Don Schlitz, an American songwriter known for “The Gambler,” “Forever and Ever, Amen” and “When You Say Nothing at All,” died on April 16, 2026.
He was 73. Schlitz wrote more than 20 No.
1 hits on the country music charts and was best known for “The Gambler,” recorded by Kenny Rogers. He also co-wrote “Forever and Ever, Amen” with Randy Travis and “When You Say Nothing at All,” recorded by Keith Whitley and Alison Krauss & Union Station. Schlitz was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame, and joined the Grand Ole Opry in 2022.
Don Schlitz, 73, American songwriter (“The Gambler”, “Forever and Ever, Amen”, “When You Say Nothing at All”).