Lew DeWitt
| Lew DeWitt | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Lewis Calvin DeWitt |
| Born |
March 12, 1938 Roanoke, Virginia, United States |
| Died | August 15, 1990 (aged 52) Waynesboro, Virginia, United States |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1954–1982 (with The Statler Brothers) 1985-1990 (as a solo artist) |
| Labels | Columbia, Mercury, Compleat |
| Associated acts | The Statler Brothers |
Lewis Calvin "Lew" DeWitt (March 12, 1938 - August 15, 1990) was an American country music singer and composer. He was also a well known country music guitarist and tenor singer and was the original tenor and founding member of The Statler Brothers.
For most of his career, DeWitt sang tenor for The Statler Brothers. Songs he wrote for the group include "Flowers on the Wall" which was a greatest hit during the late 60s and early 70s that made The Statler Brothers popular, "Things," "Since Then," "Thank You World," "The Strand," "The Movies," and "Chet Atkins' Hand." In November 1981, DeWitt took a leave of absence from the band due to surgery and treatment for Crohn's disease, from which he had suffered since adolescence. At his suggestion, Jimmy Fortune was tapped as his temporary replacement. He would rejoin the group in June of the following year (with Fortune having been offered a permanent position in the group's backing band), but this arrangement lasted less than a week. He officially retired that same month with Fortune becoming his permanent replacement.
Three years later, DeWitt, feeling that his health had taken a turn for the better through continuing treatment, mounted a solo career. During this time he would return to touring and would release two albums: Here to Stay (1984) and On My Own (1985). He also charted a solo single on the country charts: the No. 77 "You'll Never Know" in 1985. A third and final album for the Complete label remains unreleased, although two singles were pulled from it just prior to the label going into bankruptcy.
He would remain active as a performer until late 1989, when his health went into a downward spiral which culminated in his death on August 15, 1990. The cause of death was heart and kidney disease, stemming from complications of Crohn's disease.
In 1968, while the Statler Brothers were under contract to Columbia Records, DeWitt recorded a solo single composed of the songs "She Went A Little Bit Farther" and "Brown Eyes" (the latter was penned by DeWitt).
In 2011, amateur video of DeWitt performing at the Burley Tobacco Festival in the late 1980s surfaced and was posted onto YouTube. The set is notable for the inclusion of what would become his final single, "Moonset."
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