[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 69 (Monday, April 20, 2026)]
[House]
[Page H2964]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING DON SCHLITZ

  (Mr. Cohen of Tennessee was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker:

     You got to know when to hold 'em
     Know when to fold 'em
     Know when to walk away
     And know when to run
     You never count your money
     When you're sitting at the table
     There'll be time enough for counting
     When the dealing's done.

  If you recognize those words, which most Americans would, they are 
the words of ``The Gambler.'' ``The Gambler'' was performed 
successfully by Kenny Rogers, but it was written by Don Schlitz.
  Don Schlitz was 23 years old when he wrote that song. He was one of 
the greatest songwriters of our time. He passed away last Thursday 
night in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 73.
  He was a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the 
Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and 
he won two Grammy Awards. He had three Country Music Association Awards 
for Song of the Year and was ASCAP's Country Songwriter of the Year for 
4 consecutive years.
  What a career he had.
  Among his 25 hits that hit number one were, of course, ``The 
Gambler'' by Kenny Rogers; ``Forever and Ever, Amen'' by Randy Travis; 
``When You Say Nothing At All'' performed by both Keith Whitley, who 
made a hit out of it, and so did Alison Krauss; ``Forty Hour Week'' by 
Alabama; ``One Promise Too Late'' by Reba McEntire; ``He Thinks He'll 
Keep Her'' by Mary Chapin Carpenter, who cowrote the song with Don; 
``Strong Enough to Bend'' by Tanya Tucker; and ``On the Other Hand'' by 
Randy Travis.
  He had his first major hit with ``The Gambler'' in 1978. He was 23, 
and he had come to Nashville after going to Duke for a while. He wanted 
to be a songwriter, and he came to Nashville with $80 in his pocket. 
That was the first song he wrote that ever got recorded. Bobby Bare did 
it first. It didn't sell enough or well, and then finally Kenny Rogers 
got it, and it has become one of the greatest songs we know in history.
  That song would win him both the Song of the Year at the Country 
Music Awards and the Country Song of the Year at the Grammy Awards.
  He was also a friend of mine. He was a wonderful human being with a 
big heart. He used to call me his Congressman even though he lived in 
Nashville, and I was in Memphis.
  I was honored by that appellation, and I will take it for the rest of 
my life as a great honor.
  He served at the Room in the Inn helping people who were homeless. He 
just had a big heart.
  He leaves his wife, Stacey, who is a sweetheart; his daughter, Cory; 
his son, Pete, and a brother and a sister. He leaves behind a great 
legacy and a great history of country music and songs that move the 
spirit.
  May God bless my friend Don Schlitz.

                          ____________________