The original tenor of the Statler Brothers, Lew DeWitt, heard Fortune sing at a local ski resort. When DeWitt was suffering from Crohn's disease and needed a temporary replacement, he asked Fortune to come to audition for the band in Nashville. Fortune started performing with the Statler Brothers in 1982, originally as a temporary replacement for DeWitt. He joined the group permanently later in the year when DeWitt decided to quit the group due to his illness.[2]
In 2002, after the Statlers disbanded, Fortune continued his career as a solo artist with an extensive performance schedule in the U.S. and Canada. He has continued as a songwriter and has recorded some projects in Nashville. In 2015 he released Hits & Hymns produced by Ben Isaacs.[2] The album reached the Top Ten on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart. The DVD release of a TV special, "Jimmy Fortune: Hits & Hymns," hosted by Bill Gaither, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Music Video chart.[1]
In 2020, Fortune collaborated with Bradley Walker, Ben Isaacs, and Mike Rogers, and formed a group later named Brothers of the Heart.[3][4] They have released three albums to date: Brotherly Love (2020),[5]Listen To The Music (2023),[6] and Will The Circle Be Unbroken (2023).[7]
On July 8, 2023, a bronze statue of Fortune was unveiled in Nelson County, Virginia. Fortune attended the ceremony, where a statue of fellow Nelson County native Earl Hamner Jr. was also dedicated.[8]
