In a moment that left fans deeply moved, Wil Reid, son of the late Harold Reid of The Statler Brothers, opened up about the powerful emotional connection he still shares with his father — especially when performing the very songs that once echoed through concert halls across America.
During a recent live appearance, Wil paused before singing one of The Statler Brothers’ most beloved ballads and, with tears welling in his eyes, said:
“Every time I sing that song, I feel like I’m standing on stage with my late father, Harold Reid, again.”
The audience fell completely silent — not out of shock, but out of reverence. Because in that one sentence, Wil had captured what so many children of legends struggle to express: that some bonds don’t break with time. Some voices never truly fade.
Harold Reid, known for his booming bass and iconic presence on stage, passed away in 2020 — but his legacy lives on not only through his music, but through his son Wil, who now performs as part of Wilson Fairchild, a duo formed with cousin Langdon Reid (son of Statler Brothers’ Don Reid).
“I don’t just sing those songs,” Wil said in a follow-up interview. “I feel them. I hear Dad’s voice in every harmony, see him in the corner of my eye like he’s still there… nodding along, grinning, giving me that silent ‘you got this’ look he always had.”
Fans who grew up on The Statler Brothers’ music — from “Flowers on the Wall” to “Bed of Roses” — are now seeing the legacy passed on in a new, yet deeply familiar, form. And many say that hearing Wil sing is like hearing a part of Harold live again.
“It’s not just nostalgia,” one fan shared. “It’s like the music has found new breath — but with the same heart.”
Wil says that keeping his father’s spirit alive on stage is not a performance — it’s a promise.
“Before he passed, we talked a lot,” Wil revealed. “He said, ‘Don’t stop singing. As long as you’re out there, I’ll still be out there too.’ And I believe that.”
As Wilson Fairchild continues to tour and touch new audiences, Wil’s connection to Harold remains the soul of the music — a bond that no amount of time or silence can ever break.
And for fans who miss Harold Reid’s legendary voice, Wil offers something even more powerful: the reminder that love, music, and memory never truly leave the stage.