Country Music Hall of Fame members the Statler Brothers recently were honored with the 2011 James D. Vaughan Impact Award during a special ceremony at Dollywood at the Southern Gospel Music Association’s annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Singing News Fan Awards.
Group members Harold Reid, Phil Balsley, Jimmy Fortune and Don Reid accepted the award named in honor of James D. Vaughan, a Southern gospel music pioneer and one of the genre’s founders.
“We have waited a long time for this,” Don said. “We are honored that they saw fit to give us this award. We are very aware of the importance of it. We have loved gospel music since we were children.”
He said the group looked up to gospel performers such as the Statesmen Quartet and Blackwood Brothers as their musical idols.
“You have taken us into your family and honored us in this special way and that has touched our hearts,” he said.
Past recipients include Bill Gaither, James Blackwood, Les Beasley, Bob Brumley, Mosie Lister, Paul Heil, Eva Mae LeFevre, J.G. Whitfield, Lari Goss, Barbara Mandrell and Dolly Parton.
Parton shared a special videotaped message for the Statlers at the presentation:
“As a past winner myself, I know what an honor it is to win this award from the SGMA,” she said. “Guys, I want you to know that I have always loved you. I have always thought you were the absolute best and you certainly deserve this.”
SGMA executive director Charlie Waller made the presentation.
“They perpetuated gospel music. They sang gospel music on all their shows and for the seven years they were on the Nashville Network. They were the number one show and always included singing gospel music,” Waller said. “They have carried gospel music around the world. If it were not for this group many would not have heard gospel music.”
The Statler Brothers, founded in 1955 in Staunton, Va., began performing in local churches with founding members Don Reid, lead; Harold Reid, bass; Balsley, baritone; and Lew DeWitt, tenor.
Fortune became the group’s tenor singer in the early 1980s, replacing DeWitt who died in 1990. The Statler Brothers appeared regularly on ABC’s “The Johnny Cash Show” early in their career. They hosted “The Statler Brothers Show” their own weekly and top-rated variety show on The Nashville Network from 1991 to 1998.
With more than 40 albums, the Statler Brothers were honored with three Grammy® Awards, nine Country Music Association Awards for Vocal Group of the Year, and two Academy of Country Music Awards. The Statler Brothers were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008. The group’s career spanned six decades until the Statler Brothers officially retired in October 2002.
The 2011 SGMA class of Hall of Fame inductees are Doris Akers, Doyle Blackwood, Bob Brumley, Roy Carter, Kenny Gates, Jerry Kirksey, Opal Lester and Willie Wynn.
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Chris Graham
