Country Music Hall of Famer John Anderson dies at 71
Atlanta’s Country Kicks 101.5 and Eagle 106.7 Present Country Fair 2007 – Day 2 John Anderson during Atlanta’s Country Kicks 101.5 and Eagle 106.7 Present Country Fair 2007 – Day 2 at HiFi Buys Amphitheater in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. (Photo
Country music star John Anderson has died at 71, his family said on social media Wednesday night.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and best friend,” his family posted on his Instagram page.
The backstory:
Anderson, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, considered Merle Haggard and George Jones as the influencers who pointed him towards country music. Haggard, Jones and Willie Nelson gave him opening slots on their national tours early in his career.
His sixth single, “Your Lying Blue Eyes,” became Andersonâs first Top 20 hit. He would produce five songs that would make it to number one on Billboard’s Hot Country songs: “Swingin’,” “Black Sheep,” “Money in the Bank,” Straight Tequila Night” and “Wild and Blue.” His other hits included “I’m Just an Old Chunk of Coal,” “Seminole Wind” and “I Wish I Could Have Been There.”
He was born on Dec. 13, 1954, and grew up in Apopka, Florida, according to his biography at the Country Music Hall of Fameâs website. By the time he reached seventh grade, he was playing in garage rock bands and decided by age 12 that he wanted to be a professional musician.
What they’re saying:
“To the world, he was a gifted country music singer whose voice and songs touched countless lives. To us, he was so much more. He was the heart of our family, the one who made us laugh, loved us fiercely, and made every ordinary moment feel special. We are completely heartbroken.”
Country colleagues pay tribute
Reba McEntire left a comment on his Instagram page, calling Anderson one of her “favorite people in the business.”
“I sure will miss you, John. Love you and your music always,” she wrote.
“God Bless the family, I really loved this man, he was a great singer but an even better person,” singer Tracy Byrd wrote.
Singer Parker McCollum posted that he had just met Anderson on Sunday night.
“Cannot believe this. An absolute legend and one of the greatest to ever do it,” he wrote.
“John Anderson was a one-of-a-kind song stylist who proved that fresh innovations were best born from time-honored traditions,” Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum CEO Kyle Young said. “Whether he borrowed inspiration from Lefty Frizzellâs vocal bends or the Florida swamp land, he brought dynamic distinction and creative soul to a world that needed to hear his voice.”
He won the Academy of Country Music Career Achievement Award in 1993 and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2014.
The Source: Information for this story came from the County Music Hall of Fame website, Billboard and Anderson’s Instagram page. This story was reported from Orlando.
