Don Reid’s Poignant Revelation About Lew DeWitt—Three Decades Later, the Truth Still Echoes
Long before The Statler Brothers took their final bow, their harmonies had already carved out a permanent place in country music history. But among all the voices, one stood out with a fragile, aching beauty—Lew DeWitt’s tenor. His departure from the group in 1982 due to Crohn’s disease marked the end of an era, yet his influence lingered in every note they sang afterward.
For years, fans speculated about what was left unsaid—what Lew’s final years were like, and how his bond with the group, especially lead singer Don Reid, endured through the quiet decades. Then, on a quiet morning in Staunton, Virginia—where it all began—Don Reid finally chose to speak.
“I’ve carried this with me for a long time,” Don shared during a recent local interview. “There’s something deeply personal I’ve never shared publicly, because some things take time to settle in the heart.”
With his voice steady but touched with emotion, Reid revealed a handwritten letter Lew DeWitt had sent him shortly after stepping away from the group in 1982. In it, Lew expressed a simple, heartfelt sentiment: “I may not stand beside you on stage anymore, but I’ll never stop singing your harmony from wherever I am.”
Don kept that letter in a drawer for over 30 years.
“I read it often,” Don said. “Especially in the years after Lew passed. It wasn’t just about music—it was a reminder that our bond ran deeper than the spotlight. It was about brotherhood.”
Lew DeWitt passed away in 1990, but his spirit never left The Statler Brothers. In every reunion show, every tribute performance, and every backstage moment, Don felt him there.
“I think Lew knew the kind of peace that comes with saying goodbye before the curtain drops,” Don reflected. “But I never got to say publicly just how much I loved him—not just for what he gave to the music, but for what he gave to me as a friend.”
Fans were visibly moved by Reid’s revelation—many admitting they had always wondered how deeply that loss had affected the band. But for Don, the message is clear:
“This isn’t about closure,” he said. “It’s about gratitude. Lew was the first Statler voice people fell in love with. I just want them to know that I loved him too—always have, always will.”
In finally breaking his silence, Don Reid didn’t just share a letter. He opened a door to healing—for himself, for Lew’s family, and for generations of fans who had always sensed that their story held something more.
And in doing so, he reminded the world that the strongest harmonies often linger long after the final note is sung.