More than two decades have passed since The Statler Brothers sang their final notes on stage together, but for Don Reid, the group’s lead singer and lyricist, one moment from that night has never stopped echoing in his heart — and recently, he admitted the truth.
In a quiet interview reflecting on the group’s legendary farewell concert in Salem, Virginia, Don revealed a long-buried regret that he says still lingers, even after years of peace and retirement.
“I should’ve said more,” Don confessed. “I should’ve taken the microphone and thanked Harold right then and there. Not just as a bandmate, but as my brother… and as the reason I ever stood on that stage to begin with.”
The final show was a triumphant farewell — full of laughter, memories, and music that had carried generations. But amid the celebration, Don says he held back, overwhelmed by emotion and the fear of breaking down.
“We had rehearsed everything — the songs, the pacing, the flow of the night,” he recalled. “But what I hadn’t prepared for was the silence afterward… the chance I missed to say something from the heart while the lights were still on.”
For Don, that moment — looking across the stage at Harold, his older brother and the booming bass behind their harmony — felt like the end of more than just a band.
“I thought I’d have time later. Another show. Another chance. But there was no ‘later.’ That was it.”
Since Harold Reid’s passing in 2020, Don has carried that regret quietly. But he says he’s learning, with time, to transform it into something more meaningful.
“I can’t go back to that night,” he said. “But I can honor him now. I can speak what I didn’t say then: that every word I ever wrote, I wrote with his voice in mind. And every note I ever sang felt stronger because he stood beside me.”
Fans of The Statler Brothers have often wondered what the farewell concert meant behind the scenes — and now, they know: behind the harmonies was a brotherhood deeper than music, and behind the curtain call was a silence filled with unsaid love.
“That night,” Don said quietly, “we said goodbye to the crowd. But I never got to say goodbye to Harold. Not the way I wanted to.”
And that’s the kind of truth only time — and a broken heart — can finally set free.
