Don Schlitz, Grammy-Winning Songwriter of 'The Gambler,' Dies at 73 After 'Sudden Illness'

Jack IrvinFri, April 17, 2026 at 5:31 PM UTC

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Don Schlitz in June 2018Credit: Mickey Bernal/Getty -

Don Schlitz died on Thursday, April 16

He wrote iconic country hits including Kenny Rogers' "The Gambler," which won a Grammy for Best Country Song

Schlitz was a member of the Grand Ole Opry and three prestigious music halls of fame

Don Schlitz, the Grammy-winning country songwriter of Kenny Rogers' hit "The Gambler," has died. He was 73.

Schlitz died on Thursday, April 16, at a Nashville hospital following a "sudden illness," according to a press release issued by the Grand Ole Opry, of which the composer was a member.

In addition to the Opry, Schlitz is a member of the Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame and Country Music Hall of Fame. He's written dozens of chart-topping songs including "The Gambler" for Rogers, "Deeper Than the Holler" for Randy Travis, "I Know Where I'm Going" for The Judds, "I Won't Take Less Than Your Love" for Tanya Tucker, "When You Say Nothing at All" for Keith Whitley (later recorded by Alison Krauss) and more.

Don SchlitzCredit: Chris Hollo

Born and raised in Durham, N.C., Schlitz moved to Nashville at age 20 with $80 in his pocket, according to the Opry.

He wrote "The Gambler" at age 23, and the song became his first major cut when it was recorded by Rogers in 1978. It won the Grammy Award for Best Country Song the following year, and Rogers won Best Male Country Vocal Performance for his recording in 1980.

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"Don doesn’t just write songs, he writes careers," said Rogers upon inducting Schlitz into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, per the Opry.

According to the release, Schlitz is survived by his wife, Stacey; his daughter Cory Dixon and her husband Matt Dixon; his son Pete Schlitz and his wife Christian Webb Schlitz; his grandchildren Roman, Gia, Isla and Lilah; his brother Brad Schlitz; and his sister Kathy Hinkley.

The Opry will dedicate its Saturday, April 18 performance to Schlitz.

Multiple artists who've recorded Schlitz's material shared tributes to the composer following his death. Mary Chapin Carpenter, who's released several of his songs including "He Thinks He'll Keep Her," "I Feel Lucky" and "I Take My Chances," shared a photo with Schlitz and wrote on Instagram Stories, "thank you for everything."

Ty Herndon also shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram. "We’ve lost one of Nashville’s greats. I was so blessed to be among the many who had the opportunity to record his incredible songs," he wrote. "My 1996 single 'Loved Too Much' was one of his, and I rarely perform live to this day without it in my set. My well wishes and prayers go out to all his friends, family, and the legion of fans who love his music."

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”