THE STATLER BROS. Random Memories

The Statler Brothers are in the grand tradition of other legendary country music families, such as the Carters and the Louvin Brothers. Beginning as a backup group for Johnny Cash, they've seen their share of downturns on the road to glory, a fact made plainly obvious in this rough-and-tumble biography. Their story is cut with a hickory-smoke flavor and drawled to perfection by the authors, founding members of the band. Their cornpone tendencies are delightfully played up as they trade off anecdotes, including the fact that, long before 9/11 and the rise of contemporary country music, the Statler Brothers were waving flags and saluting the common man. J.S.H. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2008]