Legendary songwriter Don Schlitz has passed away. A prolific songwriter of hits like “The Gambler”, “Forever And Ever, Amen”, and “When You Say Nothing At All”, Schlitz also made history in country music.
On August 13, 2022, Schlitz was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry by Vince Gill. Schlitz’s induction marked the first time since the Grand Ole Opry began that a songwriter who was not also an artist was inducted.
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Known for his songs but not his voice, Schlitz joked about his anonymity during his induction, saying, “I know what you’re thinking, ‘I have no idea who this is.’”
Schlitz made his Opry debut in 2017, a moment that he later admitted terrified him.
“I remember whispering to Vince onstage, ‘Don’t leave me here alone,’” Schlitz recalls to American Songwriter. “I went out and played ‘The Gambler’ and everyone applauded. As we were driving home, we were quiet like old friends can be. I asked him, ‘Does it ever get old?’ He told me, ‘Nope,’ and that has turned out to be true.”
What Don Schlitz Says About His Legacy in Songwriting
Schlitz had every reason to be proud of his successes, which far exceeded those of most of his peers. Instead, the North Carolina native remained humble about his many, many songwriting credits.
“I’m not gonna think about my legacy yet,” Schlitz says. “But I get to share Kenny Rogers’ legacy. Keith Whitley’s legacy. Randy Travis’ legacy. These are songs that they know from their heroes.”
Schlitz’s success as a songwriter became a blessing and a curse, along with the singular biggest driving force in his life.
“I woke up and looked at my wife and said, ‘I want to stop. I want to stop thinking about it all the time,’” Schlitz remembers. “That was my process. I listened to people talk, I read. I wanted to write songs that I wanted to hear. Most importantly, I wanted to find an honest way of saying something that came from my heart.
“You never know what song is going to be the song,” he continues. “You’re going to tell me that a song that is too long about a guy talking to an older guy who is either drunk or doesn’t have any cigarettes of his own is something that needs to be written? Yeah, I wanted to hear that story.”
In addition to being a member of the Grand Ole Opry, he was also a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. In 2017, he became only the sixth songwriter to become a Country Music Hall of Fame member.
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