Don Schlitz

Schlitz's first hit as a songwriter was Kenny Rogers's "The Gambler", which became a crossover country hit upon its release in 1978, later becoming one of Rogers's signature songs.^[5] In 2018, the song was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".^[6] Thereafter, Schlitz wrote numerous country songs and penned several hits for other country artists. Among his biggest hits are two Number One songs, which he co-wrote with Paul Overstreet, "Forever and Ever, Amen" by Randy Travis, and "When You Say Nothing at All" by Keith Whitley. He had 24 number-one hits on the Country Charts.^[7]

United States President George 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 a baseball-themed hit single called "The Greatest". Rogers also recorded several more of his songs in 2013 for his best-selling You Can't Make Old Friends album.

He composed the music for the 2001 musical The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.^[8][9]

On April 16, 2026, Schlitz died at a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, following a sudden illness. He was 73.^[10][11]

In addition to writing for other artists, Schlitz recorded three albums. The first, titled Dreamers' Matinee, was released in 1980 on Capitol Records.^[12] A live compilation, titled Live at the Bluebird Café, was released in 2001.^[13] In 2010, Schlitz released another studio album of new material, Allergic to Crazy.^[14]

Singles written or co-written by Don Schlitz include the following. Asterisks denote songs that reached Number One on the U.S. Billboard country charts.

• "40 Hour Week (For a Livin')" by Alabama*
• "Almost Goodbye" by Mark Chesnutt*
• "And So It Goes" by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with John Denver
• "Ball and Chain" by Paul Overstreet
• "The Battle Hymn of Love" by Kathy Mattea and Tim O'Brien
• "The Center of My Universe" by The Bellamy Brothers
• "Cheatin'" by Sara Evans
• "Crazy from the Heart" by The Bellamy Brothers
• "Crying Shame" by Michael Johnson
• "Daddy's Come Around" by Paul Overstreet*
• "Deeper Than the Holler" by Randy Travis*
• "Didn't We Shine" by Waylon Jennings
• "Forever and Ever, Amen" by Randy Travis*
• "The Gambler" by Kenny Rogers*
• "Give Me Wings" by Michael Johnson*
• "Good as I Was to You" by Lorrie Morgan
• "The Greatest" by Kenny Rogers
• "Guardian Angels" by The Judds
• "He Thinks He'll Keep Her" by Mary Chapin Carpenter
• "Heart of the Matter" by The Kendalls (1980), Loretta Lynn (1983)
• "Heroes and Friends" by Randy Travis
• "Houston Solution" by Ronnie Milsap
• "I Could Be Persuaded" by The Bellamy Brothers
• "I Feel Lucky" by Mary Chapin Carpenter
• "I Know Where I'm Going" by The Judds*
• "I Take My Chances" by Mary Chapin Carpenter
• "I Think About It All the Time" by John Berry
• "I Think About You" by Collin Raye
• "I Watched It All (On My Radio)" by Lionel Cartwright
• "I Won't Take Less Than Your Love" by Tanya Tucker with Paul Overstreet and Paul Davis*
• "If I Could Bottle This Up" by Paul Overstreet
• "If I Never See Midnight Again" by Sweethearts of the Rodeo
• "If You Can Do Anything Else" by George Strait
• "I'll Be Lovin' You" by Lee Greenwood
• "In Terms of Love" by SHeDAISY
• "Learning to Live Again" by Garth Brooks
• "Leaving's Not an Option" by Chris Cummings
• "Like Father Like Son" by Lionel Cartwright
• "Long Shot" by Baillie & the Boys
• "Looking for a Sign" by Chris Cummings
• "Loved Too Much" by Ty Herndon
• "Midnight Girl/Sunset Town" by Sweethearts of the Rodeo
• "My Arms Stay Open All Night" by Tanya Tucker
• "Not Too Much to Ask" by Mary Chapin Carpenter with Joe Diffie
• "Oh Heart" by Baillie & the Boys
• "Old School" by John Conlee
• "On the Other Hand" by Randy Travis*
• "One Promise Too Late" by Reba McEntire*
• "Point of Light" by Randy Travis
• "Richest Man on Earth" by Paul Overstreet
• "The River and the Highway" by Pam Tillis
• "Ready and Waiting" by Deborah Allen
• "Rockin' with the Rhythm of the Rain" by The Judds*
• "Satisfy You" by Sweethearts of the Rodeo
• "Say What's in Your Heart" by Restless Heart
• "Say Yes" by Dusty Drake
• "She Deserves You" by Baillie & the Boys
• "Sowin' Love" by Paul Overstreet
• "Stand a Little Rain" by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
• "Strong Enough to Bend" by Tanya Tucker*
• "True Heart" by The Oak Ridge Boys
• "Turn It Loose" by The Judds*
• "When You Say Nothing at All" by Keith Whitley* (later covered by Alison Krauss & Union Station and Ronan Keating. Keating's version was in the film Notting Hill, and made it to number one on the British charts.)
• "Why They Call It Falling" by Lee Ann Womack
• "You Again" by The Forester Sisters*
• "You'll Never Be Sorry" by The Bellamy Brothers

• 1979: Country Music Association – Song of the Year ("The Gambler")
• 1979: Grammy – Country Song of the Year ("The Gambler")
• 1986: Country Music Association – Song of the Year ("On the Other Hand")
• 1986: Academy of Country Music – Song of the Year ("On the Other Hand")
• 1986: Nashville Songwriters Association International – Song of the Year ("On the Other Hand")
• 1987: Country Music Association – Song of the Year ("Forever and Ever, Amen")
• 1988: Grammy – Country Song of the Year ("Forever and Ever, Amen")
• 1988–1991: ASCAP – Country Songwriter of the Year
• 2010: Inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame.^[15]
• 2017: Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame