ALBUM BECOMES FORTUNE’S FIRST TOP 10 BILLBOARD COUNTRY ALBUM
‘Hits & Hymns’ Available at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store locations
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (November 2, 2015) –
After joining the legendary Statler Brothers in 1982, winning countless
awards, and being inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and
Gospel Music Hall of Fame, Jimmy Fortune is no stranger to success, as
he continues to reach new heights. His latest album Hits & Hymns, is off to a roaring start, as it debuts on Billboard’s Country Albums chart at No. 10, becoming his first top ten record on the chart as a solo artist. The feel-good album also debuts at #1 on the Southern Gospel Album chart and No. 6 on the Billboard Contemporary Christian Album chart.
Hits & Hymns is available at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® locations, iTunes, Amazon, and music retailers nationwide.
Accompanying the album is the Bill Gaither hosted DVD special, Jimmy
Fortune: Hits & Hymns, which also debuts with strong numbers. The
collection debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard Music Video chart,
along with No. 1 on the Christian Music Video chart, marking Fortune’s
first #1 solo project. Fortune traveled to Indiana to tape the hit DVD,
with a featured appearance by Bill Gaither. In addition to performing
every song on the album, the “Elizabeth” singer opens up about some of
his biggest trials and triumphs. Fans got to preview the collection
ahead of time, as it made its debut last month on TBN, Heartland, The
Miracle Channel, DISH TV, and more.
The CD project, which features collaborations with Vince Gill, The
Oak Ridge Boys, The Isaacs, Ricky Skaggs, Dailey & Vincent and more,
has generated a great amount of buzz. Billboard says that “Jimmy Fortune
earned his reputation as one of the purest tenor singers in the
format,” while the Cleveland Plain Dealer says, “It’s a great album, and
I suspect it will add even more Dove Awards for gospel music to what
has to be a very large trophy case.”
Hits & Hymns Track Listing:
1. Elizabeth (with Ben Isaacs & Sonya Isaacs)
2. Life’s Railway To Heaven (with The Oak Ridge Boys)
3. Danny Boy (with Ben Isaacs, Gene McDonald, Reggie Smith)
4. More Than A Name On A Wall (with Becky Isaacs, Sonya Isaacs, Ben Isaacs)
5. Far Side Banks Of Jordan (with Ben Isaacs & Charlotte Ritchie)
6. Precious Memories (with Ben Isaacs & Charlotte Ritchie)
7. Just A Closer Walk With Thee (with The Gaither Vocal Band)
8. Rock Of Ages (with Mike Rogers & Sydni Perry)
9. I Believe (with The Whites)
10. How Great Thou Art (with Mike Rogers & Sydni Perry)
11. In The Sweet By and By (with Dailey & Vincent)
12. Too Much On My Heart (with Ricky Skaggs & Sharon White Skaggs)
13. Amazing Grace (with Vince Gill & Sonya Isaacs)
14. If I Was God (with Mike Rogers & Sydni Perry)
15. Victory In Jesus (with Ben Isaacs, Gene McDonald, Reggie Smith)
Jimmy Fortune on Tour:
Nov 12 – The Woodlands, TX – Dosey Doe
Nov 14 – New Boston, TX – Music Country USA
Nov 16-17 – Branson, MO – The Starlite Theatre
Nov 21 – Shenandoah Caverns, VA – Shenandoah Jamboree at the Yellow Barn
Nov 28 – Myrtle Beach, SC – South Carolina State Bluegrass Festival
Dec 11 – Amherst, VA – Clifford Baptist Church
Dec 14 – Weyers Cave, VA – Weyers Cave Community Center
About Jimmy Fortune:
Jimmy Fortune toured, sang and performed with the legendary Statler
Brothers for 21 years. He joined them first as a temporary replacement
for Lew DeWitt, after DeWitt heard him singing at a ski resort and
recommended him. Following an audition in Nashville, Jimmy was contacted
by the Statler Brothers and performed his first show with them on
January 28, 1982, in Savannah, Georgia. Due to the debilitating effects
of Crohn’s Disease, Lew was unable to return to the stage with the
Statlers, and Jimmy was hired as a permanent replacement in August of
1982.
Fortune quickly lived up to his name. He wrote the group’s second No.
1 hit, “Elizabeth,” on their 1983 album Today, and followed that with
two more No. 1 hits–“My Only Love” (from 1984’s Atlanta Blue) and “Too
Much On My Heart” (from 1985’s Pardners in Rhyme). Fortune also wrote
the top-10 hit “Forever” from 1986’s Four for the Show and co-wrote the
top-10 hit “More Than a Name on the Wall” from 1988’s The Greatest Hits.
Jimmy and The Statler Brothers were inducted into the GMA (Gospel
Music Association) Hall of Fame on October 29, 2007, and inducted into
the CMA (Country Music Association) Hall of Fame in June 29, 2008.
After the Statler Brothers retired on October 26, 2002, Jimmy seized
the opportunity to launch a solo career to share new music with his
fans. His first solo CD, When One Door Closes, was released August 2003
on Audium/Koch. He released a gospel album, I Believe, in June 2005, a
Christmas CD, Feels Like Christmas, in 2006, a live concert DVD in 2007
and another country CD, “Windows” in 2009. Jimmy is currently living in
Nashville, writing for Melrose Entertainment, and touring.
Photo by: Jarrett Gaza