The star received a Grammy for his first ever recorded music.
Nation music legend Don Schlitz, who wrote The Gambler, has died suddenty (Picture: Getty)
Grammy profitable nation music legend Don Schlitz, extensively thought-about as one of many style’s all-time songwriting greats, died in a Nashville hospital following a sudden sickness on Thursday at on the age of 73. The star turned a legend together with his first ever recorded music, The Gambler, which he penned when he was solely 23. Immortalised by Kenny Rogers it went on to win the Grammy for greatest nation music in 1978. It additionally received him his first Grammy for Greatest Nation Track and likewise the CMA Track of the Yr in 1979. Poignantly when a reporter advised him the music had been nominated for the Nation Music Affiliation’s music of the 12 months, he quipped it will be the primary line of his obituary.
His outstanding profession spanned 5 many years and noticed him pen a wealth of hits together with When You Say Nothing At All, initially recorded by Keith Whitley and later Alison Krauss. Ronan Keating would later take his model of the observe to the highest of the UK charts.
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He additionally famously wrote On the Different Hand and Perpetually and Ever, Amen for Randy Travis, He Thinks He’ll Maintain Her for Mary Chapin Carpenter and reunited with Kenny Rogers writing the music The Biggest.
He was behind greater than 50 Prime 10 hits, together with 25 Quantity Ones recorded by artists resembling The Judds, The Nitty Gritty Grime Band and Tanya Tucker.
Don’s personal life virtually learn like a rustic music. He briefly attended Duke College earlier than transferring to Nashville aged simply 20 reportedly with simply $80 in his pocket. His gamble paid off and amongst his many accolades in 2022 he turned the one non-performing songwriter inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in its 100-year historical past.
Regardless of his extraordinary success, he maintained he simply cherished songwriting and infrequently cited the Mark Twain quote: “I’m arduous at work…merely for the love of it.”
Tributes flooded in for the enduring star because the information broke. Writing on Fb one fan shared: “Such a tremendous music author, that’s going to be missed within the music world.”
One other added: “RIP Don. Glad I received to see you at The Opry.” A 3rd chimed in: “Huge Loss, RIP Don.”
In the meantime fourth opined: “Large, sudden loss right here. Corridor of Famer, Opry member, author of ‘The Gambler’ and lots of Randy Travis songs. Don Schlitz has died…His chart-topping songs…are touchstones and inspirations that proceed to affect songwriters and singers many years after they had been written.”
He’s survived by his spouse Stacey, his youngsters Cory Dixon and Pete Schlitz, their spouses, his grandchildren Roman, Gia, Isla and Lilah, and his siblings Brad Schlitz and Kathy Hinkley.
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