Bill Anderson's Blog, page 26

Ask Bill – April 1, 2021

1) How come the music business won’t sign singing talent that is over 50-years old to a record deal? Why are they so prejudiced? The record companies aren’t prejudiced, but when they invest money and sign an artist to a contract they have to look at the long haul. They have a much better chance of recouping their investment with someone who might have a 25 or 30-year career ahead of them as opposed to someone who might only be around for five or ten. Therefore, their eyes are set on the younger performers. 2) I am combining two questions here because they sort of relate to each other: Which of the songs you have written has been recorded the most times by other artists? Have very many other artists recorded your song, “Still?” “Tips Of My Fingers” has probably been recorded the most times by the most artists worldwide. Country artists, pop artists, instrumentalists, and artists who don’t speak or sing in English have all taken swings at it. I have even heard a reggae version. “Still” has been recorded quite a few times, too, but I think the recitation has scared off several artists who might have otherwise sung it. I wrote a version that can be sung all the way through without the talking part, and that has helped. One of my most treasured records is by the great Bing Crosby who did it that way.
 3) You have a soft, comforting voice. Have you ever gotten mad and said some things you wish you hadn’t said? I’ve never seen you mad at anybody, but what about record producers? I hear they sometimes get on an artist’s nerves. I’ve never gotten mad at a record producer because I’ve had some of the kindest and most talented producers in the world working with me, including the legendary Owen Bradley. How could anyone have ever gotten angry with him? At the same time, I’m not perfect. I am only human, and I’ve been known to raise my voice on occasion and talk above a whisper. I’m not proud of it, but we’ve all said and done things we wish we could take back. I defer to the old saying: “To err is human…to forgive divine.” QUICKIES: Does your son sing? I’ve heard some songs by Merle Haggard’s sons and they sound good. No, my son doesn’t sing. The only time he’s behind a microphone is when he tells his passengers on Delta Air Lines to fasten their seat belts and to enjoy their flight. Have you ever had the opportunity to perform with Hank Williams Jr.?  Yes, I performed with him several times in his younger days, but we haven’t worked together in quite a few years. He’s an amazing talent. Is there any chance Jan Howard will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame? There’s always a chance. Needless to say, I’d like to see it happen. Do you know how Johnny Lee is doing after his surgeries? I spoke with him the other day and he sounded like the same ol’ Johnny. I think he’s doing all right. I certainly hope so. On the Grand Ole Opry in 2018 you surprised the audience by singing with the group Exile. Is it possible you might have another big surprise up your sleeve for Opry audiences? You never know! Stay tuned. Thanks for your questions. Keep ’em coming to me at askbill@billanderson.com or at P.O. Box 888, Hermitage, TN. 37076. See you back here next month.

Latest Photos

“I was both surprised and honored when I learned that Connie Smith’s recording of my song, ‘Once A Day,’ has been selected for inclusion inside the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress in Washington. Although it’s her recording that is being preserved, they included my name on the plaque as having written the song. I’m in some pretty select company here, and both proud and grateful. I’m grateful, too, for the toughness my grandson, Gabe, has shown in completing his five weeks of radiation therapy prior to his bone marrow transplant coming up in May. They gave him the certificate he is holding here as proof of his “graduation,” and the smile on his face tells you how proud he is of his achievement. In case you haven’t figured it out, Gabe is my hero. Another special person in my life is pictured in the bottom photo, the guitar player in my band since 1981, Les Singer. It’s hard to believe Les has been with me for 40-years, but he has. I love this picture, and wanted to share it with you. Thanks, Lester, for all the miles, the music and the memories.”

Bill Chats with Fans and Adam Wurtzel on Youtube’s “Hosts at Home”

Bill spent March 26th with Fans and host Adam Wurtzel on Youtube during the premiere of “Hosts at Home”!Check out the episode as well as the chat between Bill and the fans as they talk about the shows The Better Sex, Fandango, Match Game, Password Plus, Tattletales, and lots more! Head to Youtube Click Here

 

 

Chat with Bill and “Hosts at Home” Adam Wurtzel on Youtube Tonight

Exciting news! TONIGHT is your chance to chat live with Bill Anderson! He will be live chatting during the premiere of his episode of Hosts at Home tomorrow (Friday) at 6 pm Eastern with his host Adam Wurtzel! They’ll be talking about shows The Better Sex, Fandango, Match Game, Password Plus, Tattletales and lots more! Click this link and don’t miss the premiere! To chat head to Youtube Click Here

 

 

Bill Anderson Penned “Once a Day” Inducted into National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress

Recordings by Connie Smith, Janet Jackson, Kool & the Gang, Labelle, Nas, Marlo Thomas, Louis Armstrong, Ira Glass and Kermit the Frog Among 25 Selected for Preservation

 

Whisperin’ Bill Anderson‘s prolific songwriting has been recognized with membership into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry and awarded him with more than 50 BMI Awards, three CMA Awards and two ACM Awards. Anderson earned a spot in history as the only songwriter in history to chart country songs in seven consecutive decades. Now, the National Recording Registry is recognizing Anderson’s songwriting as “Once a Day,” recorded by Connie Smith, joins other groundbreaking sounds of history and culture in the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress. “Once A Day” is being inducted alongside Louis Armstrong’s “When the Saints Go Marching In,” Labelle’s “Lady Marmalade,” Nas’ “Illmatic,” Kool & the Gang’s “Celebration,” and Kermit the Frog’s “The Rainbow Connection.”

 

“I had the honor of performing at the Library Of Congress in 2015, and while I was there I was privileged to get to see some of the songs housed in the National Recording Registry,” shared Anderson. “I saw songwriter names like George Gershwin and Irving Berlin, and now to think that my name will be there alongside those legendary composers is mind-boggling. I am thrilled that Connie Smith’s record and my little three-chord country song …written in the front seat of my car at a four-way stop sign in the Nashville suburbs…is being honored in such a remarkable fashion.”

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden today named 25 recordings as audio treasures worthy of preservation for all time based on their cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage.

“The National Recording Registry will preserve our history through these vibrant recordings of music and voices that have reflected our humanity and shaped our culture from the past 143 years,” Hayden said. “We received about 900 public nominations this year for recordings to add to the registry, and we welcome the public’s input as the Library of Congress and its partners preserve the diverse sounds of history and culture.”

The recordings most recently selected for the National Recording Registry bring the number of titles on the registry to 575, representing a small portion of the national library’s vast recorded sound collection of nearly 3 million items.

“Once a Day” — Connie Smith (1964) (single)

Connie Smith has been called one of the most underrated vocalists in country music history. And she’s greatly admired by her peers; Dolly Parton once said, “There’s only three real female singers: Barbra Streisand, Linda Ronstadt, and Connie Smith. The rest of us are only pretending.” Smith’s rise to that level of admiration began with her very first single, “Once a Day,” written by Anderson who was already successful, both as a singer and a songwriter, when he heard Smith at a talent contest. He helped her get a recording contract and, for her first session, wrote “Once a Day,” an achingly sad song about a jilted woman who misses her lover only “once a day, every day, all day long.” Recorded at RCA’s famous Studio B in Nashville, Smith was backed by session musicians and members of Anderson’s band, The Po’ Boys, including one new player, steel guitarist Weldon Myrick, who would go on to become a Nashville legend himself. Producer Bob Ferguson wanted the steel guitar to be right up front and Myrick delivered, so much so that Smith credits Myrick with “creating the Connie Smith sound.” “Once a Day” was Connie Smith’s biggest hit and became her signature song.

Under the terms of the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, the Librarian of Congress, with advice from the National Recording Preservation Board, selects 25 titles each year that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and are at least 10 years old. More information on the National Recording Registry can be found at loc.gov/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/about-this-program/. The public may nominate recordings for the Registry here.

Some registry titles have already been preserved by the copyright holders, artists or other archives. In cases where a selected title has not already been preserved, the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation works to ensure that the recording will be preserved by some entity and available for future generations. This can be either through the Library’s recorded-sound preservation program or through collaborative ventures with other archives, studios and independent producers.

The Packard Campus is a state-of-the-art facility where the nation’s library acquires, preserves and provides access to the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of films, television programs, radio broadcasts and sound recordings (loc.gov/avconservation/). It is home to more than 7 million collection items.

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States — and extensive materials from around the world — both on-site and online. It is the main research

2020 National Recording Registry

Edison’s “St. Louis tinfoil” recording (1878)“Nikolina” — Hjalmar Peterson (1917) (single)“Smyrneikos Balos” — Marika Papagika (1928) (single)“When the Saints Go Marching In” — Louis Armstrong & his Orchestra (1938) (single)Christmas Eve Broadcast–Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill (December 24, 1941)“The Guiding Light” — Nov. 22, 1945“Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues” — Odetta (1957) (album)“Lord, Keep Me Day by Day” — Albertina Walker and the Caravans (1959) (single)Roger Maris hits his 61st homerun (October 1, 1961)“Aida” — Leontyne Price,et.al. (1962) (album)“Once a Day” — Connie Smith (1964) (single)“Born Under a Bad Sign” — Albert King (1967) (album)“Free to Be…You & Me” — Marlo Thomas and Friends (1972) (album)“The Harder They Come” — Jimmy Cliff (1972) (album)“Lady Marmalade” — Labelle (1974) (single)“Late for the Sky” — Jackson Browne (1974) (album)“Bright Size Life” — Pat Metheny (1976) (album)“The Rainbow Connection” — Kermit the Frog (1979) (single)“Celebration” — Kool & the Gang (1980) (single)“Richard Strauss: Four Last Songs” — Jessye Norman (1983) (album)“Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814” — Janet Jackson (1989) (album)“Partners” — Flaco Jiménez (1992) (album)“Somewhere Over the Rainbow”/”What A Wonderful World” — Israel Kamakawiwo’ole (1993) (single)“Illmatic” — Nas (1994) (album)“This American Life: The Giant Pool of Money” (May 9, 2008)

March 1, 2021

Hi Gang:

I don’t know if March came in like a lion or a lamb in your corner of the world, but I hope you are safe and well wherever you are. It’s good to be visiting with you again through the pages of our fan club newsletter. Thanks for staying connected.

I went out and got my second COVID vaccination shot early last month then spent a week…as many of you did…trapped inside my house thanks to the ice and snow that paralyzed much of the south and southwest. My power stayed on, my water continued to run, and I was very fortunate, especially compared to some of my friends out in Texas. I sure hope those of you down there are doing better. The good news is that Spring is just around the corner!

Lots of you have been asking when the band and I plan to go back on tour, and I’ve made a decision in that regard: The earliest I might be back on the road will be 2022. I have asked my agent to clear my slate for this year for a couple of reasons. First, of course, is COVID-19. I’m not sure that any of the venues where we were scheduled to perform will even be able to have crowds this year anyhow, and even if they are, I don’t think I would want fans and friends of mine to take any risks by coming to our shows. New variants of the virus are popping up all over the place, and it’s evidently not out of steam just yet.

Second, is the situation involving my grandson, Gabe. He began his radiation treatments in early February, and from now until at least the end of July, things are going to be anything but normal in my family. I simply cannot picture myself riding on a tour bus hundreds of miles from home while my grandson is in the hospital receiving a bone marrow transplant, my granddaughter is in there, too, as his donor, and my family is needing me to help out with the million and one other things that will have to be taken care of at the time. It’s just not something I can do, and I appreciate very much your understanding. I’ll miss you guys for sure, but right now my family has to come first.

Hopefully, I can do a few things music-wise without having to leave town. When the Opry opens back up to the point where my band can go and perform with me, I plan to return there. And, of course, I’ll be celebrating my 60th Opry Anniversary July 17th. I’ve agreed to record an episode of Larry’s Country Diner this summer, and they can’t crank up the recording studios soon enough to suit me. I’ve got lots of new music I want to put down. Plus, I’ll be opening up my closets and my scrapbooks and my guitar cases when the Hall of Fame comes to collect memorabilia for my exhibit scheduled to open in November. So, I might not be travelling, but I’ll be busy.

Starting on Saturday March 20th, which just happens to be the first day of Spring, I am going to begin a series of live Facebook chats with you and fans like you all around the world. I want to do one of these every month while I’m not on tour just so we can stay in touch. We’ll have more information headed your way shortly, but meantime mark March 20th at 2 p.m. Nashville (Central) as the time for our first get together and plan to join us if you can. We’ll visit and talk about all kinds of things.

Thankfully, a few things are happening on the songwriting front as we wait for life to return to normal. Ray Stevens has just released a new album on Curb Records called, “Great Country Ballads,” and he has included an amazing version of “City Lights.” That song has been recorded dozens of times over the years, but nobody has ever done it quite like Ray. I hope you’ll check out his recording on whatever platform you get your music.

As you’ll see in our photo section, I got together with two of my favorite people last week, Bobby Tomberlin and Lance Miller, for my first live co-writing session in exactly a year. We had a great time laughing and catching up, although with the masks I told them I couldn’t see a word they were saying! The best part, though, is that we ended the day with a pretty darned good new song.

I have another piece of songwriting-related news I’m anxious to share with you, but I’ve been sworn to secrecy until March 24th. We’ll have a special announcement then, so be on the lookout for it.

I’ve got to change the subject and play proud PawPaw here for a minute and tell you that my grandson, Blake, was named to the All-District high school basketball team as voted on by the coaches, and with a season record of 21-5  his team qualified for the State Tournament. They traveled to Knoxville for the opening round, but unfortunately lost their first game in overtime. Nonetheless, it was a great season, and I’m awfully proud of Blake and his friends for all they accomplished.

Gabe is into his fourth week of radiation treatments now in preparation for his bone marrow transplant in May. Thanks to all of you who ordered the Team Gabe shirts in support of his journey and for all the prayers that you’ve been sending up on his behalf. They are appreciated more than you know.

Have a great month of March, and thanks for your continuing support of me and my families….the biological one and the musical one. Stay in touch, and I’ll try my best to do the same.

And remember…every day is a good day to have a good day.

Ask Bill – March 1, 2021

ASK BILL!

span>1) I just came across the song “Double S” on my playlist. What was your inspiration for writing that song?

I was on the bus killing time between a matinee and a nighttime show when the idea struck me. I was making the band laugh by seeing how many words I could come up with that started with the letter “S,” and the more they laughed the crazier I became. Finally, I went to the rear of the bus and began to construct a story out of all these words. I never intended for it to be a song…it was a joke as much as anything else. But when I got back to Nashville and showed what I had written to my producer, Buddy Killen, he began putting a melody behind it and a song was born. It was one of those love/hate records in my career. People either loved it or they hated it. I’ll be nice and not ask which side you fall on!

2) I have seen a lot of your appearances on different game shows. Which was your favorite to be on? And did you pattern your great hosting style on Fandango after any one game show host?

I think I enjoyed being on “Password Plus” more than any other game show, probably because I did better there than on some of the others. I like words and word games, and it was fun to help my contestant partners win lots of money. I have never tried patterning myself…either as a singer or as a game show host…after anyone else. I just tried to be myself and hoped that somebody somewhere liked what I attempted to do.

3) How are you able to perform a song that you have literally sung for decades and still sing it with energy for your audience?

I’m sure different artists handle this in different ways, but to me a song is new every time I sing it. Somebody in that audience may be hearing it for the first time. Somebody else bought a ticket just to hear that song. Either way, it’s up to me to deliver it as best as I can. Before I go onstage every night I tell myself that the show I’m about to do is the most important one I have ever done. I’ve never done a perfect show and I never will, but it won’t be because I didn’t try.

Quickies: Is there any chance the Country’s Family Reunion Road Shows will return to Branson? I never say never, but I doubt we’ll be bringing those back anytime soon. I have looked and looked for the sheet music to “Walk Out Backwards.” Is it available anywhere? That song came out in 1960, and back then they didn’t publish a lot of sheet music for country songs. I can’t find where any was ever printed. Have you ever co-written songs with Skip Ewing and Paul Overstreet? They are among my favorite songwriters. Mine too, and I have written with both of them. Skip and I had a #1 hit (along with Debbie Moore) on Mark Wills’ “Wish You Were Here.” Paul and I haven’t been quite that lucky….yet! One of my favorite female singers was Penny DeHaven. Did you ever do any shows with her? I helped Penny get her first recording contract with Imperial Records, and she recorded several of my songs. I’m sure we must have toured together, but I can’t recall any particular instances. Have you ever thought of doing a duets album? I’ve only done six of them…four with Jan Howard and two with Mary Lou Turner. Plus I’ve recorded duets with Roy Acuff, David Allen Coe, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Vince Gill and others. Where have you been??

Thanks as always for your questions. My mailbox is open 24/7 at askbill@billanderson.com or in care of P. O. Box 888, Hermitage, TN. 37076 if you’ve got one you’d like to send me. See you back here next time.

Latest Photos

“My grandson, Blake, and I were all smiles after his team’s victory in the regional high school basketball tournament recently. He sure makes me look short, doesn’t he? Of course, a lot of his height comes from his hair which his mother keeps begging him to cut. Like many athletes, though, Blake is superstitious, and he said that as long as his team was winning and he was playing well, he wasn’t going to cut his hair. You can really see how long it’s grown in the middle picture where he’s fighting to keep the ball out of his opponents’ hands. In the last picture, Lance Miller, Bobby Tomberlin, and I looked like we’re out to rob a bank, but we’re just masked-up and hanging out at a songwriting session. It had been a year since the three of us had written together, and it sure was fun. Hopefully, you’ll hear the song we created one of these days. Lance and Bobby are two of my favorite people to write and spend time with.”

Latest Photos

“If you watch Larry’s Country Diner on TV, I’m sure you recognize the man with me in the first picture. He’s Gus Arrendale, president of Springer Mountain Farms chicken, and one of the best friends country music ever had. Gus has done so many wonderful things for so many of us that we decided to show up on his birthday and surprise him with a luncheon and a special CD we made in his honor. Gus is a big Georgia football fan, so I wore my Bulldog mask especially for him. The next picture was taken a few years ago on the night baseball Hall of Fame pitcher, Don Sutton, came to the Grand Ole Opry as my guest. We talked country music and baseball into the late night hours. Sadly, Don passed away last month at the age of 75. I ran across the final picture recently and was reminded of the day many years ago when Ray Price and I shared the stage at the Georgia Jubilee in East Point, Georgia. The audience got a double-dose of rhinestone suits and “City Lights” that day as we both sang our hit song.”

February 1, 2021

Hi Gang:

It’s hard to believe that it was one year ago this month that I played my last show on the road…in Wittenburg, Wisconsin, February 9, 2020. The night before we had performed in Wisconsin Dells, and we stayed over after the show because Wittenburg was not that far away. We didn’t count on the fact that eight inches of snow was going to fall while we slept.

We plowed through it on our tour bus the next morning, arrived in time to set up and do a sound check, but I told everybody we’d be playing to a bunch of empty seats. “Nobody is going to come out in this weather,” I said. Imagine my surprise when every seat in the theater was full. I’ve said it for years – country fans are the best fans in the world! And I miss every one of you!

We haven’t been back out on tour, but quite a few things have been going on just the same. The Grand Ole Opry has decided that they will celebrate my 60th anniversary as an Opry member on Saturday night July 17th, and here’s hoping things will be such that a whole bunch of you can come celebrate with us. Dan Rogers, the Opry manager, told me he did some research and the typical 60th anniversary gift is the diamond. I told him he could give me the diamond at Yankee Stadium!

The Country Music Hall of Fame has also confirmed with us that the Bill Anderson Exhibit, which was originally scheduled to open in 2020, is still on the books for a November 19th opening in 2021. Again, hopefully by then we’ll all feel freer to travel about, and I’ll look forward to seeing many of you at what promises to be one of the true highlights of my life and my career. The exhibit is scheduled to run until March, 2023.

With thoughts toward putting the pandemic in my rear view mirror, I had my first COVID vaccine shot January 12th, and I’m scheduled for my second February 9th. The biggest problem I ran into was all the other 75 and 80-year old drivers out getting their vaccinations on the same day. Most of them probably hadn’t driven in at least a year, and the parking lot resembled bumper cars at the county fair. Nobody could park straight, and a few could barely see over their steering wheels. I told someone I might survive the virus, but I wasn’t too sure I’d survive the ride home!

Many of you continue to reach out and ask what you can do to help get Country’s Family Reunion back on the air at RFD-TV, and my answer is nothing. Unless something unforeseen happens, I don’t think those shows will ever be on broadcast television again. The good news is that you can still stream the episodes on Country Roads TV and, of course, many of you have the DVD’s you have collected over the years. Just enjoy those…for the good times.

Thank you so much for all the wonderful responses my family and I have received in regard to the news I shared last month about my grandson, Gabe, and his upcoming bone marrow transplant. Many of you tell me you have ordered and are wearing the Team Gabe shirts, and we appreciate your support more than you know. Since we last visited, the timetable for Gabe’s procedure has been moved forward into May in order to allow time for him to have a series of radiation treatments that the doctors feel will greatly enhance his chances of never having his cancer return. Those treatments will begin Feb. 8th and could last for up to eight weeks. I’ll keep you posted. Thanks so much for your prayers and your concern.

Elsewhere in my personal world, my son, Jamey, has been called back to work at Delta Air Lines where he will begin training to pilot the 737 airplane in April. My grandson, Blake’s, high school basketball team currently has a season record of 16-3, and will soon be headed into tournament play. Last I checked, Blake is the leading rebounder on the team and #2 in scoring. Due to COVID restrictions, I’ve had to watch most of his games via streaming. I’m just sad that this is his final season.

I hope each of you will continue to stay safe, stay well, and stay in touch. And remember it’s always a good day to have a good day!!

Thanks for everything….