Jimmy Fortune

Jimmy Fortune is an American country and gospel singer known for his work as the tenor voice of The Statler Brothers and for his subsequent solo career rooted in faith-based music. Born Lester James Fortune Sr. on March 11, 1955, in Nelson County, Virginia, he joined The Statler Brothers in 1982 and sang with the legendary quartet for twenty-one years. During that time, Fortune wrote several number-one country hits for the group, including “Elizabeth,” “My Only Love,” and “Too Much on My Heart.”

Following The Statler Brothers’ retirement in 2002, Fortune launched a solo career. He released the gospel album I Believe in 2005 and has since issued a series of recordings that blend country traditions with Christian themes. His album Hits & Hymns (2015) reached number one on the Billboard Southern Gospel chart and number six on the Billboard Contemporary Christian chart. Fortune has been a featured artist with the Gaither Music Group since 2015, and in 2020 he formed the group Brothers of the Heart alongside Ben Isaacs, Mike Rogers, and Bradley Walker. The group’s Listen To The Music (2023) debuted at number one on the Billboard Christian Music chart. Other solo and group releases include Jimmy Fortune Sings the Classics (2017), God and Country (2019), Brotherly Love (2020), Will The Circle Be Unbroken (2023), and Songs of an American Dreamer (2025).

Fortune’s contributions to gospel and country music have earned him several honors. He received a 2020 Dove Award for Country/Gospel/Roots Album of the Year for God and Country, and a 2016 Dove Award for Bluegrass Recorded Song of the Year for “Life’s Railway to Heaven” with the Oak Ridge Boys. As a member of The Statler Brothers, he was inducted into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Country Music Association Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2018, he was inducted into the Virginia Musical Hall of Fame as a solo artist. A bronze statue of Fortune was unveiled in his home county of Nelson County, Virginia, in 2023.