Билл Андерсон: Путь кантри-музыканта от "City Lights" до "Still"

American singer songwriter (born 1937)

James William Anderson III (born November 1, 1937), known professionally as Bill Anderson, is an American country music singer, songwriter, and television host. His soft spoken singing voice was given the nickname "Whispering Bill" by music critics and writers. His interest grew further after watching country musicians perform on a radio station, located directly above his father's insurance company. Anderson soon saved enough money to purchase his own guitar. At age ten, he wrote his first song called "Carry Me Home Texas". During his first summer out of college, he got a job working as a rock and roll DJ at WGAU in Athens, Georgia. However, he was fired after playing country records over the air and was then hired at WJJC in Commerce, Georgia. Anderson began songwriting again after obtaining the new position. In Commerce, Anderson wrote the song "City Lights". The song ultimately brought him to Nashville where both his songwriting and recording career began. The song became a major hit the following year when it climbed to the number 12 position on the Billboard Hot Country and Western Sides chart. He followed this in 1959 with the top 20 hits "Ninety Nine" and "Dead or Alive". The song was later recorded and made hits individually by Eddy Arnold, Roy Clark, Jean Shepard and Steve Wariner. In 1961, the single "Po' Folks" reached number nine on the Billboard country songs chart. The success of "Po' Folks" led Anderson to receive an invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry cast. Anderson accepted and joined the program the same year. This was followed by his first number one hit, "Mama Sang a Song". It was also his first single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 89. Although successful, Anderson's early singles were not initially included on studio album releases.

By 1963, Anderson's recording career was expanding further. He was frequently touring and making public appearances to promote his music. Anderson was inspired to write his 1963 composition, "Still", after encountering an ex girlfriend while promoting a song. The same night, he wrote the lyrics to the track on an Underwood typewriter at three o'clock in the morning. "Still" became the biggest single of his recording career. It also became his second single to reach the Billboard Hot 100, but was his first (and only) successful crossover hit there, reaching number eight in June 1963. The track was also his first single to become a hit on the Billboard easy listening chart, reaching number three that June. The song's success led to the 1963 release of Anderson's debut studio album of the same name. The LP reached number ten on the Billboard country albums chart in January 1964 and the top 40 of the Billboard 200 in late 1963. The success of "Still" further elevated Anderson's recording career. This included making national television appearances on shows such as American Bandstand, where he performed his follow up crossover hit "8×10". He won awards from several major music publications including Billboard, Cashbox and Music Reporter. He scheduled more concert engagements and made as much as $500 per gig. His success led Decca to record and release studio albums with more frequency. These albums were also successful. His second studio LP, Bill Anderson Sings (1964), reached the top ten of the country albums chart. His 1966 studio release reached number one on the same chart. Album releases were fueled by further hit singles, including "Bright Lights and Country Music", "Five Little Fingers" and "Three A. M." Kurt Wolff of the book Country Music: The Rough Guide credited his success to a "fairly safe and suburban" musical style. His chart hits continued through the 1960s and many of these songs were self composed. His 1966 release, "I Love You Drops", was inspired by the Chuck Berry hit "Memphis Tennessee". His next self written release also became his third number one hit, titled "I Get the Fever". In 1968, the pair had their first major hit with the duet "For Loving You". Both this, and the hit "But You Know I Love You", were included on his 1969 studio album. He began diversifying his album releases during this period with the recording of a gospel LP, I Can Do Nothing Alone, in 1967 and a holiday LP, Christmas, in 1969. A greatest hits package, Bill Anderson's Greatest Hits, was also issued and it reached number six on the country albums survey. Anderson continued releasing regular country albums as well, outputting as much as three per year by the early 1970s. His country LP's often included a mix of original material and cover versions. On his 1971 release, Always Remember, Greg Adams of Allmusic commented that it "confounds expectations" for delivering original vocal performances of songs first cut by Kris Kristofferson and Kenny Rogers. A series of uninterrupted top ten hits followed his early 1970s albums. During this time frame, he had hits with "Love Is a Sometimes Thing", "Where Have All Our Heroes Gone", "If You Can Live with It (I Can Live Without It)" and "The Corner of My Life".

By 1977, Anderson experienced several changes in his recording career. His longtime duet partner, Jan Howard, left his record label and road show. According to Howard, it was difficult to keep up with the busy touring schedule. With Killen, Anderson's musical sound shifted from Nashville Sound ballads towards uptempo Countrypolitan tunes. and reached number 80 on the Hot 100. Its corresponding studio effort, Love & Other Sad Stories, reached number 37 on the Billboard country albums list. Although successful at first, Anderson's late 1970s music received negative criticism from many writers. Author Kurt Wolff criticized his new image, commenting that his music "flirted dangerously with disco beats". Eugene Chadbourne of Allmusic only gave his Love & Other Sad Stories album 1.5 out of 5 stars. "This is an album that begins with what sounds like a pervert and ends with an effect described as frightening. Too bad most of it is so boring to listen to", Chadbourne concluded. Anderson's sales success began to decline following the release of "I Can't Wait Any Longer". His follow up album, Ladies Choice (1979), only reached number 44 on the country albums chart. The album's only major hit was the top 20 single "This Is a Love Song". The album also spawned four singles that became minor hits on the country songs chart, including the title track. Four singles were spawned from the album that became minor country hits between 1984 and 1987. The album's title track was issued as a single, but did not chart in any Billboard music publications. The single was reviewed by Billboard magazine in 1992 where it received comparisons to music by Garth Brooks. In 1998, Anderson was signed to Warner Bros. Records as part of a veterans artists project that included Ronnie Milsap and Connie Smith. That year, his 36th studio offering entitled Fine Wine was released. The project was produced by Steve Wariner and his wife Caryn. John Weisberger of Country Standard Time gave the release a positive response, calling the songs "vintage". Meanwhile, Allmusic only gave it 2.5 out of 5 stars. He began taking new artistic directions with his next studio release, A Lot of Things Different (2001). The album represented a traditional country style, which Anderson called his most traditional effort yet. It was released on Varèse Sarabande, which Anderson distributed music through in conjunction with his own record label, TWI. Anderson's artistic directions continued expanding into the 2000s. After the release of another holiday album, No Place Like Home on Christmas, he released a third gospel project in 2004, Softly & Tenderly. A year later, he released a contemporary country album entitled The Way I Feel. It included his own version of Brad Paisley's "Whiskey Lullaby", along with his own compositions. It was reviewed positively by Al Campbell, who praised its songwriting quality. In 2007, Anderson released his first collection of bluegrass music called Whisperin' Bluegrass. Released on Madacy Entertainment, it included collaborations with Vince Gill and Dolly Parton. Chet Flippo of Country Music Television called it "a terrific album of country and gospel songs done up with bluegrass instrumentation". In 2010 and 2014, respectively, Anderson released two self produced studio albums: Songwriter and Life!. In 2018, his 44th studio effort, Anderson, was issued and featured a collaboration with Jamey Johnson. He followed this with his 45th studio recording in 2020 called The Hits Re Imagined. The album was a collection of re recorded hits and songs Anderson had written in his career. Billboard gave the record a favorable review which stated, "At 82, Anderson brings a gravitas to the heavier songs and a lightheartedness to tunes like "Po Folks" with a low key production that keeps the focus squarely on Anderson and his delivery. Just as it should be". In June 2022, a compilation titled The Best of Bill Anderson: As Far as I Can See was released by MCA Nashville and included a new track featuring Dolly Parton.

Anderson's writing career began during the same period as his recording career. His 1958 composition, "City Lights", ultimately led to his songwriting success. In an interview with Ken Burns, Anderson recalled writing the song on a hotel roof: "I was up there one night in 1957 – I was nineteen years old – and I managed to write the 'bright array of city lights as far as I can see'", he recalled. The Tree contract allowed Anderson to write songs for his own music and others. Among his next hits as a writer was "I Missed Me", which was cut by Jim Reeves. Another hit was "I Don't Love You Anymore", which was recorded by Charlie Louvin in 1964. Released as a single, the song became Lovin's biggest solo hit, reaching number four on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. That same year, Lefty Frizzell recorded Anderson's "Saginaw, Michigan". The single became Frizzell's first number one hit since 1952, topping the charts in March 1964. During this time, he wrote two hits for Porter Wagoner, including 1964's "I'll Go Down Swinging". He was inspired to write the song after hearing the song title at the end of a Hank Snow record. Anderson also wrote solo hits for his duet partner, Jan Howard, in the 1960s. She had major hits with the Anderson penned "Count Your Blessings, Woman", "I Still Believe in Love" and "Bad Seed". Anderson also wrote several hits for Connie Smith. He was also responsible for helping Smith sign her first recording contract. Anderson had discovered Smith after hearing her perform in a talent contest near Columbus, Ohio. He helped bring her to Nashville, where she recorded several demonstration tapes that were heard by producers at RCA Victor Records. In 1964, Smith was signed to the label. Anderson's composition "Once a Day" was recorded by Smith in 1964. Released as her debut single, it spent a total of eight weeks on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, becoming his most successful hit as a writer at that point. Smith's career was further facilitated by Anderson, who wrote many of her follow up hits such as "Then and Only Then", "Cincinnati, Ohio" and "I Never Once Stopped Loving You". Other pop artists to record Anderson's material included James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Dean Martin. However, his most successful material was recorded by country artists, who continued recording his songs into the next decade. In 1972, Cal Smith cut Anderson's "The Lord Knows I'm Drinking", which became a number one hit on the Billboard country chart. That same decade, Conway Twitty also had a number one hit with the tune "I May Never Get to Heaven". In a 2020 interview with American Songwriter, Anderson also explained that the country market was shifting towards crossover pop. For that reason, he found it difficult to write material for other artists. "Country music was changing and I was wondering if I could still fit in. I don't know how I got in that funk, but it was a tough time", he recalled. Anderson did not fully stop writing material for his own albums. On his 1983 studio release, Southern Fried, he wrote three of the record's tracks. It was reviewed by Publishers Weekly in August 1989, giving it a mostly positive response: "Despite a measure of hoopla and hyperbole ('I did it . I did it all . but it wasn't easy'), the author does justice to a powerful story", reviewers commented.

In 1992, country artist Steve Wariner recorded Anderson's 1960 hit "The Tip of My Fingers". Released as a single, it became a top five hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart that year and inspired Anderson to write again. The song was also nominated for a Grammy award. During the same period, he collaborated with Skip Ewing and Debbie Moore on the song "Wish You Were Here". The song was released as a single by Mark Wills and became a number one hit on the Billboard country chart in 1999. Anderson later commented that the song's success helped him resolve financial struggles he had battled during the decade. He followed "Wish You Were Here" with the song "A Lot of Things Different", which was co written with Dean Dillon. The song was written during an exchange the pair had while out to breakfast. The song was later recorded by Kenny Chesney, whose version reached number six on the country singles chart in 2003. Chesney's song was followed by a track later recorded by Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss called "Whiskey Lullaby". The tune was composed with singer songwriter Jon Randall. After writing the song, Randall was reluctant to record a demo of the record to pitch to other artists. However, Anderson believed the song could be a success and its demo was then recorded at ten o'clock on a weeknight. Paisley's version was released as a single in 2004 and peaked at number three on the Billboard country chart that year. In 2005, "Whiskey Lullaby" won "Song of the Year" at the Country Music Association Awards. Anderson recalled the excitement of winning the accolade in his autobiography: "I jumped up and hugged Brad and knocked his white western hat from his head." In 2006, Anderson co wrote a song with Jamey Johnson and Buddy Cannon called "Give It Away". The song was later cut by George Strait. The song's concept was inspired by Johnson's divorce at the time and included a spoken narration, a device that was not popular in the country genre during the mid 2000s. Strait's version was released as a single in 2006 and reached number one on the country chart that September. The song later won "Song of the Year" from the CMA Awards, becoming Anderson's third accolade from the awards show in the last three years. The single reached the top 20 of the country songs chart in 2009. In 2014, Anderson co wrote Mo Pitney's top 30 country hit "Country" with Pitney and Bobby Tomberlin. On July 22, 2023, Anderson was honored as the Grand Ole Opry's longest serving member in the show's history. Anderson's membership has not lapsed in 62 years since his initial induction in 1961.

Between 1965 and 1974, Anderson hosted his own national television series called The Bill Anderson Show. The program also featured Jan Howard (his duet partner) and The Po' Boys (his touring band). He also made appearances on several national television shows during this time, including The Today Show. Anderson ventured further into television in the late 1970s. Between 1977 and 1978, he and Sarah Purcell co hosted the ABC game show The Better Sex. Also in the 1980s, Anderson hosted the program Backstage at the Grand Ole Opry and the game show Fandango, which both aired on the former Nashville Network (TNN). Fandango was brought to Anderson's attention by the program director of WSM TV in Nashville, who believed that a country music trivia show would be successful for the network. "I've gotten into a lot of different things. I'm probably in the public eye more right now than I've ever been because of the things that I do on television", he said in 1988. He remained with Fandango until 1989. Anderson was then invited to join the cast of the TNN competition program You Can Be a Star. Anderson was involved in the show's inner workings, including helping to develop the scoring system. In addition, his touring band was hired as the show's stage band. Anderson appeared as himself in the February 15, 1965, episode of To Tell the Truth, receiving two of the four possible votes. Major League Baseball pitcher Tracy Stallard appeared as one of the two imposters for Anderson.

Anderson also focused on business opportunities, many of which were unsuccessful. In his autobiography, he commented, "I've tried to become a businessman a couple of times when I should have kept right on pickin' and grinnin'." In 1975, he bought a radio station in Provo, Utah, called KIXX. Anderson was unable to have enough advertisers support his radio station, causing it to fail. Six years later, he sold the station and left the radio industry. "I was totally disillusioned by something I love", he wrote in 2016. In the 1980s, Anderson served as a spokesperson for the Po' Folks restaurant chain, whose name was taken from his 1961 hit song. Anderson signed a three year contract with the restaurant company to serve as their national spokesperson, appearing in radio and television commercials. In addition, Anderson signed off on allowing the company to use his photos and signatures to endorse their products. He then partnered with the vice president to help franchise the company. Country artist Conway Twitty was selected as a third partner to also help with franchising. However, several individual restaurants encountered financial struggles, which resulted in legal fees that Anderson had to pay. In addition, the company was being bought out by the larger Krystal fast food chain. He was forced to pay back fees he owed towards the company, nearly causing Anderson to declare bankruptcy. However, with the support of Twitty, Anderson helped pay off the company's financial entanglements. "Even as it stood, my little foray into the restaurant business wiped out a large chunk of my life's savings", he later said.

Anderson has been married twice and has had two documented long term relationships. He met his first wife, Bette , in the late 1950s through a mutual friend. The pair married in December 1959. At the time of their marriage, Bette was 19 and Bill was 22. The couple remained married for ten years. Bette gave birth to two daughters during their relationship together. Bette also contributed to her husband's writing career when she co wrote the 1965 song, "I Can't Remember". It was later recorded by Connie Smith on her 1965 studio album Cute 'n' Country. The pair separated in 1968 and officially divorced in 1969. Reflecting on his divorce in 2016, Anderson believed it was difficult for Bette to understand the music business, causing them to drift apart. Bette Anderson died in 2010 at the age of 69. In 1970, he married his second wife, Becky. Together the couple had one child. In 1984, Becky was involved in a car accident that caused "25 percent brain impairment." The couple filed a lawsuit against the driver who had crashed into Becky's vehicle. The recovery process took several years. The couple separated in the 1990s before officially divorcing in 1997. Anderson began dating Vickie Salas around 2008. The couple had first met years prior when she was 19 and was romantically involved with Anderson's band member. The two reconnected following Anderson's second divorce. "We never married, we never lived together, but she became my everything", Anderson later remembered. In 2016, Salas was diagnosed with cancer. Three years later, the disease intensified and she began receiving hospice care. She died in January 2019.

As a songwriter, Anderson has composed a variety of material. Author Kurt Wolff called his early compositions "cute and sentimental", citing "Po' Folks" and "I Love You Drops" to be examples of this style. Wolff also noted that other songs exemplified "anti establishment attitudes" while other songs focused on themes that were "desperately bleak". Riane Konc of The Boot noted a similar trend in his songwriting style. She highlighted 2004's "Whiskey Lullaby" as an example. In reviewing the song, Konc commented that it was "packed full of unforgettable images" related to "heartbreak, addiction and loss". Konc also praised 2006's "Give It Away", calling it an "instant classic". In a 2018 interview with American Songwriter, Anderson described his songwriting style: "The lyric is what attracted me to country music as a young boy– the story songs that I could listen to and feel some emotion. So yeah, I'd like to have the next generation pull out a few lines I've written and say 'yeah that's pretty clever!'" Anderson also created a musical style as a recording artist. After signing with Decca Records, he was given the nickname of "Whisperin' Bill Anderson", due to his soft spoken vocal performance.

Writers and music critics have considered Anderson one of country music's most significant songwriters. In 1975, Anderson was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. In November 2002, BMI named him its first country songwriting icon, placing him alongside R&B artists Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and James Brown as the only recipients of that award. In 2018, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, along with Alan Jackson and John Mellencamp. Anderson has also been placed on several lists of country music's top writers and performers. In 2008, he was ranked 27th on Country Universe list of the "100 Greatest Men of Country Music".