June 27th, 2017

Cuzzin Harold an’ Cuzzin Don

by John Rose

Cuzzin Harold and Cuzzin Don are actually my friends, Harold and Don Reid of The Statler Brothers!

You may have noticed this Snuffy Smith comic strip of mine last week about Snuffy’s cousins who are a pair of great singers.  Snuffy’s talented cousins that Loweezy refers to are actually none other than my friends Harold and Don Reid of The Statler Brothers.  When I thought up the gag, I knew immediately I wanted to use them in it.  Harold and Don are both great guys who live in Virginia not too far from me. Many, many years ago when it was announced that I was going to be the cartoonist of the Barney Google and Snuffy Smith comic strip, they were among the very first people I heard from congratulating me.  We did not know each other then, but I was so surprised and humbled to hear from these country music legends whose work I had admired since I was a small child.  I could not believe it!  But, as I soon found out, the bigger they are, the nicer they are.  We have been friends ever since and often have lunch together.  I had an art exhibit of my cartoon work a few years ago and they even drove up to see it with my wife and I.  It meant a lot to me.  Although they have retired from singing now, Don is a talented author and has written many books.  He also writes an online column and he wrote about his and Harold’s appearance as Snuffy’s cousins here.

Harold and Don’s sons, Wil and Langdon, both extremely talented, perform together as a country duo known as Wilson Fairchild.

I am beyond blessed to count them all among my friends.