FAIRLEA W.Va. (WVDN) – Jimmy Fortune is a long tenured—and tenor— musician that was a member of the Statler Brothers. He sang with the group for 21 years, but when they called it quits, Fortune continued in the industry and has made it since then as a solo artist until the last few years.
From Nelson County, Virginia, Fortune is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and was inducted in 2008.
Now 69 years young, Fortune was founded by Lew DeWitt, the original tenor of the Statler Bros when DeWitt heard him singing at a local ski resort. DeWitt suffered from Crohn’s disease and had Fortune come audition for the band as a temporary replacement. When they accepted him, DeWitt would later hang it all up paving the way for Fortunes’ career.
Recently, Fortune has gotten back in the group mode and is a member of Brothers of the Heart. It began in 2020 when he collaborated with Bradley Walker, Ben Issacs, and Mike Rogers. They have released three albums since then: ‘Brotherly Love,’ ‘Listen to the Music’ and ‘Will the Circle be Unbroken’
About a year ago, a bronze statue of Fortune was unveiled in Nelson County to honor him and his long and extraordinary career.
Fortune will perform at the State Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 14.
