Statler Brothers stir up a lot of high school memories

Harold Reid and Phil Balsley were members of the graduating class of 1957 at Staunton (Va.) High School. 

They went on to form the nucleus of The Statler Brothers and became stars in country and gospel music. 

In 1972, Harold teamed with his younger brother, Don Reid, to write a song about the 15-year reunion of “The Class of ’57.” The tune won the 1972 “Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal by a Duo or Group.”

Harold Reid is in the foreground, wearing a sports jacket. Phil Balsley is wearing a sweater. Don Reid has a beard, and Jimmy Fortune has his hands on Harold's shoulders.

After Harold Reid died in 2020, many within the entertainment industry and music lovers everywhere replayed that record to revisit the memories of their own classmates. Some of those achieved success and happiness. Others were not so fortunate. Listen in: 

Tommy’s selling used cars, Nancy’s fixing hair. 

Harvey runs a grocery store and Margaret doesn’t care. 

Paul sells life insurance and part time real estate. 

Helen is a hostess, Frank works at the mill. 

Janet teaches grade school and prob’ly always will. 

Bob works for the city, Jack’s in lab research and 

Peggy plays organ at the Presbyterian Church. 

Where Mavis finally wound up is anybody’s bet.

 The Class of ’57 had its dreams. 

Oh, we all thought we’d change the world with our great works and deeds. 

The Class of ’57 had its dreams, 

But livin’ life day to day is never like it seems. 

Things get complicated when you get past 18. 

On a social media alumni site, Nancy from the song wrote in to say that her cosmetology business was a 40-year success story. “Thank you, very much.” 

James High said he located Mavis working at “The Old Home Filler Up and Keep On Truckin’ Café.” He was joshing. (A 1974 song by C.W. McCall featured a restaurant in Pisgah, Iowa, where a woman named Mavis waited tables…and more.) 

James Allen Wyatt Jr. addressed the Statler Brothers’ claim about things getting “complicated when you get past 18.” He said: “Wait until you get past 81, and ‘complicated’ is the very least of an adequate description of one’s current life ‘experiences!’” 

One of biggest fans of The Statler Brothers was the late Kurt Vonnegut Jr., the great American novelist. He considered the Reid brothers as the latest and greatest of “America’s poets.”

Kurt Vonnegut

“I would actually like to have ‘The Class of ’57’ become our national anthem for a little while,” he said. “I can see Americans singing it in a grandstand at the Olympics somewhere, while one of our athletes wins a medal – for the decathlon, say. 

“I can see tears streaming down the singers’ cheeks when they get to these lines: ‘Where Mavis finally wound up is anybody’s bet.’ 

“The Class of ’57’ could be an anthem for my generation, at least,” Vonnegut said. “The Class of ’57 had its dreams.”