In November 1981, Jimmy Fortune was working a regular job at a Virginia car dealership and singing with a cover band six nights a week. Music filled nearly every evening, so a night off was something special.
But around Thanksgiving, some musician friends invited Jimmy Fortune to join them at a local ski resort. Jimmy Fortune decided to go, even though it meant spending a rare free evening singing again.
Among the people listening that night was Lew DeWitt, the longtime tenor of The Statler Brothers.
Jimmy Fortune sang only four or five songs, according to Jimmy Fortune’s own recollection. Lew DeWitt liked what Lew DeWitt heard. Neither man could have known how important that brief encounter would become.
The Man Lew DeWitt Personally Recommended
The Statler Brothers were already one of country music’s most respected vocal groups. Their distinctive harmonies, humor, and recordings had earned them a devoted following. Lew DeWitt had helped build that success from the beginning, including writing their classic hit “Flowers on the Wall.”
When health problems required Lew DeWitt to take an extended break from performing, The Statler Brothers needed someone who could handle the demanding tenor harmonies.
Lew DeWitt remembered Jimmy Fortune.
In later interviews, Jimmy Fortune explained that Lew DeWitt had recommended Jimmy Fortune as a temporary replacement. After an audition in Nashville, Jimmy Fortune performed a first concert with The Statler Brothers on January 28, 1982, in Savannah, Georgia.
Jimmy Fortune was only 26 years old. By August 1982, the temporary arrangement had become permanent.
But joining The Statler Brothers would reveal something about Jimmy Fortune that even the group had not expected.
The First Song Jimmy Fortune Ever Wrote
Before joining The Statler Brothers, Jimmy Fortune had never completed a song of Jimmy Fortune’s own. Years of working during the day and performing at night had left little time for songwriting.
After settling into the group, Jimmy Fortune approached Harold Reid with a question: Would The Statler Brothers consider recording something Jimmy Fortune wrote?
Harold Reid offered a simple condition. The song had to be good enough.
Jimmy Fortune already had a melody in mind but needed the right words. What happened during a trip to Oklahoma became one of the most unusual songwriting stories of The Statler Brothers’ career.
First, Jimmy Fortune stopped at a Kroger grocery store to pick up supplies for the tour bus. Inside, Jimmy Fortune overheard a mother repeatedly calling to a little girl named Elizabeth.
Later, aboard the tour bus, The Statler Brothers watched the 1956 film Giant, starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean. Once again, the name Elizabeth appeared.
Then, during a concert in Oklahoma, a young woman approached the stage, took Jimmy Fortune’s hand, and introduced herself as Elizabeth.
Three encounters with the same name during one trip stayed with Jimmy Fortune.
From a Hotel Room to No. 1
That night, Jimmy Fortune returned to the hotel room and began putting words to the melody. Using a small recorder, Jimmy Fortune captured the developing song.
The following day, Jimmy Fortune played the new composition for the other members of The Statler Brothers aboard the tour bus. The group liked what they heard.
The song was “Elizabeth.”
Released on the group’s 1983 album Today, “Elizabeth” reached No. 1 on Billboard’s country chart in 1984. Jimmy Fortune’s first completed songwriting effort had become a national hit.
And that was only the beginning.
Jimmy Fortune followed with “My Only Love” and “Too Much on My Heart,” both of which reached No. 1 in 1985. Of the four country chart-toppers recorded by The Statler Brothers, Jimmy Fortune had written three.
Jimmy Fortune remained with The Statler Brothers until their retirement in 2002, contributing 21 years of performances and recordings. In 2008, the group was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Yet the remarkable part of this story goes back to that ordinary night in Virginia.
Lew DeWitt was not searching for a songwriter who would deliver three No. 1 hits. Lew DeWitt simply heard a young singer whose voice might help The Statler Brothers continue performing.
And the singer Lew DeWitt recommended went on to contribute three of the biggest songs of the group’s later career.
Jimmy Fortune joined The Statler Brothers as a replacement. But Jimmy Fortune’s place in their history became something much more permanent.