Music <\/p>\n
Renowned country songwriter Don Schlitz, best known for penning the iconic \u201cThe Gambler,\u201d has passed away at the age of 73.<\/p>\n
Originally from North Carolina, Schlitz died on Thursday in a Nashville hospital due to a sudden illness, as reported by the Grand Ole Opry. The exact cause of death remains undisclosed.<\/p>\n
Country Music Association CEO, Sarah Trahern, expressed her sorrow in a statement released on Friday: \u201cWe are devastated by the loss of Don Schlitz. His devotion to his family, his North Carolina roots, and his passion for songs and fellow songwriters was unmatched.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat love was evident in every space he occupied, every stage he graced, and in every word he crafted,\u201d she continued.<\/p>\n
Trahern fondly recalled a recent evening they spent together: \u201cAs we were leaving after dinner, Don picked up a guitar and began to play. That\u2019s the image I will cherish\u2014Don with his guitar, smiling. His musical legacy will endure, inspiring countless artists and writers. He will be profoundly missed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Echoing that sentiment, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum CEO Kyle Young said, \u201cDon Schlitz\u2019s place as a songwriting great would be secure had he never written \u2018The Gambler\u2019 or had he only written \u2018The Gambler.\u2019 Nashville was richer for his presence and is lesser for his absence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Schlitz helped shape the sound and soul of artists like Kenny Rogers, Randy Travis and The Judds.<\/p>\n
His lyrics fueled hits including \u201cOn the Other Hand,\u201d \u201cForever and Ever, Amen\u201d and \u201cWhen You Say Nothing at All,\u201d recorded by Keith Whitley and later by Alison Krauss.<\/p>\n
Schlitz was born in 1952 and raised in Durham before packing his bags and heading to Nashville.<\/p>\n
The country star was later inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will never be able to believe that I deserve this, unless I receive it as a representative of my family, my mentors, my collaborators, my promoters and my friends,\u201d he said in 2017. \u201cThat\u2019s the only way I can deal with this.\u201d<\/p>\n
His breakout moment came with \u201cThe Gambler,\u201d recorded by Rogers in 1978, a song that didn\u2019t just define an era.<\/p>\n
It expanded\u00a0country music\u2019s\u00a0reach into the mainstream.<\/p>\n
Rogers later praised Schlitz, saying, \u201cDon doesn\u2019t just write songs. He writes careers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Schlitz went on to pen tracks for a wide range of artists, from Tanya Tucker to Mary Chapin Carpenter, and even reunited Rogers with\u00a0Dolly Parton\u00a0for \u201cYou Can\u2019t Make Old Friends.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite his behind-the-scenes role, Schlitz earned a front-row place in country music history.<\/p>\n
He was named ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year four straight years from 1988 to 1991 and made history at the Opry as its only non-performing songwriter inductee in a century.<\/p>\n
He debuted there in 2017 and joined as a member in 2022, a rare honor that underscored his influence far beyond the spotlight.<\/p>\n
The Opry\u2019s Saturday night show served as a tribute to his legacy.<\/p>\n
Schlitz is survived by his wife, Stacey, his children and grandchildren \u2014 daughter Cory Dixon and her husband Matt Dixon; son Pete Schlitz and his wife Christian Webb Schlitz; grandchildren Roman, Gia, Isla and Lilah; brother Brad Schlitz; and sister Kathy Hinkley.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n