Don Schlitz, the man behind more than 50 Top 10 hits, including 25 Number Ones recorded by artists such as The Judds, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Tanya Tucker, has died
Two-time Grammy Award recipient Don Schlitz has died following a sudden illness at the age of 73, it has been announced. The country music star, who wrote Kenny Rogers’ smash hit The Gambler, passed at a hospital in Nashville late last week, according to a statement from the music organisation Grand Ole Opry. His cause of death has not yet been disclosed as tributes were paid.
“We are heartbroken by the news of the passing of Don Schlitz, Don loved his family, his home state of North Carolina, and above all, songs and songwriters,” Sarah Trahern, Country Music Association CEO, said in a statement. “He carried that love into every room, every stage and every lyric he ever wrote.
“Not long ago, we shared a dinner, and as we were leaving, Don picked up a guitar and began to play. That is how I will always remember him, smiling and with a guitar in his hand. His legacy lives on through his music and the many artists and writers he inspired. He will be deeply missed.”
Don was enshrined in the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame. He worked with some of the big names, including Randy Travis, The Judds, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Tanya Tucker
He also penned You Can’t Make Old Friends for Kenny and Dolly Parton; their first collaboration since 1983’s “Islands in the Stream.” Icon Kenny remarked when inducting his friend into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012: “Don doesn’t just write songs. He writes careers”.
Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, said: “Don Schlitz’s place as a songwriting great would be secure had he never written ‘The Gambler’ or had he only written . Nashville was richer for his presence and is lesser for his absence.”
Don is survived by his wife Stacey, daughter Cory Dixon and her husband Matt Dixon, son Pete Schlitz and his wife Christian Webb Schlitz, grandchildren Roman, Gia, Isla and Lilah, brother Brad Schlitz and sister Kathy Hinkley.
His own life almost read like a country song. He briefly attended Duke University before moving to Nashville aged just 20 reportedly with just $80 in his pocket. His gamble paid off and among his many accolades in 2022 he became the only non-performing songwriter inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in its 100-year history.
Tributes flooded in for the iconic star as the news broke. Writing on Facebook one fan shared: “Such an amazing song writer, that is going to be missed in the music world.”
Another said: “Huge, unexpected loss here. Hall of Famer, Opry member, writer of ‘The Gambler’ and many Randy Travis songs. Don Schlitz has died…His chart-topping songs…are touchstones and inspirations that continue to influence songwriters and singers decades after they were written.”
The Gambler won a Grammy Award in 1980. It featured on the album of the same name, which topped Billboard’s country albums chart and peaked at No16 on the Hot 100 chart in the US. It has sold more than 35 million copies worldwide since 1978.
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