After 40 years leading the travel-filled life as a member of the wildly successful group the Statler Brothers, Don Reid is thoroughly enjoying his life’s latest chapter. And for once, his stories no longer have to rhyme.
For the past 40 years, Don Reid has been a master of the three-minute story format—better known as the song. As lead singer for the Statler Brothers, he’s had about 250 of them recorded over the years.
But as much as Don has enjoyed telling his stories (and making them rhyme) for four decades, the now-retired musician is loving the “supreme” luxury of a much-larger word count. In fact, he had always looked forward to the day he’d get to actually write a novel.
“I think the Statler Brothers fans who think of me as a singer are probably surprised at all the books, but those who know me as a songwriter see it as just another outlet,” the author says. “If I didn’t have that outlet, my head and heart would probably explode and spew untold masses of words all over the treetops. So I thank God for blank pages that I truly love to fill.”
Now with enough time to pursue his passion, Reid recently penned One Lane Bridge (David C. Cook), the story of a man named J.D. who shares something in common with the writer himself—namely, a love for unwinding by putting the top down and riding through the country with no particular destination in mind.
“It’s a beautiful and perfect way to clear all the cobwebs away and release the pent-up spirit,” Reid says. “I was on one of these late evening ventures a few years ago when I came upon a large, looming one-lane bridge out in the middle of nowhere on a desolate country road. I sat there in the middle of the bridge with no traffic coming in either direction and listened to the stream below me and marveled at the countryside around me. In those moments, the entire story came to me.”
With a theme of how God often works in mysterious ways, something that J.R. experiences on this leisurely road trip, Reid hopes readers will inevitably be reminded that God is not only in charge of our lives, but He’s the architect of all our hopes and dreams. And for Reid, that truth plays out vividly in his new everyday existence. Since his life has often been filled with extensive travel, he loves the empty suitcase life and stays close to home as much as possible.
“I absolutely love this new season where I can share my stories and spend more time with my family,” he shares. “There’s just something blissful about staying in my office at home and having the solitude it takes to get your head and your soul inside a book. And I hope everyone enjoys this journey with me when they read as well.”
—Christa A. Banister