The Statler Brothers came on the scene in the turbulent 60s as a backup group for Johnny Cash. Their first hit record, Flowers On The Wall, catapulted them to the top of the charts where they remained for the rest of their long, successful career. Often called the most awarded act in the history of Country Music, the Statlers have multiple Grammy Awards; stacks of gold and platinum albums; decades of standing-room-only concerts; a number one television series that ran for seven seasons; and a staggering list of hit records. The lives they have touched are in the millions and those who have touched theirs are inside this cover.
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About the Author
Harold and Don Reid are brothers by birth and founding members of the Statler Brothers. They are award-winning songwriters, having penned countless hit songs including Class of '57 (Don and Harold), Bed Of Rose's (Harold), and I'll Go To My Grave Loving You (Don). Together they co-wrote the #1 television series The Statler Brothers Show, and Yesteryear. Harold is the father of five and lives with his wife, Brenda, in Staunton, Virginia. Don, the author of three previously published books and the father of two, lives in Staunton, Virginia, with his wife Deborah.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Random Memories - buy it if you are a Statlers fan,
This review is from: Statler Bros. Random Memories (Hardcover)
If you are a Statler Brother fan, as I am, this book is a must have. "Random Memories" is not intended as a chronology or complete history of the Statlers. It is an enjoyable collection of stories.
Written by two of the brothers, Harold and Don Reid, "Random Memories" recounts some of the people and moments they shared during their career. The brothers state that their careers allowed them to shake hands with and talk with some of their heroes. Since the Statlers are heroes to me, I was hoping this book would be my chance to meet them and learn about them as individuals throughout the pages. They somewhat disappoint in this area. The Statlers always publicly portrayed the group as an entity, not a collection of individuals. They carefully protected the privacy and personality of the individual members, letting the "group" be the entity the public saw. In "Random Memories", Don Reid largely continues projecting and protecting the image of the group. It is Harold who shares insights into the individual members. In my opinion, because of this, Harold is the better writer. It is Harold who writes from the heart about Lew DeWitt, Phil Balsley, and Jimmy Fortune. Harold gives the personal insights that true fans have wanted to know for decades. Phil gets a little attention, as does Lew DeWitt and Jimmy Fortune. I wish as a reader and fan that more attention was given to Phil, Lew, and Jimmy. However brief, it is that display of personal feeling that makes this a worthwhile read. They have their heroes, and they share them with us. Their loyalty to Johnny Cash is continued here as well. The great irony is that the Reids enjoyed their career so much because it opened doors for them to share time with their heroes. We, as fans and readers, view the Statlers as our heroes for their song writing and singing quality. They were consummate professionals. Their book does not open those doors to our curiosity as much as their careers opened those same doors for them. Unfortunately for us fans, the Statlers have hidden their activities since their retirement. "Random Memories" was actually written in 2005. The Statlers' website is grossly outdated. It requires a google search to find out what they have been doing since their retirement in October, 2003, and "Random Memories" sadly offers little here. "Random Memories" also glosses over some facts as the Statlers neared retirement. Country music had again changed to a younger, country rock sound and away from traditional fare. In the top 40 realm, the Statlers were not getting the airplay. Their audience was graying. They played shows in smaller venues. The last show of theirs I saw was in Utica N.Y. It was not sold out, and the venue was smaller. The book offers little insight into some of the career moves they made. Why did they change from the Cowboy Symphony Orchestra to the All American Band? Lastly, a great book leaves us wanting more. As Harold used to say at the end of each show: "Come back next time, `cause we ain't even started yet". I hope they write another book with more stories. This one was great. For those of us who wish they would sing together even one more time as a guest appearance, "Random Memories" just left me wanting more. Buy it, and read it at least twice as I did. You will enjoy it.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I'll Go To My Grave Loving Them!,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Statler Bros. Random Memories (Hardcover)
I'm happy to finally be able to publicly say what I said in the title, and I'm sure every one of their fans shares that sentiment. The story of The Statler Brothers is known world-wide, and has been for many years, and I'm not writing this to try and tell all the reasons why I'm such a big fan. If you ARE a fan, then you already know, and if you aren't a fan, do yourself a favor and spend some time with this book, the music, the videos, and anything they've ever done. Your world will become a happier place, and you might just be reminded that it's still possible to be good, do the right thing, and have God bless you with a remarkable journey on this earth.
As far as the new book goes, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and read through it so quickly that I will probably be reading it again very soon. The stories were wonderful and although I'd like to know more (everything), I'm just happy that Harold and Don shared as much as they did. And the humor... Let's just say that after bursting out laughing while my husband was sleeping nearby, I learned to read with my hand over my mouth. I should have expected that to happen. :-) I can't remember how many times I've seen The Statler Brothers in concert, but one time was in a really small venue in West Texas, back in the days when they could still hang out with their fans at the end of the concert. When I got to the front of the line of fans, I didn't even have a piece of paper to get their autographs on, so I took off my boot and they all graciously signed it for me. (The great Lew DeWitt's name was on that boot, and after carefully painting over the names with clear nail polish, I kept it for many years.) Then, I timidly asked Harold if I could shake his hand. We shook. :-) Those are just a couple of many great Statler memories for me. The last concert I attended was in Abilene, TX in 2001. I thought they would blow the roof right off that coliseum! Their performance was as strong and powerful as any I had ever seen, and I'm so glad I was able to be there. Thanks guys, and my heartfelt congratulations for your SO deserved induction into the Country Music Hall Of Fame!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Random Memories Statler Brothers CD,
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This review is from: The Statler Bros. Random Memories (Audio CD)
Oh MY Gosh! I actually thought I had ordered the book, Random Memories, but I got the CD. I am so glad now that I have listened to them. It was like having them in my living room telling me their stories. You can feel all their happiness and joy in their life and in thier music. You KNOW they are telling the truth about the world they live and sing in. You also feel their sorrow and pain about things in life that matter most. I love learning about the WHYS behind things....you learn them from Harold and Don. And to me, they are the best Statler Brothers! I loved Lew (who was ill and later died) and hated when he had to leave the Statlers so it was nice to learn many things about him.
This was just as the title states, Random Memories, not an autobiography. These two men have taken notes and kept personal journals over the years. These memories are magnificent!
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