His compositions can be heard on recent or forthcoming releases by Vince Gill, Lorrie Morgan, John Michael Montgomery, Sara Evans, Tracy Byrd, and others. You may also light a candle in honor of Bill Anderson or send a beautiful flower arrangement to the funeral service. [5] However, he was most interested in music, having been inspired by his grandparents who played instruments. [17] The song would later be recorded and made hits individually by Eddy Arnold, Roy Clark, Jean Shepard and Steve Wariner. Bill Anderson singing - Still, from his 1963 album of the same name. Bette gave birth to two daughters during their relationship together. Anderson has won many awards in his illustrious career including the Chaplin Award, Academy country music awards, Jury award and others. His follow-up album, Ladies Choice (1979), only reached number 44 on the country albums chart. [110] The program also featured Jan Howard (his duet partner) and The Po' Boys (his touring band). [1] The song became a number one hit on the Billboard country chart and led to several more successful collaborations. Bill Andersons is the greatest singer/songwriter I have ever heard. Bill went to school at the University of Georgia and graduated with a degree in journalism. Bill Anderson, as a country music musician, has achieved so much in this industry. I would like to really get to know bill anderson as i have a big crush on him and I really like his music. He also appeared for three years on ABC's Daytime soap opera, One Life To Live. That increased his popularity and fame. . The book, which Bill personally wrote over a period of three years, made bestseller lists all across the south. The single became Shepard's first top-ten hit in four years and she had further top-twenty hits that decade with Anderson-penned compositions. [35][1], The success of "City Lights" led Anderson to receive a contract from the Tree Writing music publishing company in Nashville. This included making national television appearances on shows such as American Bandstand, where he performed his follow-up crossover hit "810". Billboard gave the record a favorable review which stated, "At 82, Anderson brings a gravitas to the heavier songs and a lightheartedness to tunes like "Po Folks" with a low-key production that keeps the focus squarely on Anderson and his delivery. His place of birth is Columbia, South Carolina. "Bill Anderson". The pair married in December 1959. I saw Bill Anderson at a place in Jennersville PA. He was also wrote Smith's "Cincinnati, Ohio" in 1967, among others. [113] Also in the 1980s, Anderson hosted the program Backstage at the Grand Ole Opry and the game show Fandango, which both aired on the former Nashville Network (TNN). The same night, he wrote the lyrics to the track on an Underwood typewriter at three o'clock in the morning. [1] Stephen L. Betts of Rolling Stone commented that Anderson continues to demonstrate a whispering quality into his current work. . In 1977, Anderson had two major hits with the uptempo "Head to Toe" and "Still the One". Anderson's first assignment with Killen was the 1977 studio release, Scorpio. Bill Anderson, who is officially known as James William Anderson iii, is a country song musician, television personality, and songwriter. Bill Anderson (singer) James William Anderson III (born November 1, 1937), known professionally as Bill Anderson, is an American country music singer, songwriter, and television host. Join Songkick to track Bill Anderson and get concert alerts when they play near you. One of the most successful songwriters in country music history, Bill Anderson was also a hugely popular singer in his own right, earning the nickname "Whispering Bill" for his gentle, airy vocal style and occasional spoken narrations. Jan Howard, Singer and Writer of Country Hits, Dies at 91 A female star in Nashville when there weren't many others, she found success as Bill Anderson's duet partner and as a solo artist. However, he continued recording his own music. He currently hosts Bill Anderson Visits With The Legends on XM satellite radio. SinglesYear Single Peak positions Album U.S. Country U.S. His first chart hit came with 1959's "That's What It's Like to Be Lonesome," and he had his first Top Ten entry with 1960's "Tip of My Fingers." Bill Anderson is considered one of the legendary songwriters in the history of country music. 8 on the Pop charts, as well as reaching No. Three years later, the disease intensified and she began receiving hospice care. "[134], In 1975, Anderson was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. [138], Anderson's country-pop crossover hit from 1963 that signified his style as a recording artist and performer, Anderson's 1978 uptempo hit that exhibited a new musical shift towards. Some of these awards include Audience Awards of 1993, Chaplin Award, Jury Award, Academy country music awards, and others. 1959 1978: Career as a Country music singerBefore signing to Decca, Anderson recorded for the small TNT label between 1957 and 1959, where he released three singles that failed to chart the Country charts at the time, including a version of "City Lights". We are sad to announce that on January 12, 2021 we had to say goodbye to Bill Anderson (Lebanon, Tennessee), born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The band frequently received credit on his studio albums and single releases. Bills second book, a humorous look at the music business titled, I Hope Youre Living As High On The Hog As The Pig You Turned Out To Be, was published in 1993 and is currently in its fourth printing. The song crossed over to the pop chart, peaking at number eight. While enrolled in college, he wrote the song "City Lights", which later became a major hit for Ray Price in 1958. Wolff also noted that other songs exemplified "anti-establishment attitudes" while other songs focused on themes that were "desperately bleak". Connect your Spotify account to your Last.fm account and scrobble everything you listen to, from any Spotify app on any device or platform. [122] Bette also contributed to her husband's writing career when she co-wrote the 1965 song, "I Can't Remember". He first studied Journalism as a career and got a job in Atlanta. Early hits like "Po' Folks" (1961), "Mama Sang a Song" (his first number one, from 1962), and "8 X 10" (number two, 1963) still remain among his best-known. Anderson's first Decca released was issued in December 1958 called "That's What It's Like to Be Lonesome". [82] Other pop artists to record Anderson's material included James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Dean Martin. Instead, he began focusing on other projects in television. The name was Sunset Park. 4, p.55 Trott, Walt (1998). For six years he hosted a country music game show on The Nashville Network called, Fandango, later an interview show called Opry Backstage, and somehow found time to be co-producer of another TNN Show called, You Can Be A Star. In addition, Bill has appeared frequently as a guest star on televisions top variety and game shows, including The Tonight Show, The Today Show, Match Game, Family Feud, Hee Haw and others. The song became a major country pop crossover hit and was followed by a series of top ten hits. Anderson also occasionally appeared on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live. For that reason, he found it difficult to write material for other artists. The album "Still" also peaked at No. . [135] In November 2002, BMI named him its first country songwriting icon, placing him alongside R&B artists Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and James Brown as the only recipients of that award. Bills first autobiography, Whisperin Bill, was published in 1989 and made bestseller lists all across the south. Bill Anderson On tour: yes Bill Anderson is not playing near you. [39] The show was first filmed in Windsor, Ontario and Charlotte, North Carolina. [85] In a 2020 interview with American Songwriter, Anderson also explained that the country market was shifting towards crossover pop. [1] He had further top ten hits with "Get While the Gettin's Good" and "No One's Gonna Hurt You Anymore". Sorry, you have Javascript Disabled! December 17, 2021 by . Major League Baseball pitcher Tracy Stallard appeared as one of the two imposters for Anderson. Bill Pitman is an outstanding guitarist and the oldest country singer still alive. [1] However, he continued recording music sporadically during the decade. The couple divorced in 1997. No other songwriter had as many songs listed. [1] In 1980, he appeared on two episodes of the ABC soap opera One Life to Live, portraying a fictionalized version of himself. During this time frame, he had hits with "Love Is a Sometimes Thing", "Where Have All Our Heroes Gone", "If You Can Live with It (I Can Live Without It)" and "The Corner of My Life". He continued releasing music through his own TWI record label. [102] Later that decade, Anderson collaborated with other writers to compose "Joey" for the country duo Sugarland. Bill has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1961. He grew up in Griffin, Georgia and Decatur, Georgia. [64] It was reviewed positively by Al Campbell, who praised its songwriting quality. The record was also released in the United Kingdom with a different track list. His most recent studio album was released in 2020. The song was written in a "writing appointment", where composers make arrangements to write music and are paid by recording hours in a time clock. When he was 19 years and working in Georgia WJJC-AM, Anderson wrote a composition, City Lights. [116], Anderson also focused on business opportunities, many of which were unsuccessful. In 1972, Cal Smith cut Anderson's "The Lord Knows I'm Drinking", which became a number one hit on the Billboard country chart. In addition, Bill has appeared frequently as a guest star on televisions top variety and game shows, including The Tonight Show, The Today Show, Match Game, Family Feud, Password Plus (with substitute game show host, Bill Cullen), Hee Haw and others. He grew up in different areas of Georgia. John David Anderson (born December 13, 1954) [2] is an American country music singer and songwriter with a successful career that has lasted more than 40 years. [128], Anderson began dating Vickie Salas around 2008. [131] In a 2018 interview with American Songwriter, Anderson described his songwriting style: "The lyric is what attracted me to country music as a young boy the story songs that I could listen to and feel some emotion. The sexiest man alive whispering Bill. [107] The single reached the top 20 of the country songs chart in 2009. [94] During the same period, he collaborated with Skip Ewing and Debbie Moore on the song "Wish You Were Here". In 1989 his autobiography was published and made available for people to buy. [1][35] The new sound was reflected in his latest albums and singles. He has also served as a television game show host, emceeing Fandango, which aired on The Nashville Network for seven consecutive seasons, in addition to co-hosting The Better Sex with Sarah Purcell. [106] The song later won "Song of the Year" from the CMA Awards, becoming Anderson's third accolade from the awards show in the last three years. [119] Anderson signed a three-year contract with the restaurant company to serve as their national spokesperson, appearing in radio and television commercials. Eventually, he landed a job at the Atlanta Constitution. Fandango was brought to Anderson's attention by the program director of WSM TV in Nashville, who believed that a country music trivia show would be successful for the network. Andersons songs and albums have topped in the Country charts several times. [121], Anderson has been married twice and has had two documented long-term relationships. [35], His chart hits continued through the 1960s and many of these songs were self-composed. [18] He is, as of 2022, the longest-standing active Opry member. Anderson was raised in Decatur, Georgia, and began composing songs while in high school. [16] He followed this in 1959 with the top 20 hits "Ninety Nine" and "Dead or Alive". [15] In February 1974, he had his first number one hit in five years with "World of Make Believe". Other than singing, Bill has written surplus songs for other country music singers whose music has appeared in the country music top list. His longtime duet partner, Jan Howard, left his record label and road show. [51] Anderson's sales success began to decline following the release of "I Can't Wait Any Longer". [114] "I've gotten into a lot of different things. Bill Andersons age is 85 years old as of todays date 18th January 2023 having been born on 1 November 1937. [74] The single peaked at number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1963. Bill Anderson Death Fact Check Bill is alive and kicking and is currently 85 years old. [56] In 1998, Anderson was signed to Warner Bros. Records as part of a veterans artists project that included Ronnie Milsap and Connie Smith. Anderson has also been performing on the stage at Nashville, Tennessee, for over the last ten years. However, Anderson declined the offer after realizing that his family would be upset if he did not attend college. He was the oldest of two children. [108] In 2014, Anderson co-wrote Mo Pitney's top-30 country hit "Country" with Pitney and Bobby Tomberlin. by Roger Wink, VVN Music on April 20, 2017. in News. [1] Anderson's longtime label was renamed to MCA Records during the same time frame. As of January 2023, Bill Anderson Net Worth is $8 million. [95] The song was also nominated for a Grammy award. Columbia, Richland County, South Carolina, United States. Konc also praised 2006's "Give It Away", calling it an "instant classic". "I just knew that this is what I wanted to do for my life's work, but I do remember telling people I'd stop if it wasn't working out", he said in describing his move away from writing. [6] His early Decca singles were entirely self-composed. In the 1970s, Anderson continued having major hits as a recording artist as well. In 1994, South Carolina inducted him into their Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame. She had major hits with the Anderson-penned "Count Your Blessings, Woman", "I Still Believe in Love" and "Bad Seed". [35], In the mid 1980s, Anderson shifted his professional interests. Ten years later, the State of Georgia honored him by choosing him as only the 7th living performer inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. In an interview with Ken Burns, Anderson recalled writing the song on a hotel roof: "I was up there one night in 1957 I was nineteen years old and I managed to write the 'bright array of city lights as far as I can see'", he recalled. In November 2007, "Give It Away" won the Country Music Association Song of the Year, an award that goes to the songwriters, Bill Anderson being a co-writer. "Give It Away," co-written by Anderson and performed by George Strait, won the Academy of Country Music Song of the Year for 2006. [15] During this time, Anderson formed his own touring band which he named "The Po' Boys" after his 1961 hit. He is also known as Whisperin Bill due to his soft vocal style and spoken narrations. In the 1960s, Brenda Lee recorded Anderson's "My Whole World Is Falling Down". As of now, Anderson has released more than 40 studio albums, and seven of his songs have reached the number one spot in the country. Since 1997, Bill has also hosted a television series on RFD-TV, Countrys Family Reunion, a show where legendary country stars sit alongside both their peers and newcomers to the industry, singing their songs and swapping their stories. In his autobiography, he commented, "I've tried to become a businessman a couple of times when I should have kept right on pickin' and grinnin'. His sister, Elizabeth Anderson, was born two years after. [39] The latter track was a top ten hit for Howard in 1966. He met his first wife, Bette (ne Rhodes), in the late 1950s through a mutual friend. Anderson officially signed with Decca in the summer of 1958. [37] He also started his own television program called The Bill Anderson Show, which was taped in Canada and Nashville. The project was produced by Steve Wariner and his wife Caryn. [15] According to Anderson, the song's success helped him gain credibility with younger songwriters in Nashville. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Just as it should be". In the mid-nineties, after a ten-year self-imposed hiatus, Bill returned to his first love, songwriting, and for the second time in his life cut a wide path across the creative landscape. "From the beginning, I liked Connie a lot personally and tried to help her", he recalled in his 2016 autobiography. Bill has managed to release over 40 music albums in the past. [52] The album's only major hit was the top 20 single "This Is a Love Song". "I let a lot of young kids tell me a lot of things, and I benefited from that, greatly", he recounted. Anderson recorded his biggest hit and signature song, the partly spoken ballad "Still," in 1963, and it not only topped the country charts, but crossed over to the pop Top Ten as well. "We never married, we never lived together, but she became my everything", Anderson later remembered. He was frequently touring and making public appearances to promote his music. Tell your friends about how they can see clips of awesome Classic Country music and lifestyles here on our FREE YouTube page - www.youtube.com/countryroadtv . His songwriting led to his first recording contract with Decca Records the same year. His 1959 music was a big hit in the world. According to Howard, it was difficult to keep up with the busy touring schedule. Bill has produced a minimum of 40 albums and numerous singles. If you are patient enough, you will reach your goals. The song would later be cut by George Strait. [13] During his first summer out of college, he got a job working as a rock and roll DJ at WGAU in Athens, Georgia. [1] Anderson's first studio release of the decade was 1992's Country Music Heaven, issued on Curb Records. In 1993, he was made a member of the Georgia Broadcasters Hall of Fame. He grew up in Griffin and Decatur, Georgia. It would later be recorded by Connie Smith on her 1965 studio album Cute 'n' Country. The two reconnected following Anderson's second divorce. [63] A year later, he released a contemporary country album entitled The Way I Feel. [15] The single became a major country hit after reaching number three in December 1960. Bill Anderson started his professional music career in the year 1957 when he released three singles with TNT label. He will always have my heart He is also the member of the longest-running radio broadcast in the history of the United States "Grand Ole Opry" which was founded in the year 1925. Anderson took full advantage of his big break, moving to Nashville and landing a record contract of his own with Decca. The album was a collection of re-recorded hits and songs Anderson had written in his career. "[103], In 2006, Anderson co-wrote a song with Jamey Johnson and Buddy Cannon called "Give It Away". [60] He began taking new artistic directions with his next studio release, A Lot of Things Different (2001). Rise to fameAlthough Bill was born in Columbia, South Carolina, he was raised in Atlanta, Georgia. He co-wrote giant hits for Vince Gill (Which Bridge To Cross Which Bridge To Burn), Steve Wariner (Two Teardrops), Mark Wills (Wish You Were Here), Joe Nichols (Ill Wait For You), and Kenny Chesney (A Lot Of Things Different). Later he attended Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication where he earned his degree in journalism. "I thought I was Superman. It was a collection of gospel songs that was inspired by his grandfather, a Methodist preacher. 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