Don Schlitz | |
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 Schlitz performing at the Country Music Hall of Fame, 2024 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Donald Alan Schlitz Jr.[1] |
| Born | (1952-08-29)August 29, 1952 (age 72) |
| Origin | Durham, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Harmonica, guitar, bass, vocals |
| Years active | 1978–present |
Donald Allen Schlitz Jr. (born August 29, 1952) is an American songwriter who has written more than twentynumber one hits on thecountry music charts. He is best known for his song "The Gambler" (Kenny Rogers), and as the co-writer of "Forever and Ever, Amen" (Randy Travis), and "When You Say Nothing at All" (Keith Whitley andAlison Krauss & Union Station). For his songwriting efforts, Schlitz has earned twoGrammy Awards, and fourASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year awards.
Schlitz has been inducted in to four different halls of fame: the nationalSongwriters Hall of Fame, theNashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, theCountry Music Hall of Fame,[2] and theNorth Carolina Music Hall of Fame. On August 30, 2022, he was inducted as a member of theGrand Ole Opry.[3][4]
Schlitz' first hit as a songwriter wasKenny Rogers's "The Gambler", which became acrossover country hit upon its release in 1978, later becoming one of Rogers'ssignature songs.[5] In 2018, the song was selected for preservation in theNational Recording Registry by theLibrary of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[6] Since then, Schlitz has written numerous country songs and penned several hits for other country artists. Among his biggest hits are two Number One songs which he co-wrote withPaul Overstreet, "Forever and Ever, Amen" byRandy Travis and "When You Say Nothing at All" byKeith Whitley. He has 24 number 1 hits on the Country Charts.[7]
United States PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush also commissioned Schlitz to write a theme song for his "Points of Light" program.[5] This song, "Point of Light", was a No. 3 country hit for Randy Travis in 1991.
Schlitz also worked with Kenny Rogers again in 1998. Rogers joked at the time that "every 20 years I will record a Don Schlitz song"[citation needed]. The result was abaseball-themed hit single called "The Greatest". Rogers also recorded several more of his songs in 2013 for his best-sellingYou Can't Make Old Friends album.
He composed the music for the musicalThe Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
In addition to writing hit singles for other artists, Schlitz has recorded three albums of his own. The first, titledDreamers' Matinee, was released in 1980 onCapitol Records. A live compilation, titledLive at the Bluebird Café, was released in 2001. In 2010, Schlitz released another studio album of new material,Allergic to Crazy.
| Year | Title | US Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | "The Gambler" | 65 |
| 1979 | "You're the One Who Rewrote My Life Story" | 91 |
 | This list of songs or music-related items isincomplete; you can help byadding missing items.(October 2021) |
Singles written or co-written by Don Schlitz include the following. Asterisks denote songs which reached Number One on the U.S.Billboard country charts.
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