A SONG OF FAITH AND FOREVER: The Statler Brothers’ Stirring Rendition of “How Great Thou Art” Still Brings Audiences to Tears Decades Later
When The Statler Brothers sang “How Great Thou Art,” something sacred happened — something far beyond music, charts, or applause. It wasn’t just harmony; it was worship, pure and unguarded. Standing together in their familiar formation — Don Reid, Harold Reid, Phil Balsley, and Jimmy Fortune — the four men transformed a timeless hymn into a living prayer that reached from the stage to the heavens.
The moment Don’s rich baritone opened the song, it carried the quiet humility of small-town churches and Sunday mornings back home. Harold’s unmistakable bass — deep, steady, and grounding — felt like the earth itself joining in. Then came Jimmy’s tenor, lifting the melody skyward, where it seemed to meet something divine. Their voices didn’t compete; they completed each other. And in that perfect balance of tone and faith, listeners found peace, grace, and a reminder that belief could still sound this beautiful.
For the Statlers, this song wasn’t a performance. It was testimony. Whether they sang it on television, on stage, or during one of their legendary farewell tours, “How Great Thou Art” became the moment where audience and artist met in reverence. You could see it in the faces of the crowd — eyes closed, hands clasped, some wiping tears they didn’t bother to hide. When the chorus rose — “Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee” — it wasn’t just a lyric; it was a collective prayer echoing through every heart in the room.
Even decades later, that recording still carries the same power. Younger generations discovering it online speak of being moved to tears by voices from another era — voices that seemed to understand something eternal. In an age of digital perfection, the Statlers’ sound feels raw, human, and holy. Their harmonies weren’t polished to impress; they were shaped by faith, family, and friendship, the same values that guided their fifty-year journey from church basements to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Perhaps that’s why “How Great Thou Art” endures. It’s more than a hymn — it’s a bridge between heaven and home, between the believers who came before and the ones still searching. Don once said in an interview, “When we sang that song, we weren’t just performing. We were praying together.” You can hear that truth in every breath, every chord, every trembling note of gratitude.
Today, long after the final curtain fell on The Statler Brothers’ touring years, their version of “How Great Thou Art” continues to echo through eternity — a hymn not just of praise, but of enduring faith. And as the last line fades into silence, it leaves behind the same feeling it always has: that somewhere, beyond time and sound, those four voices are still singing together — reminding the world how great He truly is.