personal stories about Thornton Wilder and the Martin Luther King assassination and A Guide To Visitors—The Best Of Stories On Stage. He is also a noted high school teacher ; Franklin, TN; Middle College, TN; John Overton and Big Picture and a former advertising creative director, radio/television jingle composer, and newspaper editor. He is a member of PEN Canada.

Novelist and playwright

His new novel, A Delicate Dance, published in December 2015, was named Indiefab Award "Book of the Year" in LGBT adult fiction by Foreword Reviews. Earlier, it was a finalist in the 2014 Faulkner Wisdom competition. His novel, The Queerling, published in October 2013, was a short-list finalist in 2012 Faulkner-Wisdom Literary Competition and was a 2013 IndieFab Award Finalist from ForeWord Reviews. His novel, Miss Madeira, published in August 2011, was a finalist in the 2009 Faulkner-Wisdom Literary Competition and a finalist in ForeWords First Debut Fiction competition. In 2008, his unpublished novel, "Ask Me No Secrets," was a finalist in the Pacific Northwest Writers Association Literary Competition. "Genius," Gary's novel in progress, was a Finalist in the 2010 Faulkner-Wisdom Literary Competition. His historical novel, "Genius," was also a finalist in the 2013 Pacific Northwest Writers Assoc. Literary Competition. His novels, "Miss Madeira" and "Genius" have both been adapted into plays.

Personal life

He is the son of Goeffrey Austin and Helen Heyde, both deceased. In 1967, he married the teacher and actress, Glory Heyde. The marriage ended in 2002. He is the father of award-winning stage director Rachel Rockwell who died of ovarian cancer in 2018 and Jeremy Spencer, former drummer for heavy metal band, Five Finger Death Punch. He attended the University of Missouri ; Lincoln University and is a graduate of the University of Evansville, with a degree in Speech & Drama.

Songwriting