Don Reid (music)
Encyclopedia
Donald Sidney "Don" Reid (born June 5, 1945 in Staunton, Virginia
) is the retired lead singer and main songwriter
of the American
country music
vocal group, The Statler Brothers. He wrote or co-wrote 40 of the Statler Brothers' 66 songs that made the Billboard country chart, including the #1 hit "Do You Know You Are My Sunshine."
In the early 1960s, Reid replaced Joe McDorman at lead vocals in a quartet that was changing its name from the Four Star Quartet to the Kingsmen. They would go on to become the Statler Brothers. McDorman had formed the group in 1955 with Lew DeWitt
and Don's older brother Harold Reid
while the three were teenagers.
Since the Statler Brothers' retirement in 2002, Reid has pursued a second career as an author, with six books to his credit: Heroes and Outlaws of the Bible, Sunday Morning Memories, You'll Know It's Christmas When..., O Little Town, The Statler Brothers: Random Memories, which was co-authored with his brother, Harold Reid
, and One-Lane Bridge. He, along with fellow ex-Statlers Harold Reid and Phil Balsley
, are elders in their local Presbyterian church.
Staunton, Virginia
Staunton is an independent city within the confines of Augusta County in the commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 23,746 as of 2010. It is the county seat of Augusta County....
) is the retired lead singer and main songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
of the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
vocal group, The Statler Brothers. He wrote or co-wrote 40 of the Statler Brothers' 66 songs that made the Billboard country chart, including the #1 hit "Do You Know You Are My Sunshine."
In the early 1960s, Reid replaced Joe McDorman at lead vocals in a quartet that was changing its name from the Four Star Quartet to the Kingsmen. They would go on to become the Statler Brothers. McDorman had formed the group in 1955 with Lew DeWitt
Lew DeWitt
Lewis Calvin "Lew" DeWitt was an American country music singer and composer.For most of his career DeWitt sang tenor for The Statler Brothers...
and Don's older brother Harold Reid
Harold Reid
Harold Reid is the former bass singer for the country vocal group The Statler Brothers. He wrote or co-wrote 17 songs that were hit singles for the group, including "Bed of Rose's" and the #1 hit "Do You Know You Are My Sunshine." The latter was written with his younger brother, Don Reid, the lead...
while the three were teenagers.
Since the Statler Brothers' retirement in 2002, Reid has pursued a second career as an author, with six books to his credit: Heroes and Outlaws of the Bible, Sunday Morning Memories, You'll Know It's Christmas When..., O Little Town, The Statler Brothers: Random Memories, which was co-authored with his brother, Harold Reid
Harold Reid
Harold Reid is the former bass singer for the country vocal group The Statler Brothers. He wrote or co-wrote 17 songs that were hit singles for the group, including "Bed of Rose's" and the #1 hit "Do You Know You Are My Sunshine." The latter was written with his younger brother, Don Reid, the lead...
, and One-Lane Bridge. He, along with fellow ex-Statlers Harold Reid and Phil Balsley
Phil Balsley
Philip Elwood Balsley is the former baritone singer for the retired country vocal group The Statler Brothers...
, are elders in their local Presbyterian church.