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* Yell
}}
| website = {{URL|statlerbrothersthestatlerbrothers.com}}
| past_members = {{plainlist|
* Joe McDorman
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| isbn = 0-415-94179-2
| pages = 376
}}</ref> In 1963, when the song "[[Louie, Louie]]" by the [[garage rock]] band also called [[The Kingsmen]] became famous, the group elected to bill themselves as Thethe Statler Brothers. Despite the name, only two members of the group (Don and Harold Reid) were actual brothers and no member had the surname of Statler. The group actually named themselves after a brand of [[facial tissue]] they had noticed in a hotel room (they later quipped that they could just as easily have named themselves "the [[Kleenex]] Brothers").<ref name="Stamler">{{cite encyclopedia
| editor = Irwin Stamler & Grelund Landon
| encyclopedia = Country Music: The Encyclopedia
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| isbn = 0-312-26487-9
| pages = 459
}}</ref> Don Reid sang [[lead singer|lead]]; Harold Reid, Don's older brother, sang [[Bass (voice type)|bass]]; Phil Balsley sang [[baritone]]; and [[Lew DeWitt]] sang [[tenor]] and was the [[guitarist]] before being replaced due to ill health by [[Jimmy Fortune]] in 19821981.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://countrymusichalloffame.org/artist/the-statler-brothers/ |title=The Statler Brothers |publisher=[[Country Music Hall of Fame]]}}</ref>
 
The band's style was closely linked to their gospel roots. "We took gospel harmonies," said Harold Reid, "and put them over in country music."<ref name="AmGosp" /> Most of their albums contain at least one gospel song, and they produced several containing only gospel. They also recorded a tribute song to [[The Blackwood Brothers]], who influenced their music. The song "We Got Paid by Cash" was written by the Statler Brothers as a tribute to Johnny Cash, who discovered and mentored them.<ref name="AmGosp" />
 
== Career ==
Early in the group's history, before the group named themselves The Statler Brothers, Joe McDorman was their lead singer.<ref>{{cite web|url=httphttps://articleswww.chicagotribune.com/1985-/11-/17/entertainment/8503190341_1_jimmylew-fortunedewitt-philafter-balsleyillness-haroldand-reiddespair-a-statler-brother-makes/|title=Lew Dewitt: After Illness And Despair, A Statler Brother Makes|date=November 17, 1985 |url-status=live|archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20140109112845/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1985-11-17/entertainment/8503190341_1_jimmy-fortune-phil-balsley-harold-reid|archive-date=January 9, 2014}}</ref>
 
The Statlers began their career at a performance at Lyndhurst Methodist Church near their hometown of Staunton, Virginia, under the name The Four Star Quartet.<ref name="AmGosp" /> In 1964, they started an eight-year run as Johnny Cash's opening act and backing vocalists.<ref name="Stamler" /> This period of their career was memorialized in their song "We Got Paid by Cash." They were featured regularly on ''[[The Johnny Cash Show]]'', his [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] hit show that ran from 1969 to 1971. Due to their expanding career, the Statlers left Cash's entourage around the mid-1970s to concentrate on their own career, a departure that took place on good terms.
 
Two of the Statlers' best-known songs are "[[Flowers on the Wall]]," their first major hit that was composed and written by Lew DeWitt, and the socially conscious "[[Bed of Rose's]]". In the 1980s, the Statlers were a mainstay on [[Spike TV|The Nashville Network (TNN)]], where their videos were shown regularly. Also on TNN, between 1991 and 1998, they hosted ''[[The Statler Brothers Show]]'', a weekly [[variety show]], which was the network's top-rated program for its entire 7-year run.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gmacanada.ca/go/site/news/2007/09/ |title=Biography |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214092844/http://www.gmacanada.ca/go/site/news/2007/09/ |archive-date=December 14, 2007 |website=Rex Allen, Jr.'s official website |access-date=April 18, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1995-01-07-9501070171-story.html |title=Statler Bros.' TNN Show Still Going Strong |first=Shirley |last=Jinkins |newspaper=Chicago Tribune via Ft. Worth Star-Telegram |date=January 7, 1995 |access-date=June 1, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1996/01/05/statler-bros-begin-fifth-year-on-tnn/ |title=Statler Bros. begin fifth year on TNN |first=Jean |last=Prescot |newspaper=Tampa Bay Times |date=September 15, 2005 |access-date=June 1, 2020}}</ref>
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Throughout the Statlers' career, much of their appeal was related to their incorporation of comedy and parody into their musical act, due in large part to the humorous and comedic talent of group member Harold Reid; they were frequently nominated for awards for their comedy as well as their singing. They recorded two comedy albums under the [[pseudonym]] Lester "Roadhog" Moran and the Cadillac Cowboys, and one-half of one side of the album ''Country Music Then and Now'' was devoted to satirizing small-town radio stations' Saturday-morning shows.
 
The Statlers earned the number-one spot on the [[Billboard charts|''Billboard'' chart]] four times, for "[[Do You Know You Are My Sunshine]]?" in 1978, "[[Elizabeth (The Statler Brothers song)|Elizabeth]]" in 1984, and in 1985, "[[My Only Love (song)|My Only Love]]" and "[[Too Much on My Heart]]."<ref name="CMT">{{cite web |url=http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/statler_brothers/bio.jhtml |title=Artist Biography: The Statler Brothers |access-date=April 17, 2008 |work=[[Country Music Television]] |url-status=livedead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080325074504/http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/statler_brothers/bio.jhtml |archive-date=March 25, 2008}}</ref> Since forming, the Statlers have released over 40 albums.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://thestatlerbrothers.com/discography/ |title=Discography |website=The Statler Brothers' Official website |access-date=June 1, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://statlerbrothers.com/ |title=The Statlers |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509155220/http://statlerbrothers.com/ |archive-date=May 9, 2008 |access-date=April 10, 2008}}</ref>
 
In 1980, the Statler Brothers purchased and renovated their former elementary school, Beverly Manor, in Staunton, occupying the complex for several years. The complex consisted of offices for the group, a small museum and auditorium, and an adjacent building that served as office space for unrelated businesses. A garage was built to store the two tour buses that the group had used for many years. The group has since sold the complex, which Grace Christian Church in Staunton converted back into an academic campus.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gcswarriors.org/contact-us/directions.cfm |title=Elementary/Middle School Directions |website=Grace Christian School |access-date=June 1, 2020}}</ref>
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== Awards ==
'''[[Academy of Country Music]]'''
* [[Academy of Country Music|1972 Top Vocal Group]]
* [[Academy of Country Music|1977 Top Vocal Group]]
* [[Academy of Country Music|2016 Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award]]
 
'''[[Country Music Association]]'''
* [[Country Music Association Awards|1972 Vocal Group of the Year]]
* [[Country Music Association Awards|1973 Vocal Group of the Year]]
* [[Country Music Association Awards|1974 Vocal Group of the Year]]
* [[Country Music Association Awards|1975 Vocal Group of the Year]]
* [[Country Music Association Awards|1976 Vocal Group of the Year]]
* [[Country Music Association Awards|1977 Vocal Group of the Year]]
* [[Country Music Association Awards|1979 Vocal Group of the Year]]
* [[Country Music Association Awards|1980 Vocal Group of the Year]]
* [[Country Music Association Awards|1984 Vocal Group of the Year]]
 
'''[[Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum]]'''
* [[Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum|Inducted in 2008]]<ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/life/music/2008-06-27-2717453777_x.htm "Statler Brothers: Country Hall of Fame Honor Tops"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110702143033/http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/2008-06-27-2717453777_x.htm |date=July 2, 2011 }}. [[USA Today]] (June 27, 2008). Retrieved August 20, 2008</ref>
 
'''[[Gospel Hall of Fame]]'''
* [[Gospel Hall of Fame|Inducted in 2007]]<ref>[http://www.gmahalloffame.org/inductees_2007.cfm "Gospel Music Hall of Fame 2007 Induction Ceremony"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080406041815/http://www.gmahalloffame.org/inductees_2007.cfm |date=April 6, 2008 }} [[Gospel Music Association]] official [httphttps://www.gmahalloffamegospelmusichalloffame.org/ website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051230191517/http://www.gmahalloffame.org/ |date=December 30, 2005 }}, (undated). Retrieved March 29, 2008</ref>
 
'''[[Grammy Awards]]'''
* [[Grammy Award for Best New Country & Western Artist|1965 Best New Country & Western Artist]]<ref>[http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/Winners/Results.aspx?title=&winner=Statler+Brothers&year=0&genreID=0&hp=1 "Grammy Award Winners: 1965, Country".] [[National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences]] official [http://www.grammy.com/ website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100118102031/http://www.grammy.com/ |date=January 18, 2010 }}. (undated). Retrieved March 29, 2008</ref>
* [[Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals|1965 Best Contemporary (R&R) Performance – Group (Vocal or Instrumental)]] – "[[Flowers on the Wall]]"<ref>[http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/Winners/Results.aspx?title=&winner=Statler+Brothers&year=0&genreID=0&hp=1 "Grammy Award Winners: 1972, Pop."] [[National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences]] official [http://www.grammy.com/ website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100118102031/http://www.grammy.com/ |date=January 18, 2010 }}. (undated). Retrieved March 29, 2008.</ref>
* [[Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal|1972 Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group]] – "The Class of '57"<ref>[http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/Winners/Results.aspx?title=&winner=Statler+Brothers&year=0&genreID=0&hp=1 "Grammy Award Winners: 1972, Country."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090629234415/http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/Winners/Results.aspx?title=&winner=Statler+Brothers&year=0&genreID=0&hp=1 |date=June 29, 2009 }} [[National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences]] official [http://www.grammy.com/ website] {{webarchive|url=https://www.webcitation.org/5mqgIs6Zq?url=http://www.grammy.com/ |date=January 17, 2010 }}. (undated). Retrieved March 29, 2008.</ref>
 
'''[[American Music Awards]]'''
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The group disbanded and retired after completing a farewell tour on October 26, 2002. Balsley and Don Reid continue to reside in Staunton, as did Harold Reid until his death in April 2020; Fortune, though, relocated to [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]], where he continues his music career as a solo artist, having released three albums under his own name. The Statlers remain one of the most awarded acts in the history of country music.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://countrymusic.about.com/od/statlerbrother1/a/statlerbrosbio.htm |title=About the Statler Brothers |first=Kathy |last=Coleman |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070905034239/http://countrymusic.about.com/od/statlerbrother1/a/statlerbrosbio.htm |archive-date=September 5, 2007 |url-status=dead |website=about.com |access-date=April 13, 2008}}</ref>
 
Don Reid has pursued a second career as an author, having written six books. Reidof andhis own. With his sons Donald II ("Debo") and Langdon, he co-wrote ''You Know It's Christmas When . . .'' His brother Harold and he co-wrote a history of the Statler Brothers titled ''Random Memories'', releasedpublished in February 2008. In 2020, Reid wrote a complete anthology of the Statlers' songs, simply titled ''The Music of the Statler Brothers.''<ref>Reid, Don. 2020. ''The Music of the Statler Brothers.'' Mercer University Press.</ref>
 
== Grandstaff/Wilson Fairchild ==
Wil and Langdon Reid, the sons of Harold and Don, respectively, formed a duo in the 1990s, originally performing under the name Grandstaff. In 2007, Grandstaff recorded "The Statler Brothers Song," as a tribute song to the Statlers.
 
In an interview on Nashville's [[WSM (AM)]] on March 25, 2010, Wil Reid said that they decided to change their name to Wilson Fairchild after many people got the name "Grandstaff" wrong during introductions. The name comes from "Wilson," Wil's middle name, and "Fairchild," Langdon's middle name.
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* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmDpqWuhuXc The Statler Brothers performing a gospel in the Johnny Cash Show during the 1960s]
* [http://www.statlerbrothers.com/ Official Website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040203111303/http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/statler_brothers/artist.jhtml at CMT]
* [http://jimmyfortune.com/ Jimmy Fortune's Homepage]