Statler Brothers

Statler Brothers

Statler Brothers Audio Clips

WE GOT PAID BY CASH

HOW TO BE A COUNTRY STAR

BIOGRAPHY

The Statler Brothers came from Staunton, a town on the edge of thr Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. The members of the group were, Harold Reid(bass), Lew C DeWitt(tenor), Philip E. Balsley(baritone) and Joe McDorman.They formed a Gospel quartet and although McDorman never became a "Statler"" he worked occassionally with the group.Back then they were called the Kingsmen. In 1960 McDorman was replaced by Harold's brother,Donald S Reid who became the groups lead singer. In 1963 the group auditioned for Johnny Cash and became partof his road show.Around this time another group called the Kingsmen had a hit with,"Louie,Louie" . This made it necessary for a name change.They were sitting in a hotel room when Harold saw a box of Statler tissues and suggested "The Statler Brothers" As Harold often said,"Hey,we might have been the Kleenex Brothers!".Johnny Cash also got them a record contract with Columbia but because of poor sales with thier first records the Statlers were refused further studio time.At one of Johnny Cash's sessions while he was on a break,they recorded "Flowers on the Wall".This was in 1964. It made #4on the US Pop Charts,#2 on the Country Charts and even made the UK Top 40. The Statlers continued to be part of the Johnny Cash show until 1972. And the years with him were fondly recalled in a tribute song written by Harold and Don,"We Got Paid by Cash". "We learned alot from John.He didn't always do everything he knew was right,but we learned alot of positive things from him in terms of songwriting,performing and living." The Statlers changed record label and signed on to Mercury Records in 1970 because they were dissatisfied by the promotion of thier records and the material they were given at Columbia. They teamed with producer Jerry Kennedy and turned out hits such as"Bed of Roses", "Do You Remember These?(1972), "I'll Go to My Grave Loving You"(Top hit in 1975),and the #1 hit in 1978, "Do You Know You Are My Sunshine?". This established them as the number one Country group. The Statlers remained with Mercury Records for 2 decades. The Statler Brothers member Lew DeWitt suffered from Crohn's Disease. Since a teenager Lew had suffered from intestional inflammation. On one of the groups first tours with Johnny Cash in Omaha, he had collapsed and was rarely able to shake off the stomach pain and nausea associated with the disease. Stress and travel made it worse and in November of 1981 was hospitalized. Lew decided to leave the group. His replacement,at first temporary,then permanent was Jimmy Fortune. Lew returned for one show in June of 1982 but couldn't face an upcoming tour and bowed out. He tried a solo career in 1985 after he recuperated a little but his health problems resurfaced forcing him to retire completely. The Statler Brothers were on tour when Lew fell seriously ill, but they came to see him just two weeks before he died. Lew DeWitt died on August 15, 1990 of heart and kidney failure. Jimmy Fortune turned out to be surprisingly a commercial songwriter. His first song for the group "Elizabeth" went to #1 and another "My Only Love" repeated. Adding Jimmy to the group was typical of the way the Statler Brothers seem to have an apparent ability to recharge themselves again and again. In the late 80's the group got an invitation from Jim Owens Productions to host a weekly TV Show on The Nashville Network. Worried about overexposure the Statlers at first resisted the idea. But being complete rounded entertainers with a keen sense of what it takes to mount a show,they decided it wasn't a bad idea after all.They were offered the 9:00 PM Saturday night slot. The 1st show aired October 5, 1991.The Statler Brothers Show was the top rated show on The Nashville Network(TNN) on cable. On tour and on TV the group maintains the freshness in thier show by logging songs and jokes so they don't give an audience the same show twice. "Don can go to the books" says Harold, "And tell you exactly what kind of ass I made of myself every show we've played."

The Statler Brothers are

HAROLD REID

Born August 21, 1939.Married to Brenda,they have 5 children.Kim,Karman,Kodi,Kasey and Will.

Harold is known as the clown of the group,a natural comic whose adlibs are funnier than his routines. As he says

"A quotable son of a gun" Is responsible for much of the onstage humor,supervises

all album covers and coordinates bookings. Is writer for the shows with brother,Don.

DONALD S REID

Born June 5, 1945. Married to Deborah, they have 2 sons, Langdon and Debo.

Don is known as the "Mystery Man". He is the songwriter and spokesman for the group.

His favorites songwriters are Kris Kristofferson,Bill Anderson, Johnny Cash, Harold, Jimmy and myself.

Don's favorite song is "Me and Bobby McGee" and anything Kris Kristrofferson wrote during that period.

PHILIP E BALSLEY

Born August 8, 1939. Married to Wilma, they have 3 children, Greg,

Mark and Leah. Phil is known as the "Quiet One".

Keeps track of the Statlers business and administrative affairs.

JIMMY FORTUNE

Born March 11, 1955. Married to Nina,they have 7 children. Jimmy, Chris, Meghann,Matthew

Jessica, Courtney and Grant. Sings tenor for the group and writes songs.

Loves Mexican food and enjoys outdoor sports. Such as tennis, skiing and horseback riding.

The Statler Brothers have released more than 60 albums, have won more than 500 awards and were given more Music City News Awards than any other act in country music.(Voted on by the fans!) They still live in Staunton, Virginia and thier offices are located in what used to be the old elementary school, Beverly Manor. After more than 30 years of being the most popular and longest-lasting groups in the history of country music the Statlers have retired. The group concluded thier concert schedule in November of 2002.The reasons cited for retirement was simply to free themselves of a rigid travel schedule and spend more time at home in Staunton. Their final concert was held on October 26, 2002 in Salem,Virginia. When tickets went on sale for that concert, they were sold out in an hour and 27 minutes! Jimmy Fortune,the youngest, has launched a solo career .The Statlers latest album "Showtime", released on April 10, 2001 was the first release of new material in almost a decade. And it was the first album released on the groups' own label Music Box Records.

Statler Brothers Albums

1966 Flowers on the Wall

1969 Oh Happy Day

1970 Bed of Rose's

1971 Pictures of Moments to Remember

1971 The Big Hits

1972 The World of the Statler Brothers

1972 How Great Thou Art (formerly Oh Happy Day)

1972 Country Hymns

1972 Innerview

1972 Country Music Then and Now

1972 The Statler Brothers Sing Country Symphonies in E Major

1973 Country Love. Volume II

1973 The World's Favorite Hymns

1973 Carry Me Back

1974 Alive at the Johnny Mack Brown High School

1974 Thank You World

1974 Sons of the Motherland

1975 The Best of The Statler Brothers

1975 Holy Bible - Old Testament

1975 Holy Bible - Old Testament and New Testament (Double)

1975 Holy Bible - New Testament

1976 Harold, Lew, Phil and Don

1976 The Country America Loves

1977 Statler Brothers Short Stories

1978 Memories Now and Forever

1978 Entertainers ... On and Off the Record

1978 The Statler Brothers Christmas Card

1979 The Originals. Mercury

1980 The Best of The Statler Brothers Rides Again. Volume II

1980 The Statler Brothers 10th Anniversary

1982 The Legend Goes On

1983 Today

1984 Atlanta Blue

1985 Pardners in Rhyme

1985 Christmas Present

1986 Four for the Show

1986 Radio Gospel Favorites

1987 Maple Street Memories

1988 The Statler's Greatest Hits. Volume III

1989 Statler Brothers Live and Sold Out

1990 Music, Memories and You

1991 All American Country

1992 Words and Music

1992 Gospel Favorites

1993 Home

1993 Today's Gospel Favorites

1994 30th Anniversary Celebration (Boxed Set)

1995 The Statler Brothers Sing the Classics

1996 An American Legend

2001 Showtime

2002 Amen

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	Statler Brothers Statler Brothers Audio Clips WE GOT PAID BY CASH HOW TO BE A COUNTRY STAR BIOGRAPHY The Statler Brothers came from Staunton, a town on the edge of thr Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. The members of the group were, Harold Reid(bass), Lew C DeWitt(tenor), Philip E. Balsley(baritone) and Joe McDorman.They formed a Gospel quartet and although McDorman never became a "Statler"" he worked occassionally with the group.Back then they were called the Kingsmen. In 1960 McDorman was replaced by Harold's brother,Donald S Reid who became the groups lead singer. In 1963 the group auditioned for Johnny Cash and became partof his road show.Around this time another group called the Kingsmen had a hit with,"Louie,Louie" . This made it necessary for a name change.They were sitting in a hotel room when Harold saw a box of Statler tissues and suggested "The Statler Brothers" As Harold often said,"Hey,we might have been the Kleenex Brothers!".Johnny Cash also got them a record contract with Columbia but because of poor sales with thier first records the Statlers were refused further studio time.At one of Johnny Cash's sessions while he was on a break,they recorded "Flowers on the Wall".This was in 1964. It made #4on the US Pop Charts,#2 on the Country Charts and even made the UK Top 40. The Statlers continued to be part of the Johnny Cash show until 1972. And the years with him were fondly recalled in a tribute song written by Harold and Don,"We Got Paid by Cash". "We learned alot from John.He didn't always do everything he knew was right,but we learned alot of positive things from him in terms of songwriting,performing and living." The Statlers changed record label and signed on to Mercury Records in 1970 because they were dissatisfied by the promotion of thier records and the material they were given at Columbia. They teamed with producer Jerry Kennedy and turned out hits such as"Bed of Roses", "Do You Remember These?(1972), "I'll Go to My Grave Loving You"(Top hit in 1975),and the #1 hit in 1978, "Do You Know You Are My Sunshine?". This established them as the number one Country group. The Statlers remained with Mercury Records for 2 decades. The Statler Brothers member Lew DeWitt suffered from Crohn's Disease. Since a teenager Lew had suffered from intestional inflammation. On one of the groups first tours with Johnny Cash in Omaha, he had collapsed and was rarely able to shake off the stomach pain and nausea associated with the disease. Stress and travel made it worse and in November of 1981 was hospitalized. Lew decided to leave the group. His replacement,at first temporary,then permanent was Jimmy Fortune. Lew returned for one show in June of 1982 but couldn't face an upcoming tour and bowed out. He tried a solo career in 1985 after he recuperated a little but his health problems resurfaced forcing him to retire completely. The Statler Brothers were on tour when Lew fell seriously ill, but they came to see him just two weeks before he died. Lew DeWitt died on August 15, 1990 of heart and kidney failure. Jimmy Fortune turned out to be surprisingly a commercial songwriter. His first song for the group "Elizabeth" went to #1 and another "My Only Love" repeated. Adding Jimmy to the group was typical of the way the Statler Brothers seem to have an apparent ability to recharge themselves again and again. In the late 80's the group got an invitation from Jim Owens Productions to host a weekly TV Show on The Nashville Network. Worried about overexposure the Statlers at first resisted the idea. But being complete rounded entertainers with a keen sense of what it takes to mount a show,they decided it wasn't a bad idea after all.They were offered the 9:00 PM Saturday night slot. The 1st show aired October 5, 1991.The Statler Brothers Show was the top rated show on The Nashville Network(TNN) on cable. On tour and on TV the group maintains the freshness in thier show by logging songs and jokes so they don't give an audience the same show twice. "Don can go to the books" says Harold, "And tell you exactly what kind of ass I made of myself every show we've played." The Statler Brothers are HAROLD REID Born August 21, 1939.Married to Brenda,they have 5 children.Kim,Karman,Kodi,Kasey and Will. Harold is known as the clown of the group,a natural comic whose adlibs are funnier than his routines. As he says "A quotable son of a gun" Is responsible for much of the onstage humor,supervises all album covers and coordinates bookings. Is writer for the shows with brother,Don. DONALD S REID Born June 5, 1945. Married to Deborah, they have 2 sons, Langdon and Debo. Don is known as the "Mystery Man". He is the songwriter and spokesman for the group. His favorites songwriters are Kris Kristofferson,Bill Anderson, Johnny Cash, Harold, Jimmy and myself. Don's favorite song is "Me and Bobby McGee" and anything Kris Kristrofferson wrote during that period. PHILIP E BALSLEY Born August 8, 1939. Married to Wilma, they have 3 children, Greg, Mark and Leah. Phil is known as the "Quiet One". Keeps track of the Statlers business and administrative affairs. JIMMY FORTUNE Born March 11, 1955. Married to Nina,they have 7 children. Jimmy, Chris, Meghann,Matthew Jessica, Courtney and Grant. Sings tenor for the group and writes songs. Loves Mexican food and enjoys outdoor sports. Such as tennis, skiing and horseback riding. The Statler Brothers have released more than 60 albums, have won more than 500 awards and were given more Music City News Awards than any other act in country music.(Voted on by the fans!) They still live in Staunton, Virginia and thier offices are located in what used to be the old elementary school, Beverly Manor. After more than 30 years of being the most popular and longest-lasting groups in the history of country music the Statlers have retired. The group concluded thier concert schedule in November of 2002.The reasons cited for retirement was simply to free themselves of a rigid travel schedule and spend more time at home in Staunton. Their final concert was held on October 26, 2002 in Salem,Virginia. When tickets went on sale for that concert, they were sold out in an hour and 27 minutes! Jimmy Fortune,the youngest, has launched a solo career .The Statlers latest album "Showtime", released on April 10, 2001 was the first release of new material in almost a decade. And it was the first album released on the groups' own label Music Box Records. Statler Brothers Albums 1966 Flowers on the Wall 1969 Oh Happy Day 1970 Bed of Rose's 1971 Pictures of Moments to Remember 1971 The Big Hits 1972 The World of the Statler Brothers 1972 How Great Thou Art (formerly Oh Happy Day) 1972 Country Hymns 1972 Innerview 1972 Country Music Then and Now 1972 The Statler Brothers Sing Country Symphonies in E Major 1973 Country Love. Volume II 1973 The World's Favorite Hymns 1973 Carry Me Back 1974 Alive at the Johnny Mack Brown High School 1974 Thank You World 1974 Sons of the Motherland 1975 The Best of The Statler Brothers 1975 Holy Bible - Old Testament 1975 Holy Bible - Old Testament and New Testament (Double) 1975 Holy Bible - New Testament 1976 Harold, Lew, Phil and Don 1976 The Country America Loves 1977 Statler Brothers Short Stories 1978 Memories Now and Forever 1978 Entertainers ... On and Off the Record 1978 The Statler Brothers Christmas Card 1979 The Originals. Mercury 1980 The Best of The Statler Brothers Rides Again. Volume II 1980 The Statler Brothers 10th Anniversary 1982 The Legend Goes On 1983 Today 1984 Atlanta Blue 1985 Pardners in Rhyme 1985 Christmas Present 1986 Four for the Show 1986 Radio Gospel Favorites 1987 Maple Street Memories 1988 The Statler's Greatest Hits. Volume III 1989 Statler Brothers Live and Sold Out 1990 Music, Memories and You 1991 All American Country 1992 Words and Music 1992 Gospel Favorites 1993 Home 1993 Today's Gospel Favorites 1994 30th Anniversary Celebration (Boxed Set) 1995 The Statler Brothers Sing the Classics 1996 An American Legend 2001 Showtime 2002 Amen This site is best viewed at 1024 X 768