![]() ![]() In 2008, when they were announced as Country Hall of Fame members, Reid reacted with humor. Although they did not appear on the original hit “At Folsom Prison” LP, when Cash’s album was reissued as a deluxe CD set in 2008, the group’s nearly 40-year-old renditions of “Flowers on the Wall,” “How Great Thou Art” and “You Can’t Have Your Kate and Edith, Too” for a prison audience were finally released to the public. The Statler Brothers traveled with Cash to Folsom Prison for his famous performances there. This sort of added to his image and looked good for television.” “Up to that time, he just wore shirt and pants that were black. Little known was the fact that Harold designed Cash’s original long black coat, which came to be a trademark. “It just tickled him,” he said. They remained with him as a backing quarter and/or opening act for eight years and were featured on ABC’s “The Johnny Cash Show” from 1969-71. ![]() Johnny Cash gave them their big break when he came upon them in their native Staunton, Virginia in 1964 and invited them to open for him on an upcoming tour - without actually hearing them sing, the story goes. Jimmy Fortune (pictured above with Reid in 2016) took DeWitt’s place after he fell ill in the early ’80s. Baritone Phil Balsley and tenor Lew DeWitt completed the quartet. Thee were brothers, however: Don Reid was their lead singer, with older brother Harold taking the bass parts. 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.”Ĭontrary to impressions, there was no one named Statler in the group, which was originally named the Kingsmen and, facing confusion with other acts sharing that name, adopted a new one after seeing the Statler brand on a box of tissues. ![]() For decades, he made us laugh and made us cry. “He was also a tremendous entertainer, and one of the world’s funniest people. “Harold Reid was a driving force in one of country music’s greatest quartets, ” said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. 1 country hits, finally reaching the top with “Do You Know You Are My Sunshine” in 1978, followed by “Elizabeth” in 1984 and “My Only Love” and “Too Much on My Heart” in 1985. The Statler Brothers went on to have several No. In an unlikely usage similar to the renewed interest in “Flowers on the Wall” via “Pulp Fiction,” “Bed of Rose’s” reached a new generation decades later by being included in the popular PlayStation game “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.” The group cracked the top 10 a couple more times in the 1960s - as with the uniquely titled “You Can’t Have Your Kate and Edith, Too” (written by Bobby Braddock and Curly Putnam) - but found their next greatest impact in 1970 with a song written by Reid, “Bed of Rose’s.” The punctuation was deliberate, as the song deals with the young narrator’s dalliance with a prostitute named Rose. A remake by Eric Heatherly reached the country top 10 35 years later, in 2000. 4 on the pop chart, and was soon covered by Nancy Sinatra. lauded it as “a poem about the end of a man’s usefulness.” In 1965, he single reached No. ![]() That line was recited by Bruce Willis in the film “Die Hard With a Vengeance,” and the song itself was re-popularized when Quentin Tarantino used it in the soundtrack for “Pulp Fiction.” Art Bell also used it as frequent theme music on his late-night radio show. Although their roots were in the church and they continued to sing gospel material, clearly they had branched out by the time they had their first and most memorable hit in 1965 with an upbeat but lovelorn song written by group member Lew DeWitt, “Flowers on the Wall,” which included an unforgettable line about “smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo.” The Statler Brothers triumphed in their day by bringing a gospel quartet singing style into the realm of country. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |