Following the Passing of Harold Reid, A Look at the Statler Brothers’ Biggest Billboard Hits
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Following a long battle with kidney failure, Harold Reid, a founding member of The Statler Brothers, died on Friday (April 24) in his hometown Staunton, Va. He was 80.
Staunton was the home base for the group, which initially worked as a gospel group, since its inception.
The foursome changed its name from The Kingsmen to The Statler Brothers around 1963 to avoid confusion with multiple acts using the same moniker, including the garage rock band that scored a No. 2 Hot 100 hit with “Louie Louie” in 1963. Folklore has it that the act took its name from a box of Statler tissue that they spotted in a hotel room.
Only two of The Statler Brothers were actual siblings: Reid and younger brother Don Reid (now 74). Phil Balsley and Lew DeWitt rounded out the quartet. Due to illness, DeWitt was replaced by Jimmy Fortune in 1982. DeWitt passed away in 1990.
The Statler Brothers, who were part of Johnny Cash’s touring cast for over eight years beginning in 1964, scored their debut hit in 1966 with “Flowers on the Wall” which climbed to No. 2. It was their first of 66 Hot Country Songs appearances and was also the group’s biggest crossover hit, peaking at No. 4 on the all-genre Hot 100.
Between 1965 and 1989, The Statler Brothers mounted a span of hits which encompassed 33 top 10s, including four No. 1s.
During their run, The Statler Brothers won the group of the year trophy nine times from the Country Music Association and were ushered into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008. The quartet officially retired from touring in 2002.
Here is a recap of The Statler Brothers’ 20 biggest hits on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
The Statler Brothers’ Biggest Billboard Hits
1, “Too Much on My Heart,” No. 1 peak (1 week), 1985
2, “Elizabeth,” No. 1 (1 week), 1984
3, “My Only Love,” No. 1 (1 week), 1985
4, “Hello Mary Lou,” No. 3, 1985
5, “Do You Know You Are My Sunshine,” No. 1 (2 weeks), 1978
6, “Oh Baby Mine (I Get So Lonely),” No. 2, 1983
7, “Flowers on the Wall,” No. 2, 1966
8, “You’ll be Back (Every Night in My Dreams),” No. 3, 1982
9, “Who Am I to Say,” No. 3, 1978
10, “Don’t Wait on Me,” No. 5, 1981
11, “Atlanta Blue,” No. 3, 1984
12, “I’ll Go to My Grave Loving You,” No. 3, 1975
13, “Forever,” No. 7, 1987
14, “Do You Remember These,” No. 2, 1972
15, “More Than a Name on the Wall,” No. 6, 1989
16, “The Official Historian of Shirley Jean Berrell,” No. 5, 1979
17, “Count on Me,” No. 5, 1986
18, “(I’ll Even Love You) Better Than I Did Then,” No. 8, 1980
19, “Charlotte’s Web,” No. 5, 1980
20, “One Takes the Blame,” No. 8, 1984
The Statler Brothers’ Biggest Billboard Hits are based on actual performance on the weekly Hot Country Songs chart. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower ranks earning lesser values. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, certain eras are weighted to account for different chart turnover rates over various periods.
via https://www.DMT.NEWS/
Jim Asker, Khareem Sudlow, DMTDaily
