The Statler Brothers were a gospel country quartet that rose to the prominence in the late 60’s and early 70’s, enjoying an extensive career that lasted until their final goodbye tour in 2002. Infusing their gospel music roots with traditional country instrumentation and barbershop quartet inspired vocal arrangements, the group was known for being one of the first artists to take the typical rural settings of country songs and transfer that into a more suburban setting. Along the way they earned numerous accolades, remaining one of the most awarded acts in the country music and earning the nomiker “America’s Poets” from legendary author Kurt Vonnegut.
An interesting side note on the recording of their debut album Flowers on the Wall— Johnny Cash’s band The Tennessee Three played on the album, cutting their parts in between takes for an upcoming Johnny Cash record (commonly believed to be Cash’s Everybody Loves a Nut, but the history on that is a bit hazy). A nice piece of history for a legendary record in the early history of country music.
Standout Songs: “Flowers on the Wall”, “King of the Road”, “I Still Miss Someone”
