Country-Gospel singer Jimmy Fortune to perform at The Harvester

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – The Statler Brothers are native sons of Staunton, Virginia.

They were already establishing their spot in country music history with hits like “Flowers on the Wall,” when singer Jimmy Fortune joined the group in the early ’80s.

He was a replacement for Lew DeWitt, the original tenor of the group, who left due to health issues.

“You know, I never was one of those type that said ‘Hey, I’m going to take somebody’s place’. I never ever wanted something like that to happen, especially for the reasons that it happened because his health just couldn’t allow him to be on the road as much,” says Fortune.

During his over 20 years with The Statler Brothers, Fortune rode a wave of success with chart topping hits like “Too Much on My Heart” and “Elizabeth,” which Fortune had written partially in honor of Elizabeth Taylor.

But there was another Elizabeth, one that he met during a concert in Oklahoma.

“She grabbed my hand and held onto my hand and wouldn’t let go, and I said I got to get back, I got to sing and she said “I’m Elizabeth.” I was like, I had this melody in my head anyway and I thought man, it was like a signal from God to say he, put that name in this song,” says Fortune.

His faith has also played a huge role in his career, and Fortune has released several gospel albums.

“You really realize that it’s your purpose, and you feel like God put you in those positions to speak to people’s hearts. That’s why it’s such a privilege to be able to do what we do,” says Fortune.

Fortune’s no stranger to The Harvester Performance Center, and will take the stage again there in March.

“I love it. And every time we’ve been there, it’s just been packed and everybody’s been so good. I love the little town, and we go out and kind of knock around a little bit. Anytime I’m in Virginia, man, I love it, because I’m an old Virginia boy anyway,” says Fortune.

As for what the Harvester audience should expect, Fortune says he’ll perform his country and gospel hits, as well as pay tribute to veterans.

For him, it’s about connecting with his fans.

“We’re all in this together, and we need to love on one another. Man, in this world, that’s out there today to be thankful for what we have and just love each other,” says Fortune.

Jimmy Fortune will play at The Harvester Performance Center on Friday, March 14 at 8 pm. If you’d like to buy tickets to the show, click here.

‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’

‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.wdbj7.com ’