It was Don Schlitz first hit as a songwriter.  Wow.  What a hit it was.

'The Gambler'.  Kenny Rogers brought the song to #1 in 1978, but it became more than a country music smash hit.  It became a series of TV movies, Kenny rogers signature song and a standard in Country Music History.

 

 

So who is this Don Schlitz guy anyway? Was he a one-hit songwriting wonder?

Uh, the answer wold be 'No'. He co-wrote the great classics 'Forever And Ever, Amen' (Randy Travis) and 'When You Say Nothing At All' (Keith Whitley AND Alison Kraus).  There's many others, too.  Those are just the biggest.

 

Let's give a listen (and a look) at Don singing that great classic 'When You Say Nothing At All'.

 

 

So who is Don Schlitz?

Well, the 63 year old was born in Durham, North Carolina and he's not only a fantastic country music songwriter.

Remember President George H.W. Bush's 'Points Of Light' program?  Well, Don Schlitz wrote the theme for that.  Oh, and he was the composer for the musical 'The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer'.

The next time you sing along with Kenny Rogers as he sings 'The Gambler', remember the real Gambler...Don Schlitz.

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