Bill Anderson's Blog, page 38
October 10, 2017
Latest Photos
There’s nothing I enjoy more than having time to spend with my grandkids. I thought you might enjoy seeing Hallie’s reaction to a personally autographed picture of Dolly Parton that I gave her recently. Hallie is only eight years old, but her two favorite country singers are Dolly and Loretta Lynn. Somebody is raising that kid right! Sophie likes to cut up and have fun, as you can see in these pictures with the funny-looking glasses. She liked wearing them herself, but she really got tickled when PawPaw put them on. Special kids and special memories. I wouldn’t trade them for anything.
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October 10, 2017
Hi Gang:
Sorry the newsletter is late this month, but I stayed out in California between our show in Modesto on the 1st and our festival appearance in San Francisco on the 7th in search of a little rest and relaxation. I needed it, and I got it.
I left just in time, though, what with all the fires now burning through the area where I was staying. I sure hope they can get them under control before they destroy some of the prettiest places I’ve ever seen.
It’s been a tough time for all of us in country music following the senseless shooting in Las Vegas. Going onstage outdoors in San Francisco wasn’t the easiest thing I’ve ever done, but if we give in, then the crazies win. And none of us want that to happen. Fortunately, the fans were great, the security folks did an outstanding job, and the three-day Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival came off without a hitch.
It was a different type audience for us, but I think they liked our music, and hopefully we’ll get invited back. It’s an annual event that’s been going on out there for 17-years. Lots of folks from Nashville took part…including Emmylou Harris, Jamey Johnson, Bobby Osborne, Steve Earle, Jon Randall, Kevin Welch, Buddy Miller, and others. The music was wonderful, the weather was spectacular, and best of all…It was totally FREE to the public!
And speaking of out west, our scheduled September 29th date in Palmer Lake, Colorado, was postponed and has been rescheduled for May 19thof next year.
I’ve had lots of ups and downs in my personal life these past few weeks, and my having taken a little time off is going to help me deal with them better now that I’m home. My daughter, Terri, came through her back surgery all right, but a few days after going home she developed an infection in her abdomen and had to return to the hospital. After a few days of testing, the doctors decided they needed to operate again, and they did. Two major surgeries in less than a month is tough, and Terri will be continuing to recuperate for several more weeks. Thanks to so many of you who have told me that you are keeping her in your prayers.
My grandson, Gabe, and my friend, Vickie, are continuing their fights against cancer, and again your prayers mean more than you know. Thank you.
On a happier note, my book, “Whisperin’ Bill – An Unprecedented Life In Country Music,” has been given a wonderful honor that I want to share with you. The Association of Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC) has named our book the winner of their 2017 Best History in Recorded Country Music Award “in recognition of exceptional achievement and significant contribution to the advancement of knowledge of the history of recorded sound.” That’s a lot of fancy language, but basically I think they liked what Peter Cooper and I wrote. There will be an official presentation next Spring up in Baltimore, and I hope my schedule will allow me to go there. It’s always nice when you can thank folks in person.
We’ll be easing up on our 2017 tour season the middle of this month which will give me time to hopefully write a few new songs and get back into the recording studio. I’ve finished a couple of new sides, but I don’t have enough information as to when they will be released to talk about them just yet. We’ve got some new merchandise (newly designed t-shirts already available and some new hats on the way) as well as our new music. Don’t do all your Christmas shopping until you see what we have. We’ll be announcing the rest of it soon.
If you’ve followed me and our newsletters for any time at all you know that this is my favorite season of the year. Football is in full swing, the baseball playoffs are underway, the leaves are beginning to show off their color, and the temperatures are giving us some good sleeping weather. I hope each of you has a colorful, peaceful autumn and that the Good Lord blesses you with the health to enjoy it to its fullest. Thanks for everything you continue to do for me, and my best to you all.
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Ask Bill – October 10
1) Acuff-Rose publishers kept little scraps of unfinished songs by Hank Williams, and they had other artists such as Bob Dylan and Vince Gill try to finish the lyrics and provide melodies to the songs. Do you have notebooks of unfinished songs that may get left behind for future songwriters to try and complete for you in a similar way?
I’ve got hundreds of unfinished song ideas lying around, but who is to say whether or not any of them are worth finishing? Styles change, trends and fashions change, and what I wrote years ago might well be out of style by the time somebody uncovers it. Everything of mine will be left to my children and grandchildren. Maybe one of them will inherit my creative itch and want to scratch it.
2) Do you get credit for the songs of yours played on the Echo Dot?
Oh yes, I get CREDIT. I get all the credit I can eat! But do I get any royalties? Maybe a few pennies, but nothing to write home about.
3) Can you give me an update on Mo Pitney? The first time I saw him he reminded me of what country music used to be.
He reminded me of the same thing which is one reason I tried to help jump-start his career. I don’t see him as often as I once did, but so far as I know he is still recording and touring. He told me he was going on his first overseas tour not long ago and sounded excited about that. He was planning to take his family, including his young wife and their baby daughter. He is also going with us on our Country’s Family Reunion cruise in January.
4) After your concert in St. Petersburg, Florida, got canceled earlier this year I’m wondering if you will be coming back here.
Sometimes when shows get canceled they are rescheduled for a later time. We had that happen twice this year, but I have no idea whether the folks in St. Pete will do that or not. I do know we’ll have other shows in Florida next year, including one in The Villages on March 1st. Come see us over there. It’s just a few hours away.
Thanks for all your questions, and keep ’em coming. Send yours to askbill@billanderson.com or to me at P.O. Box 888, Hermitage, TN. 37076, and I’ll do my best to answer. Stay curious.
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September 5, 2017
Latest Photos
Top: A look at part of the record-breaking crowd that turned out for our show at the Windsor Harvest Picnic in Windsor, Illinois, last month. Officials say it was the largest crowd in the long history of the event. Middle: I’ve always wanted to walk in somewhere unannounced and see someone reading one of my books. A fan caught this picture inside the Minneapolis airport. I wonder if the cocktail made the book seem better? Right: I caught up with my longtime friend, Wanda Jackson, earlier this year, and she told me of her autobiography which will be coming out this fall. It’s bound to be an incredible book because she is an incredible lady. Bottom: Linda Davis and her husband, Lang Scott, paused recently for a picture backstage at the Opry. They are, of course, the parents of Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum, and back in the 80’s, Lang was the very first winner on the You Can Be A Star talent series seen on the Nashville Network.
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September 12, 2017
Hi Gang:
I decided to wait until the Labor Day holiday was in your rear view mirror before I came knocking on your mailbox again. I hope everybody had a terrific holiday,
even though our friends in Texas, Louisiana, and now Florida are suffering
. Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone victimized by the terrible wind, rain, and subsequent flooding down there. May God be with you all.
I hardly know where to start my letter, but I think I need to begin by thanking some folks who went above and beyond for me during August. Many of you know that in late July, Susan Johnson, the wife of our keyboard player, Ziggy Johnson, was rushed to the hospital with a ruptured esophagus. Unfortunately, her condition worsened from there, and for the nine weeks she was in intensive care, Ziggy had to limit his travel and other work in the music business. Sadly, Susan passed away around midnight September 8th.
Any of you who would like to express your condolences can write Ziggy at P. O. Box 888, Hermitage, TN. 37076, and I will see that he receives your message. He and Susan were married for 26-years and had one daughter, Samantha, 23.
Zig’s brother, Dirk, who was once the piano player my band, jumped on board and traveled with us to several shows, and Kenzie Wetz, who has played fiddle with us on the Opry for several years, pitched in and hit the road with us, too, when we really needed her. Dirk and Kenzie, I know I thanked you, but allow me to do it one more time publicly. You are two very unselfish and talented folks, and I am indebted to you both.
Thanks to all of you who have come to our shows this summer. We’ve had excellent crowds (see attached pictures), and that always makes for a fun time. Later this month we’ll visit Kentucky, Ohio, Colorado, and California. I hope you folks in those areas will come join us whenever and wherever you can. Details of our concert dates are always available on the Tour page of our website at www.billanderson.com.
We were in the studio recording Version #2 of our CFR Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting shows in August when we were told that Version #1 will be shown in several hundred movie theaters across the country on September 27th. This is an exciting breakthrough for us, and I hope you’ll visit www.prayermeetingmovie.com to see if there’s a screening in your area. If so, it will be a great night out for your whole family.
Over the next few weeks I plan to spend a good deal time gathering song material for a new studio album I plan to record later this fall. I’m going to go back and listen to a lot of my old songs that fell through the cracks and either never got recorded or rarely got heard. I’ve got a bunch of those, believe me. We’ve got some exciting plans for some accompanying videos as well. Meantime, we plan to release a double-CD of the recordings I made for my audiobook in both vocal and full instrumental versions.
We’ll include the lyrics to all the songs so you can sing along (and whisper along) with the instrumentals, something we’ve never done before. Stay tuned.
All of us in Nashville were saddened by the recent passing of longtime CMA Executive Director, Jo Walker-Meador, a wonderful lady who championed country music (and Bill Anderson!) all around the world for many years. Jo was a dear friend and one to whom we all owe more than we could ever repay.
Thanks for continuing to ask about my friend, Vickie, and my grandson, Gabe, and their battles with cancer. Both are continuing their treatments, Gabe having had a rough few weeks causing him to miss several days of school. He’s a fighter, though, and with your positive thoughts and prayers he’ll win this battle someday. My daughter, Terri, will be having some serious back surgery on the 18th of this month, and I ask that you send up a special prayer for her as well.
Don’t forget to get your tickets for our big New Years Eve show in Branson, and we’ll see you back here again next month. Thanks so much for everything.
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September 5, 2017
Hi Gang:
I decided to wait until the Labor Day holiday was in your rear view mirror before I came knocking on your mailbox again. I hope everybody had a terrific holiday, even though our friends in Texas and Louisiana are suffering. Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone victimized by the terrible wind, rain, and subsequent flooding down there. May God be with you all.
I hardly know where to start my letter, but I think I need to begin by thanking some folks who went above and beyond for me during August. Many of you know that in late July, Susan Johnson, the wife of our keyboard player, Ziggy Johnson, was rushed to the hospital with a ruptured esophagus. Unfortunately, her condition has worsened from there, and more than eight weeks later she is still in intensive care. Obviously, Ziggy has had to limit his travel and other work in the music business.
Zig’s brother, Dirk, who was once the piano player my band, jumped on board and traveled with us to several shows, and Kenzie Wetz, who has played fiddle with us on the Opry for several years, pitched in and hit the road with us, too, when we really needed her. Dirk and Kenzie, I know I thanked you, but allow me to do it one more time publicly. You are two very unselfish and talented folks, and I am indebted to you both.
Thanks to all of you who have come to our shows this summer. We’ve had excellent crowds (see attached pictures), and that always makes for a fun time. Later this month we’ll visit Kentucky, Ohio, Colorado, and California. I hope you folks in those areas will come join us whenever and wherever you can. Details of our concert dates are always available on the Tour page of our website at www.billanderson.com.
We were in the studio recording Version #2 of our CFR Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting shows in August when we were told that Version #1 will be shown in several hundred movie theaters across the country on September 27th. This is an exciting breakthrough for us, and I hope you’ll visit www.prayermeetingmovie.com to see if there’s a screening in your area. If so, it will be a great night out for your whole family.
Over the next few weeks I plan to spend a good deal time gathering song material for a new studio album I plan to record later this fall. I’m going to go back and listen to a lot of my old songs that fell through the cracks and either never got recorded or rarely got heard. I’ve got a bunch of those, believe me. We’ve got some exciting plans for some accompanying videos as well. Meantime, we plan to release a double-CD of the recordings I made for my audiobook in both vocal and full instrumental versions.
We’ll include the lyrics to all the songs so you can sing along (and whisper along) with the instrumentals, something we’ve never done before. Stay tuned.
All of us in Nashville were saddened by the recent passing of longtime CMA Executive Director, Jo Walker-Meador, a wonderful lady who championed country music (and Bill Anderson!) all around the world for many years. Jo was a dear friend and one to whom we all owe more than we could ever repay.
Thanks for continuing to ask about my friend, Vickie, and my grandson, Gabe, and their battles with cancer. Both are continuing their treatments, Gabe having had a rough few weeks causing him to miss several days of school. He’s a fighter, though, and with your positive thoughts and prayers he’ll win this battle someday. My daughter, Terri, will be having some serious back surgery on the 18th of this month, and I ask that you send up a special prayer for her as well.
Don’t forget to get your tickets for our big New Years Eve show in Branson, and we’ll see you back here again next month. Thanks so much for everything.
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Ask Bill – September 5
1) Do Hall of Fame songwriters like yourself actually take the time to listen to songs that people give you at concerts and personal appearances, or do you just politely accept them and say “Thanks?”
There was a time when I tried my best to listen to every song people gave me, but to be perfectly honest, I really don’t have time to do that anymore. I listen to as many as I can, but usually I refer the writers to the Nashville Songwriters Association. They have a professional staff that listens and critiques songs and gives advice for those seeking a career in songwriting. Their address is www.nashvillesongwriters.com. They are a wonderful organization.
2) I am looking for copies of some fan club Whisper Journals from back in 2001. Unfortunately, I let my fan club membership lapse and missed issues during that time. Can you help me?
I’ll bet some of our fans can help. If any of you out there have copies you’d like to share, let me know and I’ll hook you up with this person. As always, you can write me atwhisperinbill@aol.com. Thanks.
3) Which song causes you the most emotion…”Papaw’s Sunday Boots” or “Mama Sang A Song?”
Both of those songs are close to me personally because I wrote one about my grandfather and the other about my mother. Either one can cause me to tear-up when I perform them because both people were so special in my life. But then sometimes I tear-up singing “Peel Me A ‘Nanner” too! Not really, but by nature I’m a pretty emotional guy. Maybe that’s how I was able to write those songs in the first place.
I always appreciate your questions. Send me yours at askbill@billanderson.com and I’ll try to get to them as soon as I can. Thanks, and stay curious.
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August 1, 2017
August 1, 2017
Hi Gang:
Has it been as hot where you are as it has been in Whisperville? I know…it’s summertime and it’s supposed to be hot, but I’m ready for my favorite season of the year to hurry up and get here and cool things off!
I did get a taste of cooler weather when I flew out to San Diego for some business meetings the last weekend in July. The highs were in the 70’s and the lows in the 60’s. It was nice. On the way back to Nashville, I crossed paths with my pilot/son, Jamey, at the airport in Atlanta. I’ve attached a picture I thought you might like.
We had some good times on the road back in July, starting with a great trip to Montgomery and a fun show with our friend, Gene Watson. Then we worked our first county fair of the season in Batesville, Arkansas a week later. Thanks to all of you who came out to see us. This month we’re heading north, and looking forward to seeing lots of you in Indiana, Illinois, South Dakota, and Minnesota.
I’ve been in the studio recently recording some new music, including a duet with David Frizzell for a new tribute project to David’s brother, Lefty. Naturally, we teamed up on “Saginaw, Michigan,” which was Lefty’s last #1 record and a song I co-wrote with Don Wayne.
The great Freddie “Easy Lovin” Hart came in from California and was at the studio the same day as I, and he cut a marvelous new song he wrote about Lefty, his longtime friend. It’s hard to look at Freddie and believe he’s 90-years old now. He hasn’t changed a bit, and he’s still in great shape. For those who might not know, Freddie has a black belt in karate, and he still looks like he could take out a whole country band by himself!
I received some sad news while I was on the west coast. Steve Chapman, who played guitar in my Po’ Boys band back in the early 70’s, passed away. Ironically, someone sent me a picture of us on stage just a few days before I heard of Steve’s passing, and I’ve included it here.
So what’s coming up this month? Well, how about six performances at the Grand Ole Opry (August 1st, 5th, 9th,11th, 15th and 29th) and those four concerts on the road (Aug 18th, 19th, 26th, and 27th)? Check the Tour page at www.billanderson.com for the details. We’ll also be taping a second Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting series for Country’s Family Reunion on the 23rd. This is totally by popular demand. The original series was one of the most well-received of any we’ve ever done. We’re all looking forward to doing it again.
On the personal side, my grandson, Gabe, continues to need your prayers as some of the newer cancer treatments don’t seem to be working as well as we had hoped. Also, my friend, Vickie Salas, whom many of you have met over the past ten years, is also undergoing cancer treatments and could use a prayer or two herself. I think I’ll have some t-shirts made saying, “I HATE CANCER”!
Thanks for everything and my best to all. See you back here next month.
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