Lew DeWitt

Who was Lew DeWitt?

Lewis Calvin "Lew" DeWitt was an American country music singer and composer. He was also a well known country music and gospel tenor singer and was a founder and original tenor 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." He retired from the group in 1982 due to health problems stemming from Crohn's disease, from which he had suffered since adolescence. DeWitt was replaced by Jimmy Fortune as the group's tenor in 1982.

In 1968, Columbia Records released two solo recordings by DeWitt: "She Went A Little Bit Farther" and "Brown Eyes". After leaving the Statler Brothers, DeWitt made a brief comeback as a solo artist, touring and releasing two albums: On My Own and Here to Stay. He also charted a solo single on the country charts: the No. 77 "You'll Never Know" in 1985.

DeWitt died on August 15, 1990, of heart and kidney disease, stemming from complications of Crohn's disease.