Fortune grew up in
Nelson County, Virginia, where he attended Nelson County High School in
Lovingston, Virginia. The original tenor of the Statler Brothers,
Lew DeWitt, heard Fortune sing at a local ski resort. DeWitt suffered from
Crohn's disease and asked Fortune to audition for the band. Fortune started performing with the Statlers in 1982, originally as a temporary replacement. He joined permanently when DeWitt left due to ill health. They have released three albums to date:
Brotherly Love (2020),
Listen To The Music (2023), and
Will The Circle Be Unbroken (2023). In 2023, a bronze statue of Fortune was unveiled in Nelson County, Virginia. Fortune attended the ceremony, where a statue of fellow Nelson County native
Earl Hamner Jr. was also dedicated. ==Discography==