NOSTALGIC RECALL: Don Reid’s Son Shares Private Family Memories of Life Behind The Statler Brothers’ Fame
Just now in Staunton, Virginia, where the rolling Shenandoah Valley still carries echoes of harmony and hymn, Debo Reid, son of Don Reid — the lead vocalist of the legendary Statler Brothers — opened up about life behind the music. Speaking in a quiet, reflective gathering at a local historical society, he offered a glimpse into the private moments that existed far from the spotlight that once followed the group around the world.
The Statler Brothers, with hits like “Flowers on the Wall”, “Bed of Roses”, and “Do You Remember These”, became one of the most beloved groups in country and gospel music history. But as Debo explained, their towering fame was only part of the story.
“To me, Dad wasn’t just a Statler Brother,” Debo began with a smile. “He was the guy who read to us at night, who mowed the yard on Saturdays, who always made time for family dinners — even if it meant coming home at 3 a.m. from a show.”
He spoke warmly of the band’s homecoming traditions. Whenever the Statler Brothers returned from touring, Don Reid made sure the family reconnected in simple ways: fishing trips at nearby ponds, Sunday services at the same small church they’d always attended, and evenings spent on the back porch, where the only music came from crickets and the distant hum of freight trains.
But there were also moments when the fame seeped in. Debo recalled being a child and watching strangers approach his father at restaurants or gas stations, eager for a handshake or an autograph.
“It never bothered him,” Debo said. “He’d sign, smile, and talk like he’d known them his whole life. That’s just who he was — grounded, grateful, and never too busy for people.”
One of the most poignant memories came from the group’s final concert in 2002. Standing backstage, Debo watched his father and bandmates — Harold Reid, Phil Balsley, and Jimmy Fortune — take their last bow after nearly four decades together.
“I remember Dad looking out at that crowd, tears in his eyes, and saying, ‘We’ve been blessed beyond measure.’ That wasn’t just for the audience — that was his truth.”
Life after the Statler Brothers was quieter but no less meaningful. Don Reid devoted more time to writing books, telling stories, and preserving the history of both the group and the Staunton community they called home. For the Reid family, those years were a gift — a chance to have him home for birthdays, holidays, and unplanned moments that fame had often stolen.
As Debo finished speaking, he looked around the room at the faces of friends, neighbors, and lifelong fans.
“People know the songs,” he said softly, “but I wish they could have seen the man at home — the laughter at the dinner table, the way he’d sit with a guitar and hum old gospel tunes when he thought no one was listening. That’s the part of him I’ll always carry.”
In Staunton, the legacy of the Statler Brothers is etched not just in records and awards, but in the everyday lives they touched. And for Don Reid’s son, the music will always play on — in the memories, the values, and the quiet love that fame could never outshine.