BREAKING: Hall Of Fame Songwriter Don Schlitz Passes At 73

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Don Schlitz

Don Schlitz, the architect behind many of country music’s most enduring songs, passed away on April 16 at a Nashville hospital after a sudden illness. He was 73.

As a writer of such country standards as “The Gambler,” “On the Other Hand,” “Forever and Ever, Amen,” “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her,” “The Greatest” and “When You Say Nothing At All,” Schlitz was a member of the Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Born and raised in Durham, North Carolina, Schlitz briefly attended Duke University before moving to Nashville at age 20. Arriving with $80 in his pocket, he set to Music Row, and his talent was recognized and fostered early on by greats, including Bob McDill and Bobby Bare.

Schlitz became one of the first performers at the now-iconic Bluebird Café in Nashville. He and friends Thom Schuyler, J. Fred Knobloch and Paul Overstreet originated the Café’s songwriter-in-the-round format in 1985. On Tuesday nights, Schlitz held court at the venue with his “Don For A Dollar” show, charging a cover of $1 each night.

Schlitz’s first-ever cut was Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler,” setting a incredible standard he would meet for the rest of his career. The then-23-year-old songwriter celebrated a massive crossover hit that traveled far and wide, winning a Grammy for Best Country Song in 1978, and the Country Music Association’s Song of the Year in 1979.

Following his first big hit, Schlitz continued to have stunning success. His 50 top 10 singles have played major roles in the careers of Rogers, Randy Travis, The Judds, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Tanya Tucker, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Keith Whitley, Alison Krauss and many others.

Schlitz notched 25 No. 1s in his career. He was the ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year from 1988 to 1991, and won three CMA Song of the Year Awards, two ACM Song of the Year awards and two Grammys across his five decades in music.

Schlitz was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Association Hall of Fame in 1993, and he went into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York in 2012. In 2017, Schlitz was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, joining only five other songwriters in the Hall at that time, including Bobby Braddock, Hank Cochran, Harlan Howard and Boudleaux and Felice Bryant.

In 2022, he became the only non-artist songwriter inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry in the show’s 100-year history. He commonly performed over the last few years, joking with the audience that they may not know who he was, but they knew his songs.

Don Schlitz is survived by his wife, Stacey; his daughter Cory Dixon and her husband Matt Dixon; his son Pete Schlitz and his wife Christian Webb Schlitz; his grandchildren Roman, Gia, Isla, and Lilah; his brother Brad Schlitz; and his sister Kathy Hinkley.

Saturday night’s Grand Ole Opry performance will be dedicated in Schlitz’ honor.

A Celebration of Life will be held on April 25 at 2:30 p.m. CT in the CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (224 Rep. John Lewis Way South). A reception will follow the service.

LB Cantrell
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