Don Schlitz

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Born
Donald Alan Schlitz Jr.[1]

(1952-08-29)August 29, 1952
Durham, North Carolina, U.S.
DiedApril 16, 2026(2026-04-16) (aged 73)
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
GenresCountry
OccupationSinger-songwriter
Don Schlitz
Schlitz in 2025
Schlitz in 2025
Background information
Born
Donald Alan Schlitz Jr.[1]

(1952-08-29)August 29, 1952
Durham, North Carolina, U.S.
DiedApril 16, 2026(2026-04-16) (aged 73)
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
GenresCountry
OccupationSinger-songwriter
InstrumentsHarmonica, guitar, bass, vocals
Years active1978–2026

Donald Allen Schlitz Jr. (August 29, 1952 – April 16, 2026) was an American songwriter who wrote more than twenty number-one hits on the country music charts. He was best known for his song "The Gambler" (Kenny Rogers), and as the co-writer of "Forever and Ever, Amen" (Randy Travis), and "When You Say Nothing at All" (Keith Whitley and Alison Krauss & Union Station). For his songwriting efforts, Schlitz earned two Grammy Awards, and four ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year awards.

Schlitz was inducted in to four different halls of fame, namely the national Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame,[2] and the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. On August 30, 2022, he was inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry.[3][4]

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]

Death

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

Recordings

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

Year Title US Country
1978 "The Gambler" 65
1979 "You're the One Who Rewrote My Life Story" 91

Singles co-written by Don Schlitz

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.

Awards

References

External links

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