One night in Texas in 1977, Don Reid and Harold Reid wrote a song about something they knew better than almost anyone: how songs are born, where their stories come from, and why certain memories find their way into music.
Neither brother could have known that nearly half a century later, the song would become the title of a musical performed in their hometown of Staunton, Virginia. Even more remarkably, the production would take place on the very stage where The Statler Brothers had performed as teenagers.
By then, Harold Reid would no longer be there to see it. But the story behind that homecoming began long before anyone imagined a theatrical production.
A Song Written by Two Brothers in 1977
By 1977, The Statler Brothers were already established country music stars. Their distinctive four-part harmonies, humor, gospel influences, and songs about ordinary American life had earned them a devoted following.
Don Reid and Harold Reid were more than musical partners. They were brothers who had grown up together in Staunton, sharing the experiences that would eventually influence much of their songwriting.
During a night in Texas, they wrote a song called “Some I Wrote.” It was their way of explaining the many reasons people write songs and the stories that inspire them.
The recording appeared on the group’s 1977 Mercury album Short Stories, alongside such recordings as “Silver Medals and Sweet Memories” and “Grandma.”
“Some I Wrote” reached No. 17 on Billboard’s country singles chart. It was not the biggest hit of The Statler Brothers’ career, but its meaning would take on an unexpected significance decades later.
The Book Harold Reid Helped Preserve
After The Statler Brothers retired from touring in 2002, Don Reid continued writing, turning decades of memories into books.
One of the most personal was The Music of The Statler Brothers: An Anthology, a detailed account of the group’s recordings and the stories behind them.
Don Reid wanted the history to be accurate, especially because so much of it belonged to both brothers.
As Don completed each chapter, he sent it to Harold for review. Harold read and approved the material, helping ensure that the memories reflected their shared experience.
It became a particularly meaningful collaboration.
Harold Reid died on April 24, 2020, at age 80. The book was published later that year, preserving stories Harold had personally reviewed before his passing.
Six years later, those pages would provide the foundation for something neither brother had originally written as a stage production.
October 15, 2026: A Remarkable Homecoming
On October 15, 2026, Some I Wrote: A Musical Story of the Songs of The Statler Brothers premiered at ShenanArts in Staunton, Virginia.
Adapted from Don Reid’s book by Jeff McDaniel and Cori McDaniel, the production explored the stories behind the group’s famous recordings and lesser-known songs.
All eight scheduled performances sold out. Fans traveled from 24 states to attend the production.
But the most touching detail concerned the building itself.
In an October 2026 interview with Visit Staunton, Don Reid remembered that the ShenanArts stage was the same place where The Statler Brothers had once performed in a local Lions Club talent show during their teenage years.
Long before the Grammy Awards, the television appearances, and the nationwide tours, they had stood on that stage as young singers from Virginia.
Now, decades later, audiences were returning to the same room to celebrate their music.
The Brother Who Was Missing
The homecoming carried another layer of meaning because Harold Reid was no longer there to share it.
In the same interview, Don spoke warmly about younger family members continuing the musical tradition, including Wilson Fairchild and Jack and Davis Reid. He also acknowledged how much he wished Harold could have witnessed their accomplishments.
That sentiment makes the story of “Some I Wrote” especially moving.
A song written by two brothers in Texas in 1977 had become the name of a theatrical tribute in 2026. The production was based on a book that one brother wrote and the other carefully reviewed during his lifetime.
And it all returned to the place where their musical journey had begun.
For longtime fans of The Statler Brothers, the remarkable part is not simply that a song survived for nearly 50 years. It is that the memories behind the music found their way home, even after one of the brothers was gone.