Bill Anderson's Blog, page 27

Ask Bill – February 01, 2021

1) To start off the year here’s a question a friend asked me:
If you were able to meet your 18 year old self – what 3 words of advice would you give to him?

That’s an interesting question. Let’s see…when I was 18-years old I was going to school every morning, working at a radio station all afternoon, and driving for an hour in between. At night I was studying, writing songs, or playing music somewhere. I was burning the candle at both ends 24/7, and I never really stopped for the next sixty-plus years. I’m sure my work ethic was responsible for a lot of my success, but it was probably also responsible for an ulcer and some high blood pressure. So, if I had to put it into three words, I think I’d tell my 18-year old self to stop and  “Smell The Roses.” Slow down a bit, Kid, and don’t be afraid to enjoy what you’re working for.

2) I noticed in a group picture of The Po’ Folks Band that Pat, the steel guitar player, was missing. Is he still with the band, and if not, what is he doing now? Also, once you are able to tour again, will you ever be going back to the Bill Anderson Performing Arts Center in Commerce, Georgia, for another show?

No, Pat Severs is no longer with our band. He moved to a beach somewhere in South Carolina shortly before the pandemic hit last year. I assume he’s doing what the rest of us are doing – staying home. I would love to perform at the PAC in Commerce again someday. I hope I’ll have the opportunity.

3. I think the Waffle House video is a riot. Who are some of those people? Any family?

Thank you. We had a lot of fun making it. I’m sure you recognized Jeannie Seely as one of the waitresses along with Gretchen “Redneck Woman” Wilson. Tanya Tucker and Erin Enderlin were sitting next to me at the counter, and our wonderful cook was, of course, Kid Rock. My son, daughter-in-law, granddaughter, and grandson were in a quick scene sitting in one of the booths as was my manager. I don’t know who the rest of those crazies were…they just wandered in off the street and wouldn’t leave until we fed them.

Quickies: Was George Jones ever a guest on Family Reunion? No, unfortunately, he wasn’t. He was on the way to the studio one day but got sick and had to return home. We were never able to reschedule him and that was our loss. Besides your hometown and Nashville, what is your favorite place to perform? Anyplace where the sound and the lighting are good and the people come to the show in a mood to be entertained. I don’t have any geographical favorites. I love everywhere. I know you are a big Georgia fan, but I’m wondering if you follow the Falcons or Titans in the pros. I was a Falcon fan until the Titans came to Nashville, but now I’m Titan two-toned blue all the way. Got to support the hometown team! I sure would love to know the story behind the song, “Still.” It’s one of my all-time favorites!  Thank you.The short story behind it is that I ran into a former girlfriend that I hadn’t seen in several years. The longer version begins on Page 78 of my autobiography and runs for several pages. I don’t have the room to repeat it here, but I’m glad you like the song.

Thanks for your questions. I have several left over from our recent online chat that I will get to in March. Meantime, if you’re dying to know something, write to me at askbill@billanderson.com and I’ll try to help out. See you back here next month.

Bill Anderson Sits Down With Pitch List Podcast

Join the Pitch List Podcast as Bill tells some hilarious and humbling “before-they-were-famous” stories about him and his friend Roger Miller, talks about how writing songs he loves has carried his career through over 8 decades of a changing genre (including through the country disco trend), and more. Plus, don’t forget to listen to Bill’s newest single, “It’s A Good Day To Have A Good Day”. Take a listen! https://wavve.link/pitchlistpodcast/

Ep 56: Bill Anderson

To kick off Season 4 of Pitch List, we are absolutely honored to have songwriting and country music legend Bill Anderson on the show! Considered one of country music’s most significant songwriters, “Whisperin’ Bill” has released an impressive 45 studio albums and is an esteemed member of the Grand Ole Opry, Country Music Hall of Fame and Songwriters’ Hall of Fame.

Bill Anderson Kicks Off Lyric Video Premier with LIVE CHAT on YouTube

It’s A Good Day To Have a Good Day! AGAIN!

Bill Anderson so excited to get 2020 behind us he thought we could have a good day and chat about it during the premiere of the official Lyric Video of his new song “It’s A Good Day to Have a Good Day”.  Bill will be online chatting with everyone right before the premiere on Youtube of the video so feel free to submit your questions to Bill at AskBill@BillAnderson.com ahead of time.

Fans can visit his YouTube Channel and subscribe and hit the BELL on top of the page to be notified about the premiere starting then join Bill Friday at 4:45 PM CST for the chat!

Anderson back in December premiered the official video with The Boot and created an on-demand merchandise line to go with the new single. Fans can visit his store and select from a large selection of “Good Day” merchandise as well as some retro “Too Country” merchandise for a limited time.

 

Latest Photos

You can’t see the smile behind my mask, but believe me there was a big ol’ grin on my face when my grandkids presented me with the picture I’m holding a few days before Christmas. It was the first time they had all gotten together for a picture in eight years, and it’s a great shot of all eight of them. I treasure it. And I treasure the memories of Jan Howard and Charley Pride, both of whom we lost last year. This picture of the three of us was taken backstage at the Opry in 2012. The bottom picture shows the bass player in our Po’ Folks Band, James Freeze, modeling his “Good Day To Have A Good Day” t-shirt. If you haven’t added one of our “Good Day” items to your collection, I invite you to check them all out in the SHOP section of our website. Thanks…and have a “good day!”

January 4, 2021

Hi Gang:

You don’t know how glad I am to finally be able to say, “Happy New Year!”

I’m like many of you….I didn’t stay up on New Years Eve to welcome in the new year as much as I did to make sure the old one was gone! 2020 was not exactly the best of times for any of us. Hopefully with the turning of the page, the light at the end of the tunnel will soon begin shining on us all.

I hope Christmas was a merry one at your house and that Santa didn’t have any trouble fitting inside your chimney. In keeping with the craziness that was 2020, Christmas Day in Music City was not exactly the day of peace and love that we had all hoped to celebrate what with the senseless bombing downtown. The day that began with a few stray snowflakes and the promise of a white Christmas soon faded into something far less serene. Many of you messaged me with words of concern for me and my family, and I appreciated that very much. Fortunately, all of us live on the outskirts and a good distance away from where the explosion took place.

I tried to stay safe over the holidays, seeing very little of my family and friends and staying outdoors with my mask on when I did. My holiday highlight came when six of my eight grandchildren came over to bring me the picture you’ll see in our photo section. It had been eight years since there had been a picture of all of them together, and kids change a lot in that amount of time. We gathered on my front porch with a bunch of happy smiles behind our masks and elbow bumps instead of the hugs we were dying to give. As George Jones sang in an old song, “Maybe Next Christmas.”

I thank you for all the beautiful Christmas cards, text messages, and greetings of the season that you sent my way. I read and appreciated every single one. Quoting country music again, my friend Mac Wiseman said it best when he sang, “Tis Sweet To Be Remembered.”

What’s happening on the musical front in Whisperville? Not a lot other than the release of our new lyric video for “It’s A Good Day To Have A Good Day” coming soon. We will have two videos on that song then, and I hope you will check them out at www.billanderson.com and/or on YouTube and share them with your friends. When the new one is released, hopefully later this month, you can watch your screen and sing the words right along with us. Maybe it will put some warm smiles on some chilly faces during these cold winter days.

People are asking me when we are going back on tour and when we will be performing again at the Opry, and my answer to both questions is simple and the same: I don’t know. I plan to get the COVID vaccine as soon as possible, listen to the experts, and decide from there.

I hope to get back into the recording studio sometime soon because I have several new songs I’m anxious to put down. I’d love to release a new album in 2021. I have some additional songs I’ve written (or helped to write) waiting to be cut by some of my friends, and hopefully I can share some news on those before too long as well.

From the personal corner of my world, my oldest granddaughter, Rae, and her fiance, Zach, have set their wedding day. They will be getting married on Saturday August 28th here in Nashville. I’m sure I’ll have many more details to share as the time approaches.

And speaking of family, I’d like to ask you to check out the latest Bill’s Journal on our website. The new edition is a letter from my daughter-in-law, Beth, with information regarding my grandson, Gabe, and a major decision that has been made in treating the cancer he has been fighting for ten years. So many of you have prayerfully been in this fight alongside us, and we wanted you to know the latest. The next few months are going to be very intense for our family, and we’re going to need your prayers and your support and understanding more than ever. Please check out Bill’s Journal and share it with your family and friends. 

Meantime, stay well and stay safe. The page on the calendar may say it’s a new year, but we’re not out of the woods yet. This virus is a mean ol’ animal with a lot of life left in it. Please continue to respect it.

Thanks a BILLion for your many kindnesses to me, and I’ll look forward to seeing you back here again next month. 

Ask Bill – January 4, 2021

1) I am curious…are you the current longest running member of the Grand Ole Opry?

No, there are probably several Opry members who can run longer than I can. Oh, wait….you mean have I been at the Opry the longest, right? No, Stonewall Jackson joined the show in the late fifties, and I didn’t come along until 1961. There are no living members who joined between Stonewall and me, though, so next to him I’ve been around the longest. Hopefully, I’ll get to celebrate being a 60-year member in 2021.

2) Did you ever get interviewed by Ken Burns for the video, “Country Music?” With your standing in the music business I can’t see how they didn’t.

You must not have watched the show because I’m all over it. Episode #4, which focuses on artists and music from the sixties, features me the most.

3) What can we do about the fact that Country’s Family Reunion is not on the air anymore? Is there a petition we can sign? How do we contact RFD?

This was my most-asked question this month, and I wish I knew the answer. I don’t know of a petition you could sign, but you can write to RFD-TV at 49 Music Square W., Nashville, TN. 37203. I’m not sure it would do any good, however, as the decision was a joint one between Larry Black’s production company, Gabriel Communications, and the network. Larry made his money from CFR on the sales of the DVD sets, but now with streaming and all kinds of free music and online video services, the DVD’s don’t sell much anymore. The shows are very costly to produce, and it finally reached the point where somebody had to pull the plug. The shows were a big part of my life for 23-years. Thankfully, you can still access them on Country Road TV.

Quickies: What song took you the longest to write? Believe it or not, “Peel Me A ‘Nanner” took over three years to finish. I couldn’t figure how to match verses to the silly little chorus that I wrote in about five minutes. How can I share a subject that you could be inspired to turn into a song? As with all songwriting questions, I suggest you reach out to the Nashville Songwriters Association, International, at www.nashvillesongwriters.com. They have some amazing programs for aspiring songwriters. Will there be or was there a tribute for Jan Howard? Jeff Hoag, the outstanding new nighttime announcer on AM650 WSM, did a marvelous radio tribute to Jan not long after she passed. I don’t know for sure, but I would imagine that show is still available in the WSM archives. Mandy Barnett recently honored Jan by singing “Evil On Your Mind” on the televised Grand Ole Opry. I collect country music DVD’s, but I do not have any of Bill Anderson. Have you ever done any DVD’s and, if not, why? I assume you mean full-concert DVD’s, and I have done only one. That was on the occasion of my 40th anniversary as a Grand Ole Opry member back in 2001. It was titled, “Bill Anderson – 40 Years Of Hits LIVE.” It was released by Varese-Sarabande Records in California, but my guess is that it is probably out of print.

Thanks for getting the New Year off to a good start with your questions. I’ve about exhausted all the ones in my files from 2020, though, so send me some new ones. You can write to me at askbill@billanderson.com or at P.O. Box 888, Hermitage, TN. 37076. Fill up my mailbox, and we’ll see you back here next time.

December 12, 2020

 

Like the rest of the world, I am shocked and saddened to learn about the death of Charley Pride. He and I went back to the early days of his career in 1966 when he made his first nationwide appearance as a guest on my syndicated television show. In later years we toured together, shared music, and argued baseball endlessly. I saw first hand some of his early struggles as the first black performer in country music. My admiration for the way he handled himself during those years knows no bounds. I’ve lost a hero and a friend.

 

Bill Anderson Will Make You Smile With ‘It’s a Good Day to Have a Good Day’ Music Video [Exclusive Premiere] | TheBoot.com

WATCH: Bill Anderson Will Make You Smile With ‘It’s a Good Day to Have a Good Day’ Music Video [Exclusive Premiere]

Turn that frown upside down with Bill Anderson’s new “It’s a Good Day to Have a Good Day” music video! The adorable, goofy new clip is premiering exclusively on The Boot; press play above to watch.

December 1, 2020

Hi Gang:

It’s A Good Day To Have A Good Day….and I hope that’s exactly what you are having. Thanks for joining us for our final newsletter of this crazy year.

I hope by now you’ve heard our new song, “It’s A Good Day To Have A Good Day,” and if you haven’t seen the video, it will be coming to a screen near you within hours. It is set to debut on The Boot.com Dec. 2nd. The few who have seen it tell me they want to watch it over and over again because it “makes me feel good,” as one person told me. And if there ever was a time that we could all use a little “feel good” it’s right now.

The band and I really enjoyed recording the song and filming the video back in January, and I hope it shows. To all my band members, to our record producer and guitar player, Thomm Jutz, to Jamie Jean and his crew who filmed the recording session and added in all the good-time video clips….thanks for a great job.

A lyric video is on the way the first day of 2021. The words to the song will appear on the screen so you can have a good day singing along. I’m teasing and telling folks that I’m going to change the title then, though, and call it, “It’s A Good Year To Have A Good Year.” After 2020, we all need one!

Don’t forget to check out our “It’s A Good Day To Have A Good Day” merchandise on our website. We have everything from shirts and hoodies to cell phone covers, coffee cups, and socks. I hope you’ll order yours soon and encourage your friends to “have a good day” by displaying it.

I had some good days and nights going back to the Grand Ole Opry in October and November, but it looks as though those will be my last trips out there for awhile. For safety’s sake, the Opry has had to cut back on the number of people they allow backstage, and none of us will be permitted to bring our band members to the show for awhile. It wasn’t an easy decision for the Opry management, but it’s for the best with the COVID numbers continuing to rise in Tennessee and elsewhere. Hopefully things will reverse themselves soon and we can all go safely back to our Opry Home again. Meantime, I’ll sit by the fire and listen to the show just like you.

I also just learned that Country’s Family Reunion will discontinue airing on RFD-TV at the end of December. We had a great run there for 23-years (very few shows have ever lasted that long), and I appreciate more than you know your watching the programs and letting me know how much you enjoyed them. The shows will continue to air on Country Road TV and possibly in other places, so they won’t be disappearing completely. But they will no longer be on RFD.

Along with many of you, I was extremely saddened by the news of Opry member Hal Ketchum’s passing on Nov. 23rd. Hal and I wrote some songs together, including one of my favorites called, “The Paper,” which I recorded and released in my “Fine Wine” album some years back. Hal had one of the most uniquely creative minds that I’ve ever been around. I send my condolences to his wife and family.

Also, my former sound engineer, songwriting buddy, and friend to many of our members, Bobby Tomberlin, lost his mother last week. Our condolences to Bobby and his dad as well.

I hope each of you had a great Thanksgiving in spite of the restrictions imposed on us all by the coronavirus. I spent a quiet day at home, reading with appreciation your many kind messages, and stuffing my face with turkey, dressing, and all the trimmings. I missed our traditional big family gathering, but we’re already making plans for all of us to be together next year. How’s that for positive thinking?

Speaking of family, my grandson, Blake, began his senior year of high school basketball last month, and in his team’s first game he scored 21 points and pulled down 17 rebounds. I know he won’t do that in every game, and right now because of COVID they might not even play many more, but what a way to start the season! Granddaughter Hallie, who is twelve, has begun trying her hand at writing songs, and her early efforts are better than mine were when I was her age. And Granddaughter Caroline is preparing to go to work in the box office selling tickets to the Christmas events at the Opryland Hotel. I love having all my kids and grandkids so close now. I just hope they all stick around.

In closing, I wish for each of you a very Merry Christmas, and above all a safe and healthy one. May Santa’s sleigh be loaded down with vaccines that will help us put this dreaded virus in our rear view mirrors. And may 2021 truly be a Happy New Year for us all.

Thanks a BILLion for everything, and God bless.

Ask Bill – December 1, 2020

1) On some of the Country’s Family Reunion shows they show the guests signing posters during the break. Are any of these posters available or were they just for the guests to pass among themselves?

The posters originally had a two-fold purpose: A copy was given as a souvenir to each artist who participated in that particular taping, and the ones that were left over were donated to various charities to be used in their fundraising efforts. Larry Black tells me that they still have quite a few of the posters in their offices, but he has no idea what they might do with them…if anything.

2) Before XM and Sirius merged, you had a program called Bill Anderson Visits With The Legends on XM. I really enjoyed it. Are there plans to release that program on CD or bring it back to satellite?

I had two letters this month asking about those shows, and I appreciate your interest after all these years. Three of the programs, my visits with Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and The Oak Ridge Boys, were packaged together on CD’s and sold back in the day, but I have no idea where you might find one of those sets today. Perhaps try on E-bay.  A few of the episodes, such as my visits with George Jones and Glen Campbell, were aired on Willie’s Roadhouse when these great artists passed away. But so far as I know, there aren’t any plans to take the others out of the vault, at least not anytime soon.

3) Was Connie Smith ever asked to sit in on Country’s Family Reunion? And did you ever do lots of shows with her?

I have been told by our talent coordinators that they reached out to Connie’s people every time we were set to record a CFR show, but that her schedule never seemed to match up with ours. She would have been a wonderful guest. No, we didn’t do “lots” of shows together because in the beginning I did not want people to think of her as the “girl singer” in my band. Then after “Once A Day” hit, I didn’t want to be the “boy singer” in her band!! We did play a few shows together in her early days, but not as many as you might think.

Quickies: I’m just wondering if you’ll ever do a UK tour. I would love to see one of your shows. Thank you. I have toured in the UK several times over the years and always enjoyed my visits over there. Maybe I can explore the idea again when all the coronavirus concerns are behind us. What is your favorite hymn and your favorite Christmas song? If you know me, you know I’m reluctant to name my “favorite” anything because my favorite on Tuesday may not be my favorite on Friday. But I’d say “The Old Rugged Cross” and “Silent Night” probably fill the bill as my favorite hymn and favorite Christmas song. And I don’t see that changing anytime soon. How do you keep your singing voice in shape during the times of being unable to perform? I walk around the house whispering a lot! No, I’m kidding. That’s actually a great question, and I’ll admit to having been worried about it when I first went back on the Opry after seven months. I do play and sing at home quite a bit, particularly when I’m writing new songs, and while that’s not exactly like performing in public, it helps. You have a million dollar smile, but don’t you have to force it sometimes? How in the world can you keep smiling over and over again for pictures for so many fans? First, thank you. I am basically a happy person, and most of the time smiling comes easy for me. I’m honored when people want to take my picture, and I try to show my appreciation by smiling. Somewhere someone is bound to have a picture of me with a big ol’ frown on my face, but hopefully they’ll keep it to themselves and not spread it around.

I always smile when you send me your questions, and I appreciate every one of them. I’m looking forward to starting off 2021 with a batch of new ones, so please send me yours. Just e-mail me at askbill@billanderson.com or write me at P.O. Box 888, Hermitage, TN. 37076. Thanks, and I’ll see you back here next year!