Jimmy Fortune (born March 11, 1955) is an American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

singer from

Nelson County, Virginia Nelson County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,775. Its county seat is Lovingston. Nelson County is part of the Charlottesville, VA, Metropolitan Statist ...

. Fortune sang

tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...

for

The Statler Brothers The Statler Brothers (sometimes simply referred to as The Statlers) were an American country music, gospel, and vocal group from Staunton, Virginia. The quartet was formed in 1955 performing locally, and from 1964 to 1972, they sang as opening a ...

for 21 years, and wrote the song " Elizabeth" for the group. When the Statler Brothers disbanded, he began to perform as a solo artist. Fortune was inducted into the

Country Music Hall of Fame The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has amass ...

in 2008 as a member of The Statler Brothers.

Biography

Fortune grew up in

, where he attended Nelson County High School in Lovingston, Virginia. The original tenor of the Statler Brothers, Lew DeWitt, heard Fortune sing at a local ski resort. DeWitt suffered from

Crohn's disease Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that may affect any segment of the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms often include abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, abdominal distension, and weight loss. Complications outside of the ...

and asked Fortune to audition for the band. Fortune started performing with the Statlers in 1982, originally as a temporary replacement. He joined permanently when DeWitt left due to ill health. Fortune wrote several number-one songs recorded by the Statler Brothers, including " Elizabeth", " Too Much on My Heart", and " My Only Love". " More Than a Name on a Wall" was a top ten country hit. He spent 21 years touring, singing, and performing with the Statler Brothers. After the Statlers disbanded in 2002, Fortune continued his career as a solo artist with an extensive performance schedule in the U.S. and Canada. He has continued as a songwriter and has recorded some projects in Nashville. In 2015 he released ''Hits & Hymns'' produced by Ben Isaacs. The album reached the Top Ten on ''Billboards

Top Country Albums Top Country Albums is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The 50-position chart lists the most popular country music albums in the country, calculated weekly by Broadcast Data Systems based on physical sales ...

chart. The DVD release of a TV special, "Jimmy Fortune: Hits & Hymns," hosted by

Bill Gaither William James Gaither (born March 28, 1936) is an American singer and songwriter of Southern gospel and contemporary Christian music. He has written numerous popular Christian songs with his wife Gloria; he is also known for performing as par ...

, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Music Video chart. In 2020, Fortune joined Bradley Walker, Ben Isaacs, and Mike Rogers to form Brothers of the Heart. They have released three albums to date: ''Brotherly Love'' (2020), ''Listen To The Music'' (2023), and ''Will The Circle Be Unbroken'' (2023). In 2023, a bronze statue of Fortune was unveiled in Nelson County, Virginia. Fortune attended the ceremony, where a statue of fellow Nelson County native Earl Hamner Jr. was also dedicated.Shipley, Kaylee
"Nelson County unveils Earl Hamner Jr. and Jimmy Fortune statues"
''ABC13 News''. Published July 9, 2023. Accessed January 3, 2024.

Discography

Albums

Singles

Guest singles

Music videos

References

External links

Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fortune, Jimmy American country singer-songwriters American tenors 1955 births American people of Welsh descent Country Music Hall of Fame inductees Country musicians from Virginia Living people Members of the Country Music Association People from Nelson County, Virginia People from Staunton, Virginia People from Sumner County, Tennessee People from Williamsburg, Virginia Singer-songwriters from Tennessee Singer-songwriters from Virginia The Statler Brothers members