BROTHER IN SONG: Jimmy Fortune’s Final Farewell to Harold Reid
In the stillness of a chapel in Staunton, Virginia, the hometown where so much music had been born, a remarkable moment unfolded. It was not a concert, not a public show, but something far deeper — a final act of love and remembrance. There, before a portrait draped in flowers, Jimmy Fortune rose to honor his longtime friend and fellow member of The Statler Brothers, the late Harold Reid.
For decades, their voices had blended together in harmony, shaping one of the most beloved groups in country and gospel history. The Statler Brothers, known for timeless classics such as “Flowers on the Wall”, “Do You Know You Are My Sunshine”, and their moving renditions of gospel hymns, were more than just a band. They were family — brothers not always by blood, but by music, faith, and a shared road that stretched across America’s towns and cities.
As Jimmy stepped forward, there was no spotlight, no roar of a crowd — only the quiet presence of family, friends, and a grieving community. He carried his guitar like a companion, worn by years of songs shared on stage with Harold at his side. His voice, when it came, was not the polished sound of performance, but the trembling confession of a man pouring out his heart.
“This one’s for you, Harold,” Jimmy whispered, his words hanging in the air like a prayer. What followed was more than melody. It was a conversation between two souls, one living and one departed, bridged by the language they had spoken best — song. Each note seemed to carry the memories of their journey: the first time they sang together, the laughter in dressing rooms, the long bus rides, the shared triumphs and trials of a lifetime in music.
Those who listened described the moment as almost sacred. Jimmy’s voice cracked with emotion, yet it held steady through the lyrics, as though Harold’s familiar bass harmonies were still there beside him. It was not hard to imagine, in that hushed chapel, that the old harmony was complete again — one voice on earth, the other echoing from eternity.
The Statler Brothers had always been about more than entertainment. Rooted in faith, their music often carried messages of hope, redemption, and the bonds that hold families and communities together. That faith was present in every word Jimmy sang, as if he were entrusting Harold into the care of the same God who had guided their songs for so many years.
When the final chord faded and silence filled the chapel, the weight of the moment settled in. Those present knew they had not simply witnessed a performance. They had been part of something more personal: a farewell between two brothers in song, a last embrace of melody and memory.
In the end, Jimmy laid down his guitar gently, bowed his head, and returned to his seat. The quiet that followed was profound, broken only by the soft weeping of those who understood what had just passed before them.
For fans and family alike, this tribute was a reminder that while Harold Reid’s deep voice is now absent from earthly stages, his presence endures — in the songs recorded, in the memories preserved, and in the brotherhood of music that cannot be silenced by time.
As Jimmy Fortune’s final tribute made clear, this was more than music. It was the last conversation between two voices forever bound in harmony, a brotherhood that will echo as long as songs are sung and stories are told.