The Statler Brothers were an American vocal group from Staunton, Virginia. Formed in 1955, they went on to become the opening act and backup singers for Johnny Cash, which led to their own successful career.
members: Lew DeWitt
labels: Columbia Records
genres: country music
Facts from Wikidata and Discogs, free to use.
The group began as the amateur Four Star Quartet in Staunton, Virginia, performing in local churches. In 1959, after Don Reid replaced original lead singer Joe McDorman, they reorganized as The Kingsmen and developed three distinct shows — country, pop, and gospel — tailored to different venues in their region. They performed their gospel program on Sundays and their country and pop shows during the week, with a repertoire including country tributes, pop standards, and impersonations of popular artists.
Kim and Karmen Reid (daughters of Harold) enjoyed a brief stint as a country duo in the 1980s. Wil and Langdon Reid, sons of Harold and Don, respectively, formed a duo in the 1990s. Originally billed as Grandstaff, they are now known as Wilson Fairchild. In 2007, they recorded "The Statler Brothers Song" in tribute to the Statlers. Their sons, Jack and Davis Reid, now perform together as a duo.
The Statler Brothers have been credited as the first country music act to transfer the genre's nostalgia from a rural to a suburban setting. They were called "America's Poets" by Kurt Vonnegut. Bluegrass duo Dailey & Vincent often sing with two members of their band as a quartet in the style of the Statlers, including many Statlers' hits in their shows. Jimmy Fortune sometimes performs with Dailey & Vincent.
"Flowers on the Wall" is a song originally recorded by American country music group The Statler Brothers. Written and composed by Lew DeWitt, the group's original tenor vocalist, the song peaked in popularity in January 1966, spending four weeks at number two on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart, and reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In 2024, Rolling Stone ranked the song at number 116 on its 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time ranking.
The song (its 1975 version) is used in the soundtrack to the 1994 film Pulp Fiction. In the film, Bruce Willis's character sings along to the line, "smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo" as he is driving.