Overview
- Schlitz died Thursday at a Nashville hospital after a sudden illness at 73, according to a Grand Ole Opry statement.
- The Grand Ole Opry will dedicate its Saturday night show in his honor, reflecting his rare status as the institution’s only non-performing songwriter member, as the CMA and Country Music Hall of Fame leaders shared tributes.
- His first recorded song, The Gambler, became a 1978 No. 1 country hit and pop crossover for Kenny Rogers and earned Grammys for Best Country Song and Best Male Country Vocal Performance.
- Across five decades he wrote more than 50 Top 10 hits, including about 25 No. 1 singles, with cuts by Randy Travis, The Judds, Tanya Tucker, Keith Whitley, Alison Krauss and Mary Chapin Carpenter.
- He is survived by his wife, Stacey, his children Cory Dixon and Pete Schlitz, four grandchildren, his brother Brad and his sister Kathy Hinkley.