Bill Anderson's Blog, page 4

Ask Bill – March 3, 2025

1) The Malpass Brothers did “Tips Of My Fingers” on their RFD-TV show recently. Will you be a guest on their show anytime soon?

Chris and Taylor Malpass are two of my favorite people on Planet Earth, and I would love to be a guest on their show. They have invited me several times, but so far we’ve not been able to match my schedule with theirs. Too, they record their show in Texas which is not exactly next door to Whisperville. We’ll keep working on it, though, and hopefully we can make it happen sooner rather than later.

2) The country music industry seems to prefer soprano female voices over the lower voices. Why is that? Or am I wrong?

No, I don’t think you are wrong, although there are some exceptions. I once tried to get a record label interested in recording Kenzie Wetz, who was my fiddle player at the time, and the owner of one of the most intimate, soulful but lower voices that I’ve ever heard. Everywhere I took her, though, I got the same answer: “She’s not a blonde, and her voice is so different. I’m not sure we’d know what to do with her.”  Well, duh, just help her find some great songs and allow her to be herself. But it never happened, further proof that Nashville loves to play “follow the leader.” Maybe that will change someday, but I’m not holding my breath.

3) Can you please tell me the origin of the great song, “The Cold Hard Facts Of Life?”

I assume you’re asking why I wrote it, and I’m not really sure I know. I liked the title, and as I fooled around with it, the story just started taking shape in my mind. Next thing I knew I had written a dark song about a man who catches his wife cheating on him and decides to kill her and all the people associated with her. As the song began to draw to a close, I remember having no idea at all as to how I was going to end it. I think the Good Lord was just looking after me when the line, “Who taught who the cold hard facts of life?” popped into my head. Porter Waggoner was the perfect artist for me to pitch the song to, and he loved it from the get-go. The rest, as they say, is history.

4) Our Letter Of The Month comes from Paul in Pennsylvania who writes: My father is 92 and is a huge fan of yours.  His 3 sons and daughter-in-law take care of him in his home. Each evening around 7:30 my father turns on the TV and quietly speaks into the remote, “Whispering Bill Anderson.” He then selects from the multiple choices and we spend the remainder of the evening with you and your crew. You have 4 new fans thanks to dad and the quality time we are blessed to spend with him. Thanks for listening, and if you are ever in Pennsylvania, look us up and stop by for a good ole country meal!

What a super nice letter, Paul. Thank you for writing, and please give your dad my best. What time do we eat??

Quickies: Is Country’s Family Reunion still being recorded? I love it, but don’t know where to find more current versions. No, we recorded our last shows in 2021, but you can find 23-years worth of classic CFR programs through Country Road TV. Check them out online at www.countryroadtv.com. Are you coming anywhere near Parkersburg, West Virginia? I love that part of the country, but I’m not currently touring anywhere right now. When are you going to join us on the country music cruise? There are so many different country music cruises these days that I’m not sure just which one you are referring to. For my answer, though, see the answer just before this one. Do the artists still go to Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, sit and visit with the fans and write their names on the wall like they did in the old days? I don’t think so. First, Tootsie’s has become such a tourist attraction that there’s probably not any room for the artists to gather there today the way they did back in the 60’s and early 70’s. Second, many of those gatherings were between Opry spots at the Ryman, which sits just across the alley. With the Opry in a different part of town these days, many artists are simply not in the downtown area they way they used to be. And besides, there’s hardly any room left on the walls for anyone to write their names anymore! Do you still write songs with tablet and pen or have you graduated to the computer? I still write with a pencil (one with a big eraser) and a sheet of lined paper. When I get home from a writing session, though, I transfer what I’ve written onto my computer. I’m not totally computer illiterate, but as I once told Brad Paisley when he was having issues with his laptop, my pencil and paper have never crashed! Do the names Roy and Vaughn Horton mean anything to you? Roy Horton is my grandfather. Yes they do. I served several terms on the CMA Board of Directors with your grandfather, a renowned music publisher, and I liked and admired him very much. His brother, Vaughn, was a great songwriter (Mocking Bird Hill, Sugarfoot Rag, Hillbilly Fever) and is in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Have you ever flown on Delta when your son, Jamey, was one of the pilots? Yes, one time. I became very emotional as we were roaring down the runway and I realized the man at the controls of this big jet was once the little boy who built airports and runways for his toy planes on my living room floor. I’ve gotten to live my dream in country music, and he is living his now in skies all over the world. We have both been very, very blessed.

Thanks again for all your questions and comments this month. We’ll do it again in April if you’ll supply us with some more good material. Send your questions and letters to askbill@billanderson.com. If yours is chosen our Question Of The Month or Letter Of The Month, you’ll receive any item of your choice from our online store absolutely free. Stay curious, and let me hear from you.

March 3, 2025

Hi Gang:

March came in like a lamb here in Whisperville which, after a cold and snowy February, was extra nice. Only problem is, if the old saying holds true, it will go out like a lion here in a few weeks. I can’t say that I’m looking forward to that! Regardless, I  hope it’s a great month for you wherever you are.

Well, I ended up not getting away to a warmer climate like I had planned to do in February, but I sure had an interesting and exciting time staying at home. The week of February 10th, I had five songs that I wrote or co-wrote recorded! I don’t recall a week since maybe back in the sixties when that many Bill Anderson songs were preserved for history in one fell swoop. Plus, I paused mid-week to work on recording two demonstration records on a pair of new songs that I hope you’ll be hearing before too long as well.

Four of the new master recordings were songs I co-wrote with my buddy, Jamey Johnson, and he sang each one of them in his own, totally unique country style. And when I say “country,” I mean “country.” Producer Buddy Cannon put together an incredible band, and let ’em pick! I’m not sure when these cuts might be released, but you’re in for a treat whenever they are.

And speaking of bands, the young bluegrass group, Cutter & Cash And Kentucky Grass, also got into the studio and put a new spin on my hit from the seventies, “Corner Of My Life.” They touched up the lyric a bit to make it sound “younger,” and I think it’s just what the song needed for today’s market.  Like I told you a couple of newsletters back, even after all these years it’s still special for me to have a recording artist stake a portion of his or her career on something I helped to create. I’ll let you know when to be listening for these songs…and hopefully you’ll like what you hear.

(I hope you take my sharing these items with you in the spirit with which it is intended. I go back to a letter I received from one of our members in 2022. He said, “Always remember, Bill, when something good happens to you, it happens to all your fans as well.” That’s very special…and I appreciate it more than you know.)

Speaking of our members, I happen to know that many of you subscribe to a newspaper called “Real Country Music News,” and I want you to be aware that the April issue will have my picture on the cover and a big story about me and my career inside. This is the latest incarnation of the paper that Larry Black started back in the Country’s Family Reunion days, and which is now spearheaded by Renae Johnson, the waitress from Larry’s Country Diner. I appreciate Renae, her photographer husband, Phil, and writer, Scot England, taking the time to create this new article about me. I hope you’ll enjoy reading it and maybe even learning a few things you didn’t know. You can call 615-579-5497 to get your copy.

(After I wrote that paragraph, I learned that my story will be a two-parter and featured in both the April and May issues. It’s the first time RCMN has ever had one artist’s story run across two issues. I am truly honored.)

I’ll be on the Grand Ole Opry several times this month…March 1st (Ooops, that’s come and gone already), March 15th, and March 29. In addition, a three-hour television special will air live on NBC-TV March 19th saluting the Opry’s 100th anniversary. Come see us and tune us in whenever you can.

In between those dates, I may try again to sneak off and soak up a little sunshine unless, of course, some more great artists come along wanting to record another batch of Whispersongs. Not sure I could run out on that!!

Thanks for everything….now and “Forevermore!”

P.S. – I have some good news to share regarding our former keyboard player, Dirk Johnson. If you remember a few months back I told you that Dirk was in need of a liver transplant. Well, he was finally able to get one on February 20th, and so far all is going well. His wife, Gail, who is our current fiddle player, has kept me informed throughout the process, and the latest news is that Dirk is now back home and says he feels better than he has in years. Thanks for continuing to keep Dirk and his family in your prayers. 

Latest Photos

Jeannie Seely called a couple of days before we were both scheduled to be on the Grand Ole Opry last month and asked if I would come on her portion and sing our duet version of “When Two Worlds Collide.” I couldn’t turn down an invitation like that…even if it meant I’d be an hour later getting home…and I think the looks on our faces here show how much we enjoyed sharing the spotlight again for the first time in a long time. Jeannie’s life has been a bit topsy-turvy lately what with the passing of her husband, Gene Ward, and some health issues she’s been facing, so it was good to see her smile for awhile. She is a very special person.

Three University of Georgia Bulldogs joined forces to write a new song recently….Steve Dorff, Trisha Yearwood, and yours truly. It was a great day full of stories and laughter, and we ended up with a pretty good song. Stay tuned, and I’ll let you know if and when somebody decides to record it.

Jeanne Pruitt invited her Opry co-horts and music business friends to a celebration of her 90th birthday back on January 30th. I don’t know how she escaped being in this picture with me, Nancy Jones, and John Conlee, but she did. It was a wonderful gathering with lots of good food, memories, and laughter, and Jeanne looked beautiful. She promised to invite us all back again to celebrate the next 90 years!

The young bluegrassers, Cutter and Cash, not only re-worked and recorded my hit from the 70’s, “Corner Of My Life,” for their upcoming album, but they also asked me to do a short recitation at the beginning of “Ain’t You Even Gonna Cry,” the old Johnny Russell song. When they first invited me, I asked Cutter what key they sang the song in. He replied, “B-flat.” I mustered up the saddest tone I could get in my voice and said, “I’m sorry, but I can’t talk in B-flat.” For just a minute there he believed me, and then he broke out laughing when he realized I was only yanking his chain. He says if he ever writes a book, that’s going to be the first story he tells. But I’ve now beaten him to it! (You can see from the picture that I did what he asked!)

Latest Photos

When the Opry asked me to choose any song I’d like to sing to open the Opry’s 100th Anniversary year, I chose to try and recreate what the first Opry show in 1925 might have sounded like. There was only an old-time fiddler named Uncle Jimmy Thompson that night, so I stood back in the shadows while the fiddle player in my band, Gail Johnson, stood center stage in the spotlight alone and played an old tune Uncle Jimmy might have played called “Leather Britches.” After about 30 seconds, I stepped into the spotlight beside her and with only her fiddle for accompaniment I sang, “Just an old-time fiddle player/Back in 1925/Now one-hundred long years later/What he started is still alive.” I borrowed the melody to “Will The Circle Be Unbroken,” and it was one of the most thrilling moments I’ve ever experienced in my 63-year career as an Opry member. A photographer captured this picture from backstage. I thought by sharing it with you, perhaps you’d feel as close to history as I did.

I spent a wonderful morning recently with two of my favorite people, Jim Lauderdale (L) and Buddy Miller (R) as we recorded their Outlaw Country radio program “The Buddy & Jim Show” for Sirius/XM. These guys really know their country music, and we got into some deep catalog musically as well as in conversation. I hope you were able to hear some of our four-hour visit which is probably still available in the archives. I can’t wait to go back and do it again sometime.

The Nashville music community gathered at the Opry house last week to pay tribute to one of the finest to ever walk among us, the late Buck White of The Whites. A great singer, mandolin picker, piano player, and even greater human being, Buck passed away on January 13th. This picture was taken several years ago when the Whites (Buck with his daughters, Sharon & Cheryl) joined me to perform “Mama Sang A Song,” for one of our Country’s Family Reunion television shows. Opry Backstage is not nearly as jovial a place without Buck’s smile, laughter, and practical joking to light up the nights. The girls plan to continue the legacy, however, and for that we’re all thankful. 

Ask Bill – February 3, 2025

1) I’m curious as to how you got your start in the music business. I’ve heard that you discovered Connie Smith. Did someone discover you? No they didn’t. Songwriting was the key that opened the door for my entry into this crazy, wacky, wonderful world back in the late 1950’s. I was 19-years old and had written a song called “City Lights” which Ray Price recorded and took to #1 on the country charts. I came to Nashville and began showing some of my other songs to the artists, publishers, and record executives around town. And now all these years later, I’m still here doing the exact same thing. It’s been a wonderful life and an extremely satisfying way to have made a living.

2) In your January newsletter you mentioned several “collaborations” in songwriting. Are these collaborations done in person, over the internet, or some other means of communication? Which do you find usually produces the best results? This is a question that wouldn’t have even been asked a few years ago, but I guess with today’s technology, people can write songs together from opposite sides of the world if they want to. I have written via a Zoom call with a writer on the other side of Nashville, and it was fun, but I much prefer to be sitting next to my co-writer in a room somewhere where we can drink coffee, tell jokes, and eat junk food. I don’t know that we write better songs that way, but to me it’s a lot more fun.

3) Of all the Opry members who have passed on, is there one in particular that you miss the most? Or that maybe you spent more time with, or bonded more with? Neither were Opry members, but hardly a day goes by that I don’t remember and/or quote something either Roger Miller or Jimmy Dean said or did. They were two of my closest country music friends…Roger more so in the early days and Jimmy later on. They both had such quick wits about them, and were always coming up with something creative and funny. I once hosted a late night TV show with both Roger and Jimmy as my guests. It was called “Reach A Star,” and if you can find it on YouTube or somewhere you should set aside 90-minutes sometime and watch it. It’s hilarious, and probably my favorite TV show I’ve ever been a part of.

4) Question Of The Month: This month’s question comes from Sinda in North Carolina who asks: “Who determines who will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame? Is there anything that we, the public, can do to influence those who make the decisions or are we pretty much at their mercy?” The Hall of Fame inducts three new members each year. One new member is chosen from the Veterans category (artists who gained prominence in country music 45-years ago or prior to 1980), one from the Modern Era category (artists who have succeeded in the business for at least 20-years, currently between 1980 and 2005), and one person every third year from three rotating categories: Musician, Songwriter, and Business Leader. Fans can write letters to the Country Music Association asking that certain people be considered for Hall of Fame membership, and those names will be presented to the nominating committee, so you are not totally “at their mercy.” The Hall is charged with recognizing those whose careers have been Hall of Fame quality while, at the same time, keeping the membership at a level to where it is truly meaningful. It’s not an easy line to walk.

Quickies: You mention in the photo section of your fan letter standing in the circle at the Grand Ole Opry House. Is that the same circle that Little Jimmy Dickens helped to put in place? Jimmy helped put it BACK in place following the flood that soaked the Opry House in 2010. The circle is made of boards that were originally in the Opry’s home at the Ryman Auditorium, and with that kind of pedigree, extreme care was taken to remove it ahead of the waters rushing into the building. After the waters receded and the entire backstage area was remodeled, Little Jim and Brad Paisley helped return the circle to its rightful home at center stage. So many people have recorded your songs over the years. I wonder if Elvis ever cut one? Yes he did….Elvis Costello! Sadly, Elvis Presley never did. I sure wish he had. I know you didn’t write, “Golden Guitar,” but do you know where Curtis Leach and Billy Gray got the idea for the song? I’ve tried to find out many times over the years, but I’ve never gotten a definitive answer. Curtis was killed four days before my record was released, and I was never able to track Billy down to ask him. Most people want to know if it was based on a true story, and I’d like to know that myself. Unfortunately, I don’t. Once an artist is invited and joins the Opry are they supposed to perform a certain number of times that year? Do you pay a membership fee and get paid for each performance? Currently Opry artists are expected to perform at least ten times per year in order to keep their membership. No one pays a membership fee and, yes, the performers and musicians get paid for each performance. You always look so vibrant and healthy! Do you have some good advice for your fans on how to stay that way? None that you haven’t already heard from your doctor or nutritionist or read about somewhere. Thank you for your kind words. I’ve been very blessed. Have you ever been in the movies? Yes, and the popcorn was great!!

On that silly note I’ll wrap up this month’s edition of Ask Bill. If you’re wondering about anything connected to me, my career, or country music in general, let us know by sending your question to me in care of askbill@billanderson.com and I’ll do my best to answer. If yours is chosen our Question Of The Month, you will receive absolutely free any item of your choosing from our online store. Thanks, and hopefully the winds of March will blow you our way again next month.

February 3, 2025

Hi Gang:

Well, it’s the Month Of Love what with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, and I love the fact that I get to visit with you again through the pages of our February fan club newsletter. It’s been a pretty chilly winter in Whisperville so far, but hopefully bright sunshine and warmer temperatures aren’t far away.

I hope lots of you got to listen back on January 3rd when they honored me by letting me sing the first song to kick off the Grand Ole Opry’s 100th anniversary year from the Ryman Auditorium. I wrote some new verses to the Opry standard, “Will The Circle Be Unbroken,” and in tribute to that first Opry show back in 1925, I sang the first verse with only a fiddle accompanying me. (We’ve got a picture later in our photo section). Before the song was over, the entire evening’s cast was on stage singing with me. It was a special Opry Moment and only the first of what promises to be an incredible Opry year. I’m looking forward to taking part in as many of the various Opry100 celebrations as I can.

Speaking of the Opry, here’s an interesting tidbit: I am the oldest Opry member in terms of service at almost 64-years, and my granddaughter, Hallie, at age 16 is the youngest person to ever have been employed to work inside the Opry House. She serves as part of the hospitality team as an usher/ticket taker on show nights. Guess the two of us are the Opry book-ends!

This cold winter weather has kept me indoors a lot lately, and I find it has helped spark a little creativity in my songwriting soul. That plus knowing I’ve got a great record coming out by Barbra Streisand and Tim McGraw this Spring. Things like that inspire me too. I’ve written recently with Brad Paisley, Jamey Johnson, Bobby Tomberlin and more, with upcoming dates booked with Trisha Yearwood, Steve Wariner, and Steve Dorff. Plus, I don’t guess there’s any rule against writing by myself, so I might just try a bit of that as well. Songwriting is one of my favorite indoor sports!

There’s sure been a lot of downer news lately what with the terrible wildfires in California and another school shooting in Nashville. My heart goes out to all those involved. Plus, w e’ve had to say goodbye lately to two more of our country music compadres, Buck White of The Whites and the ultra-talented Melba Montgomery. On a happier note, I went to Jeanne Pruitt’s 90th birthday celebration on January 30th and she’s looking beautiful. Says she’s still cookin’ and feedin’ friends…and even invited me over for dinner! I couldn’t possibly turn that down!

If you’re roaming around the internet with nothing better to focus on anytime soon check out “Herb Day Country – Beyond The Stage.” Herb is a longtime d.j. and friend from Ohio, and I sat down with him on his podcast a few weeks back. You might enjoy eavesdropping on our conversation.

Our Opry dates this month are February 1st (ooops, you missed it) and the 8th. I hope to take a little time off later in the month and maybe head somewhere a bit warmer. See you back here again when March either roars in like a lion or tiptoes in like a lamb. Meantime, all my best and thanks for everything.

Grand Ole Opry kicks off 100th year with country legends, more at Ryman Auditorium event | The Tennessean

Grand Ole Opry kicks off 100th year with country legends, more at Ryman Auditorium event

Country Hall of Famers Bill Anderson, Charlie McCoy, Don Schlitz, Connie Smith were featured at a special Grand Ole Opry event kicking off year 100.

Legendary country music artist and Opry member Bill Anderson dishes on his past, touring, and his new EP, Forevermore. | Cowboys & Indians Magazine

Live From Nashville With Bill Anderson

Legendary country music artist and Opry member Bill Anderson dishes on his past, touring, and his new EP, Forevermore.

Ask Bill – January 1, 2025

1) Back in the day did you ever take trains while touring or was it all planes and busses by then?

It was automobiles, station wagons, and anything we could find with wheels on it in the beginning, but I do recall taking a train once back in the early sixties to a concert date in Moline, Illinois. I booked a sleeper from Nashville to Chicago and then a regular passenger seat from Chicago westward. We left Music City around 11 p.m. the night before and were scheduled to arrive in Chicago in the early morning. I woke up around seven o’clock and noticed the train was standing still. I assumed we had arrived, only to learn we had run into a snowstorm in southern Indiana and had barely moved all night. I ultimately made my connection (barely!) and got to the concert date on time, but I cut it extremely close. (Someday I’ll tell you about a return train trip to Nashville with the late Faron Young. That was another adventure to say the least!) I love trains, but they probably aren’t the best mode of transportation for traveling entertainers.

2) In recent years there have been a lot of uploads on YouTube of the old Ozark Jubilee TV shows. I’ve seen two episodes with you on there, one from 1959 where you sang “99 Years,” and one from 1960 with you lip syncing “The Tip Of My Fingers.” What do you remember about doing that show, and is that where you met Jimmy Gateley and thought, “Boy, I’d like to have him in my band someday”?

I remember how excited I was to be on a show that I had watched for years, and what a thrill it was to meet Red Foley, the host, whom I idolized. Those shows were in black and white, remember, and I was shocked to see just how “red” Mr. Foley’s hair was! I remember how nice Uncle Cyp and Aunt Sap Brasfield and several others were to me backstage. I don’t think Jimmy Gately and Harold Morrison, who were a duet act in those days, were on the show when I was, but I never thought of hiring Jimmy back then. That didn’t unfold until several years later.

3) Can you please tell me the story of the song, “Wild Weekend.”

I got the idea to write it back when I was on the Board of Directors of the Country Music Association, and we were flying to the Bahamas for a Board meeting. I was taking my wife with me, and telling our friends we were getting away on a “Wild Weekend.” The idea grew from there when I hit on the premise of writing a song about guy getting out of town with a “blonde haired blue eyed darling” and making it sound as though he were slipping away with a girl friend….and then revealing at the end that the “girl friend” was actually his wife. When I had finished writing it, I went in to play it for my producer, Owen Bradley, and he stopped me after the first chorus. “You can’t record a song like that,” he said firmly. “People know you for songs like ‘Mama Sang A Song’ and ‘Five Little Fingers.’ They won’t accept you singing about slipping out of town with a girl friend!” I asked him to listen to the rest of the song. After the second verse, he was just as adamant. “You cannot record that song!” he roared again. When he finally calmed down long enough to let me sing him the final verse, he realized what I was doing. He slammed his fist down on the desk and shouted, “That’s GREAT! It’s BRILLIANT! Let’s cut it!!” And the rest is history.

4) We don’t have a Question Of The Month again this time, but I did receive a funny letter I’d like to share with you. It’s our Letter Of The Month addressed to Ask Bill: “I really don’t have a question, but I’d like to share an experience that was due to a Bill Anderson song. My grandmother, who raised me, got onto me and made me mad. I told her, “It’s my life, throw it away if I want to!”, referring to a Bill Anderson song that I had heard. She proceeded to tear my butt up! I’ll never forget that! Thanks, Bill Anderson!”

Quickies: Do you still do any shows other than the Opry? No, not at the present time. How many musicians have been a member of the Po’ Folks through the years? I’m sure I probably forgot one or two, but as I tried to put a list together, I came up with a total of 41. That’s from 1964 to the present. When you look back over 60-plus years that’s really not all that many. I’ve been very fortunate to have some great players who have stayed with me for long periods of time. You are the longest serving member of the Opry and Jeannie Seely has performed there more than any other member. Why don’t you do duets? We did record “When Two Worlds Collide” together in one of her albums a few years ago, and we have sung it together several times on the Opry. Maybe we should work up some new ones?? Is there any singer that you have wanted to sing with and haven’t yet? I’d love to have the opportunity to sing with many of them, but no one in particular stands out.  Which venue do you like to play the best, the Ryman or the Opry House? And which one do you believe has the best sound? I prefer the Opry House because we can park right outside the backstage entrance and enjoy the overall creature comforts that a newer facility affords. The sound is probably best at the Ryman, though, because of its natural acoustics. It has long been recognized as one of the best sounding venues in the world. This is not a musical question, but one I’m sure your fans would be interested in. Being a performer and traveling a lot, I’m sure it would be hard to have a pet. But, over the years, have you had a special pet? If so, what would it be? My best buddy growing up was a ragged little black mixed-breed puppy that simply showed up in our driveway one Sunday afternoon. His tail was longer than he was, so, naturally, I named him Shorty. I fed him, bathed him, petted him, and he hung around for the next ten years or so. I delivered newspapers on my bicycle after school in those days, and Shorty ran along beside me every afternoon. I used to joke and say he could have delivered the papers without me. He knew where all our customers lived. The saddest day of my young life was the day a pick-up truck hit Shorty while we were on the paper route, and we had to have him put to sleep. I still get sad thinking about it. I haven’t had a pet of my own since then.

Thanks for your questions again this month. You’ve helped get the New Year off to a great start.. We’ll do this again in February, so let me know what you’re curious about, and I’ll try my best to respond. Write to me anytime at askbill@billanderson.com. Submit our Question Of The Month and you’ll win free merchandise of your choice from our online store. Stay inquisitive and I’ll see you back here next time.

January 1, 2025

Hi Gang:

And Happy New Year!!

You are probably surprised to be hearing from us on New Years Day, but we had a couple of messages we wanted to get out to you ahead of the upcoming weekend, and the only way to do it was for us to work on a holiday. I didn’t think you’d mind.

First, I want to make sure you are all aware of the Friday Night Opry coming up on January 3rd, and the fact that I’ll be kicking off the Opry’s 100th Anniversary year-long celebration by singing the first song of 2025. It will be something that I have created especially for this occasion, and I hope as many of you as possible will be tuned in. It will air live at 7 p.m. Central time on WSM-AM 650, on wsmonline.com, Opry.com, and on Sirius/XM’s Willie’s Roadhouse one hour later.

Then beginning on Saturday January 4th, I will be the special guest on Buddy Miller & Jim Lauderdale’s show airing on the Sirius/XM Outlaw channel. This is a two-hour special featuring all the cuts from my “Forevermore” EP plus a lot of older music and in-depth conversation with two of my very special friends. It will air six times during the week, so if you miss it on the 4th you’ll have other opportunities to catch it later on. I’ll also be in Outlaw Country with my own four-hour DJ show on January 17th.

Now….let me catch my breath and say that I hope each of you had a wonderfully Merry Christmas and that Santa filled your stocking full of all kinds of special treasures. He found his way to Whisperville one more time, and I got to spend time with each of my three children and all of my eight grandchildren. Thanks so much for all the beautiful Christmas cards you sent and the messages you enclosed. It’s truly “the most wonderful time of the year.”

All kinds of intriguing things are happening music-wise this coming year, including the release in May of the Barbra Streisand/Tim McGraw cut of my and Steve Dorff’s song, “I Love Us.” It was originally scheduled to come out around Valentine’s Day, but has been moved back to Mother’s Day instead. I can’t wait for you to hear it. Can you imagine a steel guitar on a Barbra Streisand recording? It’s there….alongside the string section from the London Philharmonic Orchestra and stunning vocals by Barbra and Tim. I got to hear a sneak preview, and It’s magical.

Steve and I also co-wrote a new song with Brad Paisley last month, and our fingers are crossed that Brad is going to record it. Cody Jinks has a new cut out on “Saginaw, Michigan,” in his tribute album to Lefty Frizzell; Nancy Sinatra’s cut on my song “Get While The Gettin’s Good” has been re-mastered and re-released on her project “Country My Way;” Dailey & Vincent have recorded a new song that I co-wrote with Jon Randall and Carrie Underwood called, “A Beautiful Life;” and Ryan Larkins has recorded his version of the song he co-wrote with me and Bobby Tomberlin, “Someday It’ll All Make Sense,” and released it in his new gospel collection. After all these years, I still get excited over new recordings and new interpretations of my songs. Hopefully, the thrill will never wear off!

I’m excited, too, that some of the memorabilia that I donated to the Country Music Hall of Fame last year is going to go on permanent display this year in what they call the Hall’s “Sing Me Back Home timeline exhibit.” I have other projects earmarked for 2025 as well…including books, recordings, and videos. People tell me I should be slowing down and enjoying my later years, but I don’t know anything I could possibly enjoy more than continuing to do what the Good Lord has blessed me with the opportunity and the ability to do.

Before I go, I want you to join me in sending condolences to Ziggy Johnson, our keyboard player, his brother Dirk, and Dirk’s wife, Gail, our fiddle player, in the passing of Ziggy and Dirk’s mother four days before Christmas. Ruby Lane Johnson of Gate City, Virginia, was 96 years old.

And, of course, condolences and much love to my Opry buddy, Jeannie Seely, in the loss of her husband, Gene Ward, back on December 13th.

I hope this New Year holds nothing but the best for you and yours, and may we continue to meet here on the first of the month eleven more times in ’25. Thanks for everything, and my best wishes to you all.