Bill Anderson's Blog, page 43

ASK BILL – October 4

1) I know you must have numerous guitars, and I was wondering how many you might own. I remember back in the 70’s you played a Fender Palomino. Do you keep them all, sell them, or what?

I don’t have a large vault full of guitars like some of my friends…Steve Wariner, for example…but I guess I have somewhere between 15 and 20, mostly acoustical. I don’t recall ever having sold one, but I’ve donated several to museums and exhibits. The Fender guitar that you mentioned is part of my new display at the University of Georgia Special Collections Library.

2. I am a big fan of Country’s Family Reunion, and I wonder if it’s possible to show the date of the performances in the byline along with the artist’s name. Any chance of having Tom T. Hall on the show?

Tom T. retired from the music business a few years ago, and so far as I know he is not performing at all anymore. He would be a wonderful addition to one of our Reunions, but I’m afraid right now that it’s not going to happen. Adding the performance date is a good idea, and I will pass your suggestion along to our producers and video editors.

3. What is the coolest, neatest, most treasured gift you have ever received from a fan?

WOW!! What a question!! I’ve spent a lot of time thinking this one over, and my fans have given me many wonderful gifts over the years. Some, I’m sure, were very expensive. Others were hand-made and obviously took many hours to create. Some were trinkets…some were tokens…but I think when I look back over all the years and all the gifts, the most precious gift I have ever been given by a fan is their friendship. I could never count…nor adequately thank…the thousands of fans who have given of their time, their creativity, their loyalty, their laughter, their tears, and their spirits just to communicate their friendship to me. At the risk of sounding corny or trite, what could be cooler, neater, or more treasured than that? Absolutely nothing that I can think of.

I haven’t been receiving as many questions as usual lately, so if you’ve got one, send it to me at askbill@billanderson.com. Thanks, and I’ll see you back here next month.

October 4, 2016

Hi Folks:

I don’t know about you, but I’m rather glad to be flipping the page on my calendar from September to October. (Yes, I know, I’m old-fashioned and most people keep their calendars on their smart phones these days, but old habits are hard to break!) I’m not sure I’m strong enough to take another month like this past one!

First, my book was officially released on September 1st, and in just over a week the publisher had sold all the copies they had printed. A nice problem to have, I guess, but a problem just the same. I sandwiched a five-day promotional trip to Georgia in and around a bunch of concert dates, and by the time I got back home at the end of the month, I was a weary little cowboy. I’ve gotten some rest these past few days, though, and I’m ready to run, jump, and play again.

By the time you are reading this we should have books back in circulation . I appreciate the patience of those of you who ordered and have had to wait for your copy to be delivered, but it’s on its way. The audio book is on its way, too, and I thank you for wanting to add it to your collection as well. Our friends at both UGA Press and Blackstone Audio asked me to remind you that both products make great Christmas gifts, and both are available at www.billanderson.com or by mail at P.O. Box 888, Hermitage, TN. 37076. When you order from us, both the books and audio books come to you autographed.

I’ll be doing several book and audio book signings in and around Nashville this month. On Tuesday October 11th, I’ll be on the Opry and sticking around afterward for a signing in the Opry Gift Shop. Sunday the 16th at 12:00 noon is my day and time to read from the book and autograph copies at the Southern Festival of Books downtown. And on Saturday the 22nd, I’ll be performing and signing books at the Country Music Hall of Fame beginning at 11:30 a.m.  If you plan to be in Music City on any of those dates, I hope you’ll come be with us.

My Opry appearances this month will be on the 11th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th. We’ll be taking our road show to Winchester, Ohio, on October 8th and to Shipshewana, Indiana, on the 13th and 14th. I may also be traveling to New York City and/or Los Angeles for some book promotion, but those dates aren’t set in stone just yet.

On the personal front, my oldest granddaughter, Rae, has moved to Chicago in an effort to expand upon her singing, dancing, and acting career. She’s already come back home once to load up on some more coats and sweaters. I told her that the wind off Lake Michigan can be chilly, but I’m not sure she believed me.

My grandson, Blake, has been elected president of the student council at his middle school, and his brother, Gabe, has entered middle school and is, unfortunately, still fighting his battle with cancer. Thank you for continuing to ask about him and for keeping him and his family in your prayers. Blake and Gabe’s mom, Beth, underwent surgery last week and is recovering nicely at home.

We’re heading into a beautiful time of year, and I hope you will enjoy the fall colors and cooler weather as much as I plan to. Don’t spook too many folks on Halloween, and we’ll see you back here in November. My thanks and best wishes to you all.

Latest Photos

Bill’s guest appearance on The Ray Stevens Show airs again October 8th on RFD-TV. Both singer/songwriters are from Georgia, and attended the same school…just not at the same time. Bill visited Atlanta’s 11Alive television while on his recent book tour, and is shown here on the set of the station’s morning show. The third picture this month…a rear-view shot of Bill and Little Jimmy Dickens…was taken at the Ryman Auditorium not long before Little Jim passed away. Bill had never seen this particular picture until a fan recently sent him a copy. He asked us to share it with you.

September 26, 2016

Hi Gang:



I guess I knew Jean Shepard longer than I’ve known any other country music artist and performer.

From the day of our first infamous radio interview backstage in Athens, Georgia, in 1956, to the night in 2015 when I introduced her on the occasion of her 60th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry, there wasn’t a time when Jean wasn’t a part of my life.

A big part.

When I started a syndicated television show in 1965, Jean was my first featured female vocalist. When she was looking for a song with which to begin a new recording career at United Artists Records, she chose one of mine called “Slippin’ Away.”  Later, when she was looking for an idea from which to build a “concept” album around, she chose to honor me with a 12-song collection of nothing but songs I had written….songs that have never been sung any better than Jean Shepard sang them.

When we started the Country’s Family Reunion television series almost twenty years ago, I told Larry Black we needed Jean’s music and her humor in order to make our programs complete. He agreed, and Jean (you didn’t dare call her “Jeanie!”) was there nearly every time we opened the doors.

And, oh, the tours we did together. I tell these young artists today as they fly around on their private jet planes and dress inside their million dollar busses, that they should have been around in the days when we worked the old package shows inside the new sports arenas that were springing up around the country back in the sixties.

“Before the shows, we all dressed in the hockey players’ or the basketball players’ locker rooms with absolutely no privacy,” I’d say. “And you knew it was getting close to show time when Jean Shepard’s voice would echo across the room, ‘Turn your heads, boys, I’m a-changin’ clothes. And if you don’t turn your heads, I’m changin’ ’em anyway!”

Jean was talented, funny, opinionated, passionate, and genuine to the core. You might not always agree with her, but you always knew where she stood. She loved traditional country music, and didn’t have a lot of patience with those who didn’t.  She was outspoken to a fault at times, and that might have delayed her induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame for awhile. But her sheer talent was undeniable…she, along with Kitty Wells, pioneered country music for women…and there finally came a time in 2011 when the voters couldn’t deny her contributions any longer. I never saw anyone more thrilled than Jean Shepard was the night she was finally made a Hall of Fame member.

Upon hearing of her passing on Sunday, a friend wrote me and said, “God can rest a little easier now…knowing one of His unique ‘originals’ has finally come home. ‘Cause we all know he threw away the mold after making HER!”

Rest in peace my dear and special friend, Jean. Country music and those of us in it are richer by far simply because you walked among us.

September 20, 2016

Hi Gang:

Well, I’ve got some good news and I’ve got some bad news.

The good news is that just fifteen days after my new book came out, the publisher, University of Georgia Press, wrote and informed me that they had sold every copy they had printed.

The bad news is that just fifteen days after my new book came out, the publisher, University of Georgia Press, wrote and informed me that they had sold every copy they had printed.

That means, unfortunately, some of you who have ordered the book won’t be receiving your copy until a second printing has rolled off the presses. That may not be before mid-October.

I can’t tell you how overwhelmed I am by your response, and by all the messages I’ve received from folks telling me how much they are enjoying having the book and reading it. And my heartfelt thanks to all those in the media who have helped publicize the book and promote it. You’ve helped create this problem, and I thank you for it.

IF I’VE GOT TO HAVE A PROBLEM, THIS IS DEFINITELY THE KIND OF PROBLEM I LIKE TO HAVE!

But now I guess the bottom line is that I’m asking for your patience. Maybe we’ll get lucky and have some new copies sooner than we think. But if we don’t, just hang in there with us and know we are doing the best we can. We’ve got people standing by to package and mail the books as soon as the delivery people leave them on our doorstep.

Meantime, the audio version of the book is on its way. Be watching for details as soon as they are available.

Bill Anderson and His New Book Get a Pickup…

Bill Anderson talks with The Pickup about his new book and other great country news this week.  Check it out.

I Got Kicked Out Of The Library For Writing A Song! – Remembering UGA

“Whisperin’ Bill”, a University of Georgia graduate and member of the Grand Ole Opry discusses his days on campus, the night he wrote “City Lights” and life as an entertainer.

 

 

 

Whisperin’ Bill Anderson | Goin’ Back: Remembering UGA

Known around the world as “Whisperin’ Bill”, this UGA grad and member of the Grand Ole Opry discusses his days on campus, the night he wrote “City Lights” and life as an entertainer.

Atlanta’s Jeff Hullinger Interviews Country Music Legend Bill Anderson

Jeff Hullinger interviews country music legend Bill Anderson

Jeff Hullinger interviews country music legend Bill Anderson

Whisperin’ Bill Anderson Discusses His ‘Unprecedented Life’ in Country Music with the Tennessean Music Podcast

In this episode, songwriting legend Country Music Hall of Famer Bill Anderson discusses his engaging new memoir (written with Peter Cooper) “Whisperin’ Bill Anderson: An Unprecedented Life in Country Music,” the new music he’s recorded and his upcoming show at the Franklin Theatre.

September 1, 2016

Hi Gang:

Well, it’s finally September, the month I’ve been looking forward to for the past year and a half. My book is finally released, and should now be available in all formats everywhere books are sold.

Thanks to all of you who have pre-ordered from our website and have written me such glowing letters of approval. I’m so glad you are enjoying it, and hope you’ll spread the word to your friends. And don’t forget your local libraries. Make sure they know it is available and that they can order it from the University of Georgia Press. The audiobook is still scheduled to be released in October.

We wrapped up August with tour dates that took us all the way from Pennsylvania to Utah, and even though we covered a lot of miles in a short period of time, it was great to see so many of our club members and friends along the way. I’m headed back home to Georgia next week to make a little music and hopefully renew a lot of old acquaintances while I’m down there.

On the 6th, I’ll be doing a book signing and a short free show inside the Bill Anderson Performing Arts Center in Commerce. What better place to begin our Georgia tour? On the 7th, I’ll be in Athens for the dedication of the Bill Anderson exhibit inside the Richard B. Russell Special Collections Library. And on the 8th, we’ll be pickin’ and grinnin’ in the small town of Social Circle, Georgia. Y’all come!!

Some other great things are on tap for this month as well. On Labor Day weekend, Sirius/XM satellite radio will be airing an hour-long special I recently recorded with The Mayor of Music Row, Charlie Monk, inside Willie’s Roadhouse. It will air six times from Saturday through Monday (exact times are on our Facebook page and on Willie’s Roadhouse web site), and I hope you’ll have a chance to listen. Later, the same show will air on the Prime Country channel. My thanks to Charlie and the entire Sirius/XM gang for this wonderful exposure.

I’m going to be recording a video infomercial this month, too, announcing the DVD release of my buddy Jimmy Dean’s old ABC television shows from the sixties. Jimmy’s widow, Donna, and I will be telling you all about how you can order these rare treasures to watch over and over again in your home. Lots of great music from the legends, most of whom aren’t with us any longer, and priceless comedy from Rowlf The Dog. Remember him? It was puppeteer Jim Hinson’s first nationwide exposure prior to the Muppets. I can’t wait to see these old shows again, and I know you can’t either. For you youngsters who missed them the first time around, watching will be like an education in Country Music 101!

Hope to see you along the way this month in Mahnomen, Minnesota (14th & 15th), Franklin, Tennessee (17th), Breman, Georgia (22nd), Piegon Forge, Tennessee (23rd), and Franklin, North Carolina (24th). Breman and Franklin are Country’s Family Reunion shows where we’ll be joined by lots of our friends. Our September Opry dates are the 2nd, the 10th, and the 20th.

It’s a busy time, but with cooler weather on the way…not to mention the baseball playoffs and the beginning of football season…it’s headed toward my favorite time of the year. Take care, thanks for all your many kindnesses to me, and we’ll see you back here again next month.

Still,