Songwriter Larry W. Johnson Passes

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“Don’t Take the Girl” co-writer Larry W. Johnson died on June 16 at age 69.

The song was a massive hit in 1994 for Tim McGraw, becoming the singer’s first No. 1 smash. The record also rose to No. 17 on the pop hit parade.

“Don’t Take the Girl” was certified Double Platinum by the RIAA for sales in excess of two million units. It won Johnson and his co-writer Craig Martin BMI Awards. It inspired a parody, “Please Take the Girl,” which was on the debut Cledus T. Judd album in 1995.

Johnson had more than 50 other titles registered with BMI. His co-written “If You Think You’re Lonely” was recorded by Ray Price in 2002.

Larry Wayne Johnson passed away in Ashland City, Tennessee. He is survived by wife Becky, as well as sons Joshua and Christopher Johnson plus Shane and Joshua Davis, daughter Ginnifer Line and nine grandchildren.

Condolences can be sent to Cheatham County Funeral Home online at cheathamcountyfh.com. The burial will be private, for family, at Neptune-Smith Cemetery in Ashland City. A celebration of life for Larry W. Johnson will be held at a later date.

Hit Songwriter Glenn Ray Passes

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Country songwriter Glenn Ray passed away on Thursday (June 11) at the age of 82.

He is best known as the writer of the John Anderson hit “I Just Came Home to Count the Memories.” Released in late 1981, it became a top 10 hit in 1982.

The song first charted for Bobby Wright in 1975. Cal Smith hit No. 15 with it in 1977. “I Just Came Home to Count the Memories” has also been recorded by Tim Barrett (1984) and Jack Scott (2015).

His other big song occurred when Barbara Mandrell had a No. 12 hit with “Hold Me” in 1977.

Glenn Ray also wrote “Til a Better Memory Comes Along,” which has been recorded by Shelby Lynne (1990), Mark Chesnutt (1993) and Gene Watson (2009).
His song “Yesterday Will Come Again Tonight” was recorded by Leroy Van Dyke (1972) and Loretta Lynn (1973).

During his years in Nashville, Ray co-wrote with Ed Bruce and Tim Mensy, among others. He was the cousin of Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Ted Harris, who mentored him. Glenn Ray was affiliated with SESAC.

Music Row song publishing executive Sherrill Blackman recalls the songwriter as being a somewhat colorful figure. He was known as “Gator,” reportedly because he had been a game warden in Florida who could catch alligators by hand, without using a snare.

Blackman believes he was also a sideman who toured with several top country artists in the 1970s.

The songwriter’s full name was Glenn Ray McGuirt. He died in Newton Grove, NC. He is survived by wife Edna Williams McGuirt, son Curtis, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Arrangements are being handled by West & Dunn Funeral Home in Newton Grove, NC.

Daughter Of Hank Williams Jr. Dies In Car Crash

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Hank Williams Jr. Photo: David McClister

Hank Williams Jr.‘s daughter, 27-year-old Katherine Williams-Dunning, was killed in a one-car crash on Saturday (June 13) in Henry County, Tennessee.

The Tennessean reported that Williams-Dunning was driving the 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe on Highway 79 near Antioch Road when an SUV, which was towing a boat, crossed the median and crashed around 7:45 p.m. CT Saturday evening. Williams-Dunning was killed, while her 29-year-old husband, Tyler Dunning, who was also in the vehicle, was flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Katherine and Tyler were married on Oct. 15, 2015, and share two children, son Beau Weston (5) and daughter Audrey Jane (2). Katherine owned the clothing company Weston Jane.

Williams-Dunning is the daughter of Hank Williams Jr. and Mary Jane Thomas and the sister of Sam Williams. Williams-Dunning is the half-sister of Holly Williams and Hilary Williams (mother: Becky White), and Shelton Hank Williams, also known as Hank Williams III (mother: Gwen Yeargain).

Holly Williams shared a family photo taken with Katherine one day before the crash.

“I have no words,” Williams said via the Instagram post. “On Friday morning I talked the family into taking this picture and had no idea it would be our last together with my precious little sister Katie. We all went to my great aunts funeral on Thursday whom we all loved dearly, and now are faced with another one. ALL we need is prayers. My daddy. My little brother. Katie’s husband (he is awake and responding don’t know injury extent yet). My niece and nephew. Her Mama. The Dunning family. All of us. So. Many. Prayers. Jesus is close. Thank you all ??❤️ Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. Psalm 31:9”

[Update]: Celebration Of Life Service Set For Jimmy Capps

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Jimmy Capps. Photo courtesy Marushka Media

[Update]: A visitation and a Celebration of Life service have been set for late guitarist Jimmy Capps.

Visitation will be held Monday, June 8 from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Spring Hill Funeral Home (5110 Gallatin Pike S, Nashville, TN 37216). A Celebration of Life Service will be held Tuesday, June 9 at 1 p.m. at the Grand Ole Opry House (2804 Opryland Drive, Nashville, TN 37214).

[Original post: Wednesday, June 3, 2020]

Jimmy Capps, the genial, white-haired and goateed guitarist who is one of Nashville’s most beloved pickers, died Tuesday, June 2, at age 81.

Best known as the long-time lead guitar player in the Grand Ole Opry staff band, Capps also performed on a breathtaking number of country music standards. He can be heard on “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” “The Gambler,” “Stand By Your Man,” “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool,” “Elvira” and “Amarillo By Morning,” among many other familiar megahits.

He is a member of The Musicians Hall of Fame. Capps was saluted in 2012 by the Country Music Hall of Fame in its “Nashville Cats” series profiling recording-session greats.

Born in 1939 in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Capps began playing guitar at age 12. By age 16, he was performing on local radio and TV shows. He was just 19 when he successfully auditioned to join The Louvin Brothers band in 1958. He debuted on the Opry by performing “The Knoxville Girl” with the duo later that year. He also recorded with the Louvin Brothers on such hits as “How’s the World Treating You” (1961).

Following military service and a stint in Ferlin Husky’s band, Capps launched his recording-studio career on Music Row. At his peak, Capps was playing on more than 500 recording sessions a year. Although usually cited for his tasteful acoustic-guitar work, Capps was also a skilled electric guitarist. He is considered to be one of Nashville’s finest and most prolific session guitarists in history, alongside Grady Martin, Ray Edenton, Chet Atkins, Hank Garland and Harold Bradley.

Jimmy Capps joined the Grand Ole Opry staff band in 1967. During the following five decades, he performed on more Opry shows than anyone in history.

The Opry occurs on weekends so during the week, Capps collaborated in the studio with the biggest stars of Nashville music. Even a year-by-year sampling of his work illustrates the breadth of his accomplishments – Mickey Newbury (1970), Freddie Hart (“Easy Lovin’” 1971), J.J. Cale (1972), Dolly Parton (“My Tennessee Mountain Home” 1973), Waylon Jennings (1974), the soundtrack of the movie Nashville (1975), Moe Bandy (1976), Ronnie Milsap (“It Was Almost Like a Song” 1977), Johnny Cash (1978), Ernest Tubb (1979), Amy Grant (1980).

That’s just one decade. His session work became even more intense during the 1980s. During that era, Capps could be heard on records by John Denver, George Strait, Tom Jones, Reba McEntire, K.D. Lang, The Whites, Alan Jackson, George Jones, Wayne Newton, B.J. Thomas, Barbara Mandrell, Vern Gosdin, Dean Martin, Andy Williams, Keith Whitley, Lacy J. Dalton, The Oak Ridge Boys, Kenny Rogers, David Allan Coe, Charlie Rich, Dottie West and a jaw-dropping number of others.

At the annual NARAS Super Picker Awards in the 1970s and 1980s, Jimmy Capps was repeatedly honored as “Most Valuable Acoustic Player.” He also rose to become the Opry’s bandleader. Capps performed in the “house band” for the CMA Awards telecasts for more than 20 years.

He was known as “the master of smoothness” for the way he made intricate picking appear effortless. As such, he was a Nashville guitar institution by the 1990s. That is when Capps recorded with The Statler Brothers, Lorrie Morgan, Gene Watson, Connie Smith, Conway Twitty, The Florida Boys, Loretta Lynn, John Conlee, Ed Bruce, Ray Charles, Hank Locklin, Riders in the Sky and T. Graham Brown, as well as dozens of newcomers of the day.

In addition to the many listed above, his guitar can be heard on the records of such Country Music Hall of Fame members as Roy Clark, Jean Shepard, Eddy Arnold, Porter Wagoner, Ray Price, Charley Pride, Faron Young, Don Gibson, Bill Anderson, Charlie McCoy and Dottie West.

A new generation of country fans has been charmed by Jimmy Capps in recent years thanks to his regular appearances on RFD-TV’s Larry’s Country Diner. That’s where he was billed as “The Sheriff.”

Fellow topnotch musicians Vince Gill, Brad Paisley, Charlie Daniels, Ricky Skaggs and Steve Wariner have all praised Capps as an influence.

Capps was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2014. The State of Tennessee honored him as a Goodwill Ambassador in 2015. He published his autobiography, The Man in Back, in 2018. At that time, the rehearsal space backstage in the Opry House was named The Jimmy Capps Music Room.
Capps is survived by his wife Michele and three sons.

Former CBS Records, Warner, Asylum Music Exec Stan Byrd Dies At 77

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Veteran country record promoter and Music Row businessman Stan Byrd died in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, on Saturday, May 23, at age 77.

He began his music career by working in radio while a student at Texas A&M in the 1960s. He then became a regional promotion representative for Capitol Records in Houston.

Byrd initially made his mark in Nashville in the promotion department of CBS Records in 1970-76. At the time the company’s Columbia and Epic labels included such stars as George Jones, Marty Robbins, Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash, Ray Price, Lynn Anderson, Joe Stampley, Charlie Rich, Tanya Tucker, Larry Gatlin and David Allan Coe.

Byrd was named national director of country promotion at Warner Bros. Records, where he worked in 1976-83. The Warner roster then included Emmylou Harris, Margo Smith, John Anderson, T.G. Sheppard, David Frizzell & Shelly West, Hank Williams Jr., Gail Davies and The Bellamy Brothers, among others.

In 1984, he became the president of his own firm, Chart Attack, working as an independent promoter for such artists as B.J. Thomas, Ricky Van Shelton, Joe Diffie and Earl Thomas Conley. During this same period, he founded BDM Management and signed Mark Chesnutt as his first client.

Byrd also became a real-estate entrepreneur. He owned a number of houses on Music Row that he converted into business buildings for publishing companies, management firms, publicists and booking agents.

In 1997-2001, he was vice president of promotion at Asylum Records. That label’s roster included Bryan White, Kevin Sharp, George Jones, Lila McCann, Mark Nesler and Monte Warden.

He resumed work as an independent promotion consultant in the new millennium. Among his clients were Brent Maher’s Morraine Music companies in Berry Hill. Byrd also continued to work as a real-estate investor.

Byrd reportedly had been suffering from the after effects of a stroke. He is survived by his wife Valerie, daughter Caitlin Foote, stepchildren Will and Claire Wilson, three grandchildren and sisters Peggy and Christa.

Arrangements are being handled by Sellars Funeral Home, 2229 Mt. Juliet Rd., Mt. Juliet, TN 37122. According to Sellars, the family will schedule a service at a later date.

Bucky Baxter, Steel Guitarist For Bob Dylan And Founding Member Of The Dukes, Passes At 65

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Nashville instrumentalist Bucky Baxter passed away in Florida on Monday (May 25) at age 65.

Best known as the longtime steel guitarist for Bob Dylan, the Nashville picker also recorded with mainstream country stars, Americana performers, bluegrass acts and pop/rock artists. He was the father of critically applauded Americana singer-songwriter Rayland Baxter, on whose albums he also appeared.

Born William Baxter, the multi-instrumentalist came of age in New Jersey. Already accomplished on guitar, dobro and other stringed instruments, Bucky Baxter took up steel guitar playing in the 1970s.

He rose to prominence in Nashville as a founding member of Steve Earle’s band The Dukes. As such, he performed on Earle’s breakthrough albums Guitar Town (1986), Exit 0 (1987), Copperhead Road (1988) and The Hard Way (1989).

During his early years on Music Row, he also backed rock greats R.E.M. and country hit makers Suzy Bogguss and Sara Evans.

While on the road with The Dukes, Baxter met Dylan, who asked him for steel guitar lessons. He joined Dylan’s band in 1992, touring constantly and appearing on a string of the superstar’s albums, including the Grammy-winning Time Out of Mind (1997).

He left Dylan’s group in 1999 and returned to Nashville session work. His resume during the next decade included playing on albums by Los Lobos, Ben Folds, Joe Henry and Webb Wilder. He was a particular favorite of bluegrass artists Shawn Camp and Kathy Chiavola, rocker Ryan Adams (with whom he toured) and Americana star Jim Lauderdale.

Baxter also released a solo album, 1999’s Most Likely No Problem.

Since 2010, Bucky Baxter had continued to pursue a musically eclectic career. He played on recordings by Will Hoge, Billy Ray Cyrus, Greta Gaines, Old Crow Medicine Show and Kacey Musgraves, among others during the past decade.

Rayland Baxter has included his father’s instrumental talents on both of his career-launching albums, 2015’s Imaginary Man and 2018’s Wide Awake. Rayland announced his father’s death on Tuesday (May 26).

Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

Vince Gill’s Longtime Guitar Tech Benny Garcia Passes Away At 64

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Guitar tech and musician Benny Garcia passed away on Saturday, May 9 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, following a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 64.

Garcia was born in Tulsa and spent the majority of his professional career working with Vince Gill for over three decades. In addition to his 30 years working with Gill, Garcia also lent his guitar tech talents to other artists including Crosby, Stills & Nash, the Dixie Chicks, Trisha Yearwood, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Reba McEntire.

“Benny and I had a 50-year friendship,” said Gill. “We met as kids and played in our first garage bands together, and for the last 30 years, he traveled with me everywhere. And for the last 50 years we’ve been inseparable.”

Garcia is survived by his wife Brenda, his mother Clara, sister Lisa Renee’ Garcia and her fiancé Jeff Wilder, brother Paul Garcia, Aunt Matilda Alviso, and numerous cousins. He was preceded in death by his father, legendary jazz and swing guitar player Benny Garcia, Jr.

Due to the present coronavirus pandemic, no funeral will be held. A gathering to celebrate Garcia’s life will be held at a later date.

Those wanting to leave messages for the family can do so at dignitymemorial.com.

Pictured (L-R): Benny Garcia, Vince Gill. Photo: Morris PR

Bakersfield Sound Founder, Charles "Fuzzy" Owen Dies At 91

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Legendary country music entrepreneur Charles “Fuzzy” Owen passed away on Monday (May 11) at age 91.

Noted as a key figure in the Bakersfield, California scene of the 1950s-1970s, Owen co-founded the city’s first recording studio, performed in key bands as a steel guitarist, co-owned Tally Records, managed Merle Haggard for decades and helped to launch Buck Owens, Ferlin Husky, Jean Shepard and Bonnie Owens, as well as Haggard.

Owen was born in Conway, Arkansas in 1929. He migrated to Bakersfield at age 20. He picked cotton by day and played steel guitar in the house band at The Blackboard nightclub by night. The guitarist in the group was his cousin, Lewis Talley.

In 1952, Owen and Bonnie Owens recorded “A Dear John Letter.” Their small-label record failed, but Owen and Talley bought the rights to the song. This paid off when Ferlin Husky & Jean Shepard re-recorded it with backing by Owen, Talley, Bill Woods and Tommy Collins for Capitol Records. It became a No. 1 smash in 1953, the first Bakersfield hit.

Talley and Owen co-founded Tally Records in 1955 and built Bakersfield’s first recording studio shortly thereafter. Among the studio’s first customers was Buck Owens. He recorded the rockabilly tune “Hot Dog” and released it as “Corky Jones.” In 1956, the cousins recorded another rockabilly tune titled “Kathleen” by Wally Lewis, which became a minor hit.

As a steel guitarist, Owen was a regular on the influential Bakersfield country TV series Trading Post. As a songwriter, Owen scored a No. 1 hit with Ray Price’s version of “The Same Old Me” in 1959.

By 1961, Owen was performing at another notable Bakersfield nightclub, The Lucky Spot. Merle Haggard, then newly released from San Quentin Prison, joined the band as a guitarist. Owen signed Haggard to Tally Records.

Merle Haggard made a surprise appearance at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum’s public interview program My Friends Are Gonna Be Strangers on Wednesday, April 11, 2012. He was joined on stage by Norm Hamlet and Don Markham, longtime members of Haggard’s band, the Strangers. The men began the discussion by paying tribute to Fuzzy Owen, the man who gave Haggard his first recording contract, produced and played steel on his early records, and has managed his career for decades. The program was presented in support of the major exhibition The Bakersfield Sound: Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and California Country. Pictured (L-R): Museum Editor and Co-Curator Michael Gray, Norm Hamlet, Merle Haggard, Don Markham, Vice President of Museum Services Carolyn Tate and Fuzzy Owen. Photo: Donn Jones

“Sing a Sad Song” became Haggard’s first charted single in 1963. He followed it with the Tally Records follow-ups “Sam Hill” and “(All My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers.”

Also on Tally was “Just Between the Two of Us,” a duet by Haggard and Bonnie Owens. Formerly the wife of Buck Owens, she married Haggard and became the longtime background vocalist in his band The Strangers.

Owen also joined The Strangers. He then evolved into Haggard’s lifelong road manager. Talley became the superstar’s bus driver. Owen and Talley sold Haggard’s Tally recordings to Capitol in 1964.

Another Tally Records alumnus was Bobby Austin, who issued his song “Apartment No. 9” on the label in 1966. Owen was listed as Austin’s co-writer on the song, as was Johnny Paycheck. It became a career-launching hit for Tammy Wynette in early 1967.

Harlan Howard also recorded for Tally. So did such local favorites as Cliff Crofford, Cousin Herb Henson, George Rich, Abe Mulkey, Bill Carter and Bonnie Owens.

Fuzzy Owen was the last of the Bakersfield Sound pioneers. In addition to Haggard, Buck Owens, Bonnie Owens, Husky, Shepard and Talley, the scene was populated by the also now-departed Tommy Collins, Wynn Stewart, Billy Mize, Roy Nichols, The Farmer Boys, Red Simpson, Bobby Durham, Bill Woods, Cousin Herb Henson, Cliff Crofford and Oscar Whittington.
Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

Music Legend Little Richard Dies At 87

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Founding Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame member Little Richard died at age 87 on Saturday (May 9) in Middle Tennessee.

The legendary performer began and ended his career in the region, and several of his career highlights were tied to Music City. Born Richard Penniman, he rose to local fame in his native Macon, Georgia, in the early 1950s. After being jailed on a morals charge, he was exiled from Macon. The clubs of North Nashville soon became the flamboyant performer’s most profitable performing venues.

Little Richard was performing in a nightspot in Fayetteville, Tennessee, when he was summoned to New Orleans for his debut recording session for Specialty Records. Among the songs he recorded was “Tutti Frutti.” Nashville’s 50,000-watt broadcasting titan WLAC blasted the song and its performer to stardom in late 1955.

He continued to headline at the New Era Club, the Club Baron and other Nashville nightclubs as “Long Tall Sally,” “Slippin’ and Slidin,’” “Rip It Up” and “Ready Teddy” solidified his stardom in 1956.

By 1957, he was starring on national and international rock ‘n’ roll tours and appearing in such early rock films as The Girl Can’t Help It, Don’t Knock the Rock and Mister Rock ‘n’ Roll. The hits continued with such 1957-58 singles as “Lucille,” “Send Me Some Lovin,’” “The Girl Can’t Help It,” “Jenny, Jenny,” “Keep a Knockin,’” “Good Golly Miss Molly” and “Oooh My Soul.”

His charismatic showmanship included frenetic piano pounding, hoarsely shouted vocals, onstage prancing, flashy costuming, wild gyrations, bug-eyed facial contortions and ebullient outbursts. Little Richard pioneered male rock stars wearing mascara and heavy makeup, as well as exhibiting fluid sexuality. He was also notable as one of the early rockers who broke down barriers by attracting both black and white teen fans to his shows.

Nashville’s Pat Boone infamously toned down Little Richard’s outrageous personality for his bland cover of “Tutti Frutti.” But other Nashville recording artists at the time saluted Little Richard’s overwhelming influence by recording songs from his repertoire. These included Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers, Bill Haley, Gene Vincent, Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis.

Little Richard renounced rock to become a gospel artist in 1958. He recorded a religious LP with producer Quincy Jones, but in 1962 returned to rock ‘n’ roll touring. His comeback rock hit was 1964’s “Bama Lama Bama Loo.”

During one Music City sojourn, Little Richard had been backed by future rock superstar Jimi Hendrix. The guitarist joined Little Richard’s band The Upsetters in 1964-65.

Little Richard appeared at several of the rock mass gatherings of the late 1960s, including the Toronto Pop Festival and the Atlantic City Pop Festival. His larger-than-life personality also made him a TV talk-show favorite during this era.

In 1970, his “Greenwood, Mississippi” single made an impression on some regional country charts. He was prominently featured on the 1972 Canned Heat pop hit “Rockin’ with the King.” Little Richard began recording in Muscle Shoals and Nashville around this same time.

He returned to Music City in 1976 to re-record his hits for K-Tel Records. These Nashville sessions at Jack Clement’s studio included Paul Worley on guitar and Eddie Bayers on drums. A gospel album for World Records was recorded in Music City in 1979. It was titled God’s Beautiful City.

By the 1980s, a who’s-who of rock superstars had cited Little Richard as a pioneering influence, including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, James Brown, Michael Jackson, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding, David Bowie, Bob Dylan and John Fogerty. Just about every piano-playing showman has acknowledged a debt to him—Elton John, Billy Joel, Ray Charles, Michael McDonald, Ronnie Milsap, Billy Preston, and Leon Russell.

Little Richard published his autobiography in 1984. He reemerged on the charts in 1986 with “Great Gosh A-Mighty.” The song was recorded for the soundtrack of the hit movie Down & Out in Beverly Hills, in which Little Richard had a prominent role. This led to several other film appearances, as well as bookings on such 1990s TV series as Full House, Columbo, Miami Vice and Baywatch.

He was one of the inaugural inductees into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame when it was launched in 1986. He received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1990.

He was presented with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993. “Long Tall Sally,” “Tutti Frutti,” and “Lucille” are all in the Grammy Hall of Fame, as is his 1957 debut LP Here’s Little Richard.

He reconnected with Nashville in 1994 by recording “Somethin’ Else” with Tanya Tucker on the all-star album Rhythm, Country & Blues. The pair performed it on the CMA Awards, where he also memorably smooched Mary Chapin Carpenter during her performance of “Shut Up and Kiss Me.”

Little Richard moved to the Nashville area around 2000. He lived in the penthouse of the downtown Hilton and also settled with his brother’s family in Tullahoma, Tennessee.

He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003. Little Richard was presented with a star on the Music City Walk of Fame in 2008. Also in Nashville, he was saluted by the National Museum of African American Music in 2015. The state honored him in 2019 with a Tennessee Governor’s Arts Award.

His death was announced by his son, Danny Jones Penniman. Richard Penniman passed away in Tullahoma from bone cancer on Saturday morning (May 9). Further family and funeral information is unknown.

Statler Brother Harold Reid Passes At 80

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The Statler Brothers member Harold Reid speaks on behalf of the group as The Statler Brothers accept Vocal Group of the Year from Dottie West and Lacy J. Dalton at “The 14th Annual CMA Awards” on Oct. 13, 1980, at the Grand Ole Opry House, live telecast on the CBS Television Network. Photo: Courtesy CMA

Bass singer, songwriter and humorist Harold Reid of The Statler Brothers died Friday (April 24) at age 80 of kidney failure.

Reid and the other members of his quartet were elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008. The Statler Brothers were the CMA Vocal Group of the Year every year from 1972 to 1977, then again in 1979, 1980 and 1984. The act hosted its own TNN cable TV series in 1991-98. It was the network’s top-rated program.

Don Reid was the group’s chief songwriter, but his brother Harold collaborated with him on a number of the act’s biggest hits of the 1970s, including “Do You Remember These” (1972), the Grammy Award-winning “Class of ‘57” (1972), “Carry Me Back” (1973), “Whatever Happened to Randolph Scott” (1973), “Some I Wrote” (1978), “Do You Know You Are My Sunshine” (1978), “The Official Historian on Shirley Jean Burrell” (1978) and “How to Be a Country Star” (1979).
In the 1980s, the brothers also co-wrote the top hits “Better Than I Did Then” (1980), “Don’t Wait on Me” (1981), “Whatever” (1982), “Guilty” (1983), “Sweeter and Sweeter” (1986) and “Let’s Get Started If We’re Gonna Break My Heart” (1988). On his own, Harold Reid contributed 1970’s “Bed of Rose’s” to the group’s hit repertoire.

The Statler Brothers performed Tuesday, June 6 in the Mercury Nashville during the 24th Annual Fan Fair 1995, The World’s Biggest Country Music Festival in Downtown Nashville.

Harold Reid was also the foundation of the Statlers’ comedic alter ego, Roadhog Moran & The Cadillac Cowboys. He was the parody act’s leader, Lester “Roadhog” Moran.

Bass harmony vocalist Reid founded The Four-Star Quartet in 1948. The gospel act also performed as The Kingsmen. After Harold’s lead singing younger brother Don Reid joined, the quartet became known as The Statler Brothers in 1955. In addition to the Reids, the founding members were baritone Phil Balsley and tenor Lew DeWitt (1938-1990). When DeWitt’s health failed, Jimmy Fortune replaced him in the Statlers in 1983.

Based in Virginia, the group took its name from a box of Statler facial tissues. After working on the gospel-quartet circuit, the group was discovered by Johnny Cash. He made the Statlers part of his roadshow in 1964-71. They were also featured on Cash’s national television series in 1969-71.

DeWitt’s “Flowers on the Wall” launched the act’s string of hits in 1965. The record crossed over to the pop hit parade and earned the group its first Grammy Award.

The Statler Brothers in their seats at “The 18th Annual CMA Awards” on Oct. 8, 1984, at the Grand Ole Opry House, live telecast on the CBS Television Network. Pictured (L-R): Don Reid, Phil Balsley, Jimmy Fortune, Harold Reid. Photo: Courtesy CMA

A switch from Columbia Records to the Mercury label coincided with an explosion of popularity for The Statler Brothers. The group recorded more than 50 albums, garnering 13 Gold Records and eight Platinum ones. In addition to its nine CMA trophies, the quartet collected 48 Music City News Awards.

During its 1965-90 heyday as hit makers, The Statlers placed 66 titles on the country charts. Of these, 33 became top-10 hits. The act was a mainstay on the country concert circuit for decades. The Statlers toured for several years with Brenda Lee. Among the quartet’s opening acts who later became superstars were Reba McEntire and Garth Brooks.

The Statler Brothers remained in Staunton, VA throughout their career. Beginning in 1970, the act staged annual July 4th celebrations in Staunton. These “Happy Birthday U.S.A.” events lasted for 25 years and eventually attracted crowds approaching 100,000.

A huge fireworks display always capped the festivities. These fountains of explosion were launched near Harold Reid’s home, Boxley Farm. The city of Staunton dedicated a monument to the group in 2002.

That was the year that The Statler Brothers announced their retirement and went on a farewell tour. Balsley and the Reid brothers remained in Staunton. Fortune relocated to Nashville and launched a solo career.

The Statler Brothers were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2007. Don and Harold Reid co-authored a history of the group titled Random Memories, published in 2008.

The bluegrass group Dailey & Vincent often perform Statler Brothers songs in their shows and have long cited the quartet as an influence. Harold’s son Wil and Don’s son Langdon perform as Wilson Fairchild and have recorded the tribute tune “The Statler Brothers Song.” (They were previously billed as Grandstaff). Harold’s daughters Kim and Karmen have also performed as a country duo.

Kyle Young, CEO for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, stated, “Harold Reid was a driving force in one of country music’s greatest quartets, the Statler Brothers. He helped steer the group to stupendous successes, and his stirring bass was the underpinning of dozens of classic hits. He was also a tremendous entertainer, and one of the world’s funniest people. For decades, he made us laugh and made us cry. As his alter ego, Lester ‘Roadhog’ Moran, would say, his contributions were ‘mighty fine.’ We mourn his loss while we celebrate a life well-lived.”

Funeral arrangements for Reid have not been announced.