Introduction:
There are careers that seem carefully planned—and then there are careers that begin with a chance encounter on a snowy night. For Jimmy Fortune, one unexpected performance at a Virginia ski resort in 1981 changed the course of his life and ultimately made him one of the most recognizable voices in country and gospel music.
Born in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1955 and raised in Nelson County, Fortune grew up surrounded by gospel music. Before fame found him, he was working long hours, performing in hotel clubs across Virginia while holding a daytime job at a car dealership. Music was already his life, but he had no idea that one particular night would lead him to the Statler Brothers.
At the ski resort, Fortune met Lew DeWitt, the Statlers’ original tenor. DeWitt, who was battling Crohn’s disease, heard the young singer and recommended him as a temporary replacement. Fortune auditioned in Nashville and made his first appearance with the group in Savannah, Georgia, on January 28, 1982. When DeWitt could not return to touring, Fortune officially became a Statler Brother later that year.
It was the beginning of a remarkable 21-year chapter.
Fortune did far more than simply fill an empty spot. His high tenor became an important part of the Statlers’ sound, while his songwriting helped revive the group’s success during the 1980s. He wrote “Elizabeth,” “My Only Love,” and “Too Much on My Heart,” all of which became No. 1 country hits for the group. He also co-wrote “More Than a Name on a Wall,” another major hit that became closely associated with his career.
For seven seasons, audiences also saw Fortune every week on The Statler Brothers Show on the Nashville Network. The program became a defining part of the group’s television legacy, blending country music, gospel, comedy and traditional variety-show entertainment.
When the Statler Brothers retired from touring in 2002, Fortune was only 47—and he was not ready to leave the stage.
He moved forward as a solo artist, releasing albums including When One Door Closes, I Believe, Windows, and Lessons. His 2015 project Hits and Hymns marked another major chapter, reaching No. 10 on Billboard’s Country Albums chart and No. 1 on the Southern Gospel chart.
Today, at 71, Jimmy Fortune is still performing. He continues to live in Tennessee while writing, recording and touring, bringing the songs that defined his Statler years to churches, theaters, festivals and country-music audiences.
The Statler Brothers were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008. Fortune later received another personal honor when he was inducted into the Virginia Musical Hall of Fame in 2018.
What makes Fortune’s story so striking is where it began: not with a major record deal or a carefully planned audition, but with a young musician deciding to play one night when he was supposed to be off.
More than four decades later, that decision still echoes every time Jimmy Fortune walks onto a stage.
The temporary replacement became a songwriter, a Hall of Fame musician and, decades later, a living connection to the Statler Brothers’ distinctive harmony.
And remarkably, he is still singing.