The Statler Brothers - Charlotte's Web
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- Опубликовано: 29 янв 2011
- Named after a brand of tissues, the four members of the Statler Brothers did not in fact share a fraternal bond; what they did share, however, was the distinction of being one of the most successful vocal harmony groups in the history of country music. Formed in the group's home base of Staunton, VA, in 1955, the Statlers were originally a church trio comprised of bass vocalist Harold Reid (born August 21, 1939), baritone Phil Balsley (August 8, 1939), and tenor Lew DeWitt (March 8, 1938). In 1960, Reid's younger brother Don (born June 5, 1945) signed on to take the lead vocal reins, and the quartet performed gospel music under the name the Kingsmen.
After arranging a meeting with the promotional department for a local Johnny Cash concert, the Kingsmen were asked to open the performance. Cash was so impressed that he invited the group to join the tour, and after changing their name to the Statler Brothers, they remained on the road with Cash from 1963 to 1971. The Statlers signed to Columbia Records in 1964 and a year later scored a huge country and pop hit with DeWitt's "Flowers on the Wall," which also lent its name to their 1966 debut album. 1967's The Statler Brothers Sing the Big Hits held true to its title's promise, generating a pair of Top Ten singles in "Ruthless" and "You Can't Have Your Kate and Edith, Too."
In 1969, the quartet moved to Mercury Records, where they remained for over two decades; their first single for the label, 1970's "Bed of Rose's," was a Top Ten hit. In the same year, they held their first Fourth of July picnic; for decades, the celebration remained an annual holiday staple, drawing tens of thousands of fans each summer. Throughout the first half of the 1970s, the Statlers remained fixtures on the Top 40 charts thanks to a string of nostalgic singles like 1972's "Do You Remember These" and "The Class of '57," 1973's "Carry Me Back," and 1974's "Whatever Happened to Randolph Scott." Their LPs of the period were often concept records: 1972's The Statler Brothers Sing Country Symphonies in E Major was whimsically formatted like an orchestral performance (complete with side-break "intermission"), while 1975's joint release Holy Bible/Old Testament and Holy Bible/New Testament fulfilled a long-standing dream to record a gospel project. 1973's Alive at the Johnny Mack Brown High School, on the other hand, was a tongue-in-cheek effort recorded under the group's comic alias Lester "Roadhog" Moran & the Cadillac Cowboys.
The sentimental "I'll Go to My Grave Loving You" was a Top Five hit in 1975 and was included on the Statlers' first best-of compilation, released later in the same year. After a series of Top Ten hits that included 1977's "The Movies" (another recurring Statler theme) and "I Was There," they earned their first chart-topper in 1978 with "Do You Know You Are My Sunshine," from the album Entertainers...on & off the Record. In 1980 the Statler Brothers celebrated their first decade on Mercury with 10th Anniversary, which featured the smash "Charlotte's Web," taken from the film Smokey and the Bandit, Pt. 2, in which the group also co-starred.
After 1982's The Legend Goes On, DeWitt was forced to leave the group as a result of Crohn's disease; the illness ultimately killed him on August 15, 1990. The remaining Statlers tapped Jimmy Fortune as his successor, and immediately Fortune earned the group its second number one with his "Elizabeth" (an homage to actress Elizabeth Taylor), from the album Today. Their next two LPs, 1984's Atlanta Blue and 1985's Pardners in Rhyme, were credited to simply the Statlers; each record generated a number one hit -- "My Only Love" and "Too Much on My Heart," respectively -- again composed by Fortune. They returned as the Statler Brothers for the 1986 inspirational release Radio Gospel Favorites, followed later in the year by Four for the Show. 1987's Maple Street Memories produced the Top Ten single "Forever"; 1989's "More Than a Name on the Wall," which peaked at number six, was their last significant hit. They continued releasing albums, however, and in addition to remaining a popular touring act in the 1990s, the Statler Brothers also hosted a long-running variety show on TNN.
In 2002, the Statler Brothers announced their retirement from the road. On October 26, they played their last concert at the 10,000-seat Salem Civic Center in Salem, VA, not far from Staunton, where they'd started and where they continued to maintain their headquarters. ~Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
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Boy do I miss the Statlers and this kind of music. Harmonizing like no group ever.
The most beautiful sound! Rip Harold... And Lew was one of a kind. That voice. Wow.
Lew had an amazing voice..R.i.P Lew
What was so great about his voice? He was just another tenor.
Harold Reid....April 24,2020....RIP.
The best group in country music group ever. Me and my man listen to. Them. Everyday at 2:30 in the morning
Lewis harmony is 1st rate ..the blend is incredible
I hate spell checket..I wrote lew's harmony
Let me fact check a little. The high tenor is not Lew. He retired in 1981 due to chronic illness. Jimmy Fortune replaced him. That is Jimmy Fortune in this video. He has a beautiful voice.
@@deborahchapman222Lew retired in 1982, '81. He was out of the spotlight for a few years until he felt he was well enough to perform as a solo artist. He did this for two, maybe three years before his health took a turn for the worse, and he retired for good. Lew died August 15, 1990 at the young age of 52. RIP Lew. You're up there with Harold singing again in God's heavenly choir.
Why can't country music be like this now???
I miss country back in those days. It just isn’t the same today.
No it's not. I either have to listen to Willie's Roadhouse for songs like this, or RUclips.
Loved this song . Charlotte s Web!
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕
the best country group ever in my opinion.
They were great , They sang with a lot of my friemds like " The Oakridge Boys , The Blackwood Brothers Quartet , Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley loved these groups !
I have them #2. Alabama is pretty hard to beat
Thanks for posting this video. Love these guys and I’ve returned hundreds of times to listen to this exact song. And these same guys. The originals.
Love love this version!
I use to adore this song, I remember in 1980 when I was 13 yrs old dancing and twirling in my white socks on my grandmother's kitchen floor in russell springs ky. to this song, i lived with my grandmother in 1979-1980 she died suddenly in 1980 sept. i was so so so so devistated. my life changed. she had raised me from age 12 to 13 on her 7 acre farm in russell springs. I was a lonely teen with no one to play with so at 12 and 13I listened to my tape player and danced and twirled to this song. i LEARNED Lew died after yrs of having chrohns disease. I have had chrohns for a yr now. I probably had it a lot longer but the pain began a year ago. I dont plan to die of chrohns or complications from it, but like most statler fans I adored lew dewitt) he was so hansome and such a wonderful singer,.I loved his album he wrote on his own) the songs are beautiful on that album but this is truly my favorite song of the statlers because of the memories at my beloved maternal grandmother flossie's home where i lived. she died soon be 34 yrs ago. ( i cant believe its been so long ago since i was 13 yrs old) a young woman of 26 or 28 bought my grandmother's farm where i use to dance in the kitchen, she is the 6th owner of the house and farm since 1980 i stopped and talked with her last summer she wouldent let me in to see the house. she said her son's bedroom is my old
room. it makes me so so sad. but good memories of living there, my daddy ( my grandmother's son in law died 13 yrs ago) he is buried on the same road as my grandmother's home is on where i use to live. so i pass the house and farm where i lived with her often when i go down to my dad's gravesite., about 3 hrs one way from where i live now in indiana, my dad is buried in russell springs ky. I have about 25 albums and tapes of the origianl statlers with lew dewitt and only 1 with the man that followed him jimmy. god bless all of you all ( melissa in clarksville indiana. near louisville ky)
Greetings from Frankfort, Ky. I was also 13 in 1980, and I also have cherished memories of my grandparents' farm in Paducah.
Who's here from Smokey and the Bandit II?
I think I have watched this exact video for years and at least a thousand times since I found it. So rare and sounds awesome! I keep coming back over and over and over
They should have more music like this now days :)
Home Free is your answer to that. I was fortunate to meet the Original line up of the Statler Brothers (so before Jimmy) in 1972 They were still touring with Johnny Cash I was 6 yrs old 50 yrs later I still remember and Treasure the Memory. So I do not say it Lightly Check out Home Free Country's First and Only All Vocal Group their Bass is Tim Foust he has a 5 Octave range Adam Chance is their Baritone/Bass Austin Brown is their Sky High Tenor Rob Lundquist is their Lead/Low Tenor and Adam Rupp is also a Tenor but he happens to be their Beatboxer (basically he swallowed a complete drum kit as a kid) He is World class and has won several Championships. I'd Start with a video they did during Quarantine as they dedicated it to #Harold Reid #HomeFree #FlowersOnTheWall . You won't regret falling down the Home Free Rabbit Hole
Ah yes, wonderful memories.Thee Ole Prospector
Sweet memories, supermelisa, cherish them forever! And yes Lew had a wonderful voice! Sad that he died way before his time. Best to you and yours.
Smokey and the Bandit II was on Showtime last night and I got to see how this song was used in the film. It was beautifully sung and fit the context so beautifully. Thanks Statlers for adding this song to your long repertoire of songs.
Fit the context? The song is about a whore, not an elephant.
Rest In Peace to Harold and lew
God I wish someone could still sing like that! And don’t forget the band behind them. That steel guitar will make the hair stand up.
Did not know this was written for that movie. Thanks for that. Love it. 👏👏❤️❤️
I really 💘 love to hear the state brother sing. They are my favoritem
Love when Don & Lew sing together.
Yes, to bad that Lew died in August 1990, that's will be 30 years this time next year. Hope you are resting in peace. I still think he had the better voice than Jimmy even though Jimmy has a lot of talent.
Dang me too! Harold Reid just passed two weeks ago. So sad!
@@trailladymtb7700 Yeah, I sure hated to hear that. Now he & Lew have been reunited.
@@joshowenby6408yes...listening to them tonight. *sigh*. But happy music!
I remember listening with my mommy and uncle. Thank you for sharing.
I just love the Statler's!!!
this song was written by Snuff Garrett, Cliff Crofford and John Durrill. I LOVE the Statlers and know every song and who wrote it.
That darn Jim Stafford is So good looking. I wish he was my man! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Music now a days need to take a lesson from these 4
I love allof there song i wish they would have a reunion concert in the US
kathy conner ccccccccccc
when I saw the title of this song the first thought that came to my mind was the song mother earth and father time from the movie Charlotte's web ( about the spider and pig)
❤ this song, the Bandit
I wish they could do a reunion tour
Yep! Getting to old to tour. Never recall them coming to the West Coast, either.
i wish they have a reunion tour
The woman is Tanya Tucker and the guy is Jim Stafford.
RIP Mickey Gilley.
Don and Harold ARE brothers.
It's sad knowing that Harold recently joined Lew in the hereafter.
Yep, Covid is the worst.
@@KevinHoekman He actually died of kidney failure.
@@joshuabrooks4907
Yep, that's what it will do. Anything already an issue with Kidneys, lungs, heart, etc. is almost impossible to survive.
Good country bumbkin song.
They even treated "working girls" with class....
Now the high part and the low part are gone.
This is definitely dedicated to Charlotte, the elephant in Smokey and the Bandit, not the spider that appeared at Wilbur’s pig pen !😂
R.i.p BANDIT N SNOWMAN AKA BURT REYNOLDS N JERRY
lew dewitt
Imagine if Burt had a song writ for all the ladies he's had a shine for.😂.
Lew does not look like he is feeling well in this video.. He does not move an inch. His voice sounds fine as usual
Does anyone remember the name of the show this is from? I remember it came on TNN right after The Statler Brothers show. I want to call it Classic Country but unsure. Also, Roger Dale Bowling / Billy Edd Wheeler sung Coward of The County on the same show. Ended with a Viking woman and cymbols
The Viking woman & the cymbals are a logo for Jim Owens entertainment.
Elephant
Anyone know who is introducing them? The woman kind of looks like Tanya Tucker, but I don't think that's who it is. I recognize them both but just can't remember! :)
roger miller and tanya tucker
The cute guy is Jim Stadford.
@@barbaramiskiv3806
Jim Stafford
Is this the last appearance for Lew?
No, Lew didn't leave the quartet until 1982. There used to be a video on RUclips of Lew and the boys performing "Whatever" on some awards show (CMAs, ACMs) in 1982. They sang it live, no lip synching. I remember this performance because an ailing Lew came in late on the very first note. This video is no longer on RUclips, but there is one of Jimmy and the boys performing the same song from the same year in an outdoor concert (again live, no synching).
And then . .. there's the OFFICIAL music video for "Whatever" (also available on RUclips), which is a real novelty because it's Lew's voice we hear singing tenor but it's Jimmy we see lip synching Lew's part. Lew's last album with the group, "The Legend Goes On" (which contains "Whatever"), was recorded in 1981/82, but he retired before the Statlers could tape the music video for the single. New member Jimmy stepped in to lip synch Lew's part. So we had all 5 Statlers in one video --- pretty cool.
Always loved The Statlers, however Lew had something Jimmie couldnt match
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