Harold. Phil and Lew were all several years older than Don. They had someone else in the quartet until Don finished high school and was able to join. All 4 sang lead but Don did the majority. Lewis DeWitt was the unofficial leader and the musical director. Johnny Cash hired them in 1964 when Don was only 19 years old. In 1965 Lew wrote their first hit "Flowers on The Wall". They were with Johnny until 1972.
Weren't they great.? Yes this is Lew singing. There will never be another Lew. Jimmy was very good and filled some mighty big shoes. But no one will ever be as good as Lew.
Sad to say this was the last song Lew would record with the Statlers. 😢😢😢😢😢😢. He would leave the group for good in 1982 due to his illness (Crohn's Disease), and pass away August 15, 1990 at the young age of 52, but not before recovering his health enough to be a solo artist. RIP Lew.
I have to disagree with you. They were all great singers. There harmony and talent will never be matched. Lew just had a unique tenor voice. But I think Phil was the glue that made them all sound great. Don was the best lead singer ever. I guess this shows I was a huge fan of the Statlers. Guess we should not compare Lew and Jimmy because they were both great tenors in their own way. .
As someone who owns EVERY album they ever recorded... I agree. With all of this--Don is the best, Phil was the glue and both Lew and Jimmy had/have great tenor voices.
This IS, without the least doubt, THE quintessential song for the aging EARLY baby boomers, of which I am one. No, my life wasn't like the one they describe; but the events and things they mention about the decades since, do indeed succinctly do the whole "theme" justice, IMO.
I like The Statler Brothers as a group...and their television series on TNN (1991-1998) was a wonderful production. By the time I became aware of The Statler Brothers Lew had already left the group and so Jimmy Fortune's the one I grew up hearing. Much later I discovered that the group had a long history in recorded music and their origins dated back to the 1950s as gospel performers. Anyway, to make a long story short, Lew's vocals or Jimmy's, it doesn't matter to me...Don happened to be the lead singer and it's HIS vocals that really define the group overall. Lew's vibrato tenor is unmistakable but having it not be a part of their later recordings doesn't mean the group's songs aren't as good.
@mssandy90 Depends on your tastes. Jimmy was by FAR the most talented singer in the Statler line-up. His voice was so much better than Lew's it was ridiculous. Lew was the most talented singer of the original group. The rest had little vocal talent (though Harold was a brilliant comic & Don was a wonderful song writer). That being said, I liked the lineup with Lew a bit better, primarily b/c I liked Lew's preference for 40s-50s standards and rockabilly better than Jimmy's slow ballads.
They're harmony is unmatched. They sing about the good times and respect for parents . I have several CDs and listen to them almost daily.
Harold. Phil and Lew were all several years older than Don. They had someone else in the quartet until Don finished high school and was able to join. All 4 sang lead but Don did the majority. Lewis DeWitt was the unofficial leader and the musical director. Johnny Cash hired them in 1964 when Don was only 19 years old. In 1965 Lew wrote their first hit "Flowers on The Wall". They were with Johnny until 1972.
I was only 17 when I heard they're first hit. Then life happened and I couldn't always hear them on the radio where I was living. They are the best.
Lew and Jimmy were/ are very great tenors .... each had/have a very distinct voice and I could pick either voice out of a million singers
The part that begins, "The 70's were 10 years of reruns" is the stanza LEW DEWITT is singing. Jimmy and Lew have very distinct voices.
R.I.P Harold.
This song reminds me of my parents. Daddy 1938, Mommy 1940. they love the Statlers and so do I.
"When Elvis died we knew we would too" The Statlers knew how we felt. They sang about real life of the 50s generation.
Weren't they great.? Yes this is Lew singing. There will never be another Lew. Jimmy was very good and filled some mighty big shoes. But no one will ever be as good as Lew.
Sad to say this was the last song Lew would record with the Statlers. 😢😢😢😢😢😢. He would leave the group for good in 1982 due to his illness (Crohn's Disease), and pass away August 15, 1990 at the young age of 52, but not before recovering his health enough to be a solo artist. RIP Lew.
HIt #17 in Billboard, 1-8-83. God bless y'all, Statlers!
Lews voice is so unique.
I have to disagree with you. They were all great singers. There harmony and talent will never be matched. Lew just had a unique tenor voice. But I think Phil was the glue that made them all sound great. Don was the best lead singer ever. I guess this shows I was a huge fan of the Statlers. Guess we should not compare Lew and Jimmy because they were both great tenors in their own way. .
As someone who owns EVERY album they ever recorded... I agree. With all of this--Don is the best, Phil was the glue and both Lew and Jimmy had/have great tenor voices.
No need to deep think, Great music
Oh America I don't know where it went how i understand those words
This IS, without the least doubt, THE quintessential song for the aging EARLY baby boomers, of which I am one. No, my life wasn't like the one they describe; but the events and things they mention about the decades since, do indeed succinctly do
the whole "theme" justice, IMO.
I like The Statler Brothers as a group...and their television series on TNN (1991-1998) was a wonderful production. By the time I became aware of The Statler Brothers Lew had already left the group and so Jimmy Fortune's the one I grew up hearing. Much later I discovered that the group had a long history in recorded music and their origins dated back to the 1950s as gospel performers. Anyway, to make a long story short, Lew's vocals or Jimmy's, it doesn't matter to me...Don happened to be the lead singer and it's HIS vocals that really define the group overall. Lew's vibrato tenor is unmistakable but having it not be a part of their later recordings doesn't mean the group's songs aren't as good.
Wrong picture! Jimmy Fortune , on the left, is not singing on this song. The late Lew DeWitt is. Love the Statler Brothers..thanks for posting!
faronfan Statler brothers love these boys I thki
Anybody have one called "The Kids Last Fight" off of their 10th Anniversary Album?
great song. I have the album. It might be on youtube by now.
I put this picture up because it was the CD that I got the song from.
I apoligize for my error now that I have listened to it again I can tell
don't know Where it went either
bagong
sorry, but your wrong.. its Lew Dewitt
I still think Jimmy made the Statler's better. Sorry, but it's my opinion.
@@margaret8391 They were both good.
No i do believe that is Jimmy singing
The Fifties, when being your own person was considered a mental disease.
There's always one that has to be picky
@mssandy90
Depends on your tastes. Jimmy was by FAR the most talented singer in the Statler line-up. His voice was so much better than Lew's it was ridiculous. Lew was the most talented singer of the original group. The rest had little vocal talent (though Harold was a brilliant comic & Don was a wonderful song writer).
That being said, I liked the lineup with Lew a bit better, primarily b/c I liked Lew's preference for 40s-50s standards and rockabilly better than Jimmy's slow ballads.
lol! “ i love learned loves hard cold facts “