Introduction
What Happened to Jimmy Fortune at 70 – Try Not to CRY When You See This
For millions of country and gospel music fans, Jimmy Fortune will forever be remembered as the remarkable tenor voice who helped give The Statler Brothers some of their most unforgettable songs.
But at 70, Fortune’s story is no longer simply about the years he spent standing beneath the spotlight. It is about everything that happened after the applause began to fade—and how a legendary singer found a new purpose in music, faith, family, and memories.
Born on March 11, 1955, Fortune joined The Statler Brothers in 1982 after original tenor Lew DeWitt could no longer continue performing because of illness. What began as a temporary opportunity eventually became a remarkable 21-year chapter in Fortune’s life. (Jimmy Fortune)
And he didn’t merely fill a vacant position.
He became an essential part of the Statlers’ sound.
Fortune wrote several of the group’s biggest later hits, including “Elizabeth,” “My Only Love,” and “Too Much on My Heart,” all of which reached No. 1 on the country charts. He also co-wrote “More Than a Name on a Wall,” another song that became deeply meaningful to fans. (Jimmy Fortune)
For more than two decades, he traveled across America with the group.
The television cameras followed.
The crowds applauded.
The songs became memories.
Then, in 2002, The Statler Brothers retired from touring.
For many performers, the end of such a legendary group might have felt like the end of everything.
But Fortune refused to let the music stop.
He began a solo career, recording country and gospel music and continuing to tour. His later projects included Hits and Hymns, God and Country, and collaborations with other musicians. His official biography says he continues to live in Tennessee, writing, touring, and recording music. (Jimmy Fortune)
Perhaps the most touching part of Fortune’s later journey is the way his music increasingly reflected his faith.
His 2019 album God and Country eventually won a Dove Award for Country/Gospel/Roots Album of the Year. Later, Fortune became part of the group Brothers of the Heart, continuing to create the close vocal harmonies that had defined so much of his career. (Jimmy Fortune)
But growing older also means watching the past disappear.
The Statler Brothers’ original lineup is no longer together. Harold Reid, the group’s legendary bass singer, died in 2020. The Country Music Hall of Fame now preserves the group’s extraordinary history, including Fortune’s years as a member. (Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum)
For Fortune, those memories must carry enormous emotional weight.
There were years when the Statlers were not simply coworkers.
They were family.
They shared buses, stages, recording studios, television sets, jokes, disappointments, victories, and thousands of miles together.
Those days can never be recreated.
But they can be remembered.
And that may be the real story behind Jimmy Fortune at 70.
He didn’t lose his purpose when The Statler Brothers retired.
He found another one.
He continued singing.
He continued writing.
He continued sharing his faith.
And he continued giving audiences the voice they had loved for decades.
Today, when Fortune steps onto a stage, fans aren’t simply hearing a former Statler Brother.
They’re hearing a living connection to an era when country music was built around harmony, storytelling, family, and heartfelt songs.
His greatest achievement may not be the awards, the No. 1 hits, or the years spent with one of America’s most beloved vocal groups.
It may be that after the original chapter ended, Jimmy Fortune kept finding reasons to sing.
And perhaps that is what makes his story so emotional.
The years have passed.
The faces around him have changed.
The stages are different.
But that unmistakable voice remains.
And as long as Jimmy Fortune keeps singing, a little piece of The Statler Brothers will always be alive.