In a quiet but deeply emotional statement released today, Don Reid, the iconic voice and lyricist of The Statler Brothers, has confirmed what many fans feared but somehow always hoped wouldn’t come: he’s done with touring — for good.
The decision comes just days after an unannounced tribute performance in Staunton, Virginia, where Don honored his late brother and bandmate Harold Reid with one final song on the stage they once ruled together. The moment, already being called “the most soul-stirring farewell in Statler Brothers history,” left fans in tears — and now, it seems, it marked Don’s own curtain call.
“The music just doesn’t sound right without his voice beside me to finish the line,” Don said.
“For so many years, we sang together… not just in harmony, but in heart.”
The brothers sang together for over four decades — through radio towers, vinyl records, cassette decks, and standing ovations in packed halls. But it wasn’t just Harold’s deep bass that Don says he misses — it was the steadiness, the humor, the quiet nod on stage when one forgot a lyric, the unspoken rhythm between two souls who shared the same roots and the same dreams.
“Harold wasn’t just my brother,” Don shared. “He was the echo to my verse. Without him, the silence between the songs is just too loud.”
Though Don hasn’t toured extensively in years, fans still hoped for the occasional return — a tribute, a gospel night, a Staunton special. But now, with this statement, he’s gently closing the book. Not out of grief, but out of reverence.
“I always said we’d end it together. And in a way, we did.
I just stuck around a little longer to say thank you.”
Don Reid will continue writing — his memoirs, poetry, and reflections have touched fans deeply in recent years. But when it comes to touring, he’s made it clear: the road ends here.
Still, in the hearts of millions, the songs haven’t stopped. They echo on long drives and Sunday mornings. They live in father-son duets and quiet prayers. And they always will.
Because while The Statler Brothers may have sung their final note on stage,
Don and Harold’s harmony is now part of something eternal.
The music may pause — but the love never fades.
