NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Whisperin’ Bill Anderson may be known for his soft vocal style, but his unprecedented accolades and awards shout from the rooftops. The Country Music Hall of Fame member and newest inductee to the Songwriters Hall of Fame released his 72nd album, Anderson, available today. Click HERE to download Anderson.
In addition to the Songwriters Hall of Fame induction this year, Anderson will receive the Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award, NSAI’s highest honor, at their Songwriter Awards on Sept. 19. The ceremony will take place on the hallowed stage of the Ryman Auditorium where 57 years ago Anderson was inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
The self-titled album was produced by the Grand Ole Opry veteran, Thomm Jutz and Peter Cooper, recorded and mixed by Jutz at TJ Tunes with assistant engineer Andy Kern and mastered by Alex Mccullough at True East Mastering. Three of the tracks were penned solely by Anderson, who has written charted songs in each of the past seven consecutive decades, while the additional tracks feature venerable singer-songwriters including John Paul White of The Civil Wars and country music outlaw Jamey Johnson.
“You might think after my having released 71 albums during my career that I’d be tempted to yawn my way through the release of album No. 72,” expressed Anderson. “Well, that’s not the case at all. I’m looking forward to this one as much as any record I’ve ever put out. I know I’ve never enjoyed the recording process more than working here with Thomm Jutz and Peter Cooper. They had the vision…I just tried to follow their lead and bring their ideas to life. I only hope that as folks listen, they’ll feel we succeeded.”
Anderson wrote and recorded the stand out, lead single “Everybody Wants To Be Twenty-One,” with Johnson. In an exclusive with The Boot, Anderson shared how he decided that a collaboration between the multi-generational singer-songwriters would best showcase the lyrics: “Everybody wants to be 21 / Full of life / Life full of fun / The young wish they were older, and the old wish they were young / Everybody wants to be 21.” Additionally, Anderson partnered with Country Fancast and Roughstock to give fans an exclusive sneak peek at the nostalgic “Old Things New” and the wistful “Dixie Everywhere I Go.”
The 11-song project also includes the whimsical, “Waffle House Christmas,” a humorous look at a family displaced by a series of mishaps on Christmas morning. Recently, Anderson celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Waffle House Museum in Avondale Estates, Ga., which is where the company was founded and where the songwriting titan graduated high school. As Waffle House’s guest of honor, Anderson visited with the company’s executives and fans during the appearance. Anderson will be added to all the TouchTunes jukeboxes in 1,900 Waffle House locations throughout the U.S.
Fans can now listen to the country legend on Spotify, with a new playlist created just for Anderson, “This Is Bill Anderson,” featuring 50 of his biggest hits over the years including “Everybody Wants To Be Twenty-One” and three songs added to the Spotify playlist “Country’s Greatest Hits: The 60s.”
Reviewers are praising Anderson…
Bill Anderson seems to know how to get to the heart of universal tenets with the most intimate details. This sentimental collection of masterfully written songs proves that he is truly a national treasure.
-Laura Whitmore, Parade
Anderson shows why he belongs on the A-list of all-time country songwriters. He’s equally adept at writing solo or with collaborators from all generations.
-Bob Paxman, Sports & Entertainment Nashville
Whisperin’ Bill Anderson is a country music legend, and his new album “Anderson” continues this tradition! Songs like “Everybody Wants to Be Twenty-One” with Jamey Johnson and “The Only Bible” with Tim Rushlow show that Bill still has the goods when it comes to incredible songwriting and music! This is Country Gold!
-Eric Dahl, Maverick Magazine, Rock & Review
Bill Anderson shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. This album is a testament to his longevity in the country music industry and his unmatched work ethic. Well done.
-Markos Papadatos, Digital Journal
ANDERSON TRACK LISTING:
1. Old Things New
(Buddy Cannon/ Paul Overstreet/ Bill Anderson)
2. Everybody Wants To Be Twenty-One
(Jamey Johnson/ Bill Anderson)
3. Dixie Everywhere I Go
(Bill Anderson)
4. Dead To You
(John Paul White/ Bill Anderson)
5. Something To Believe In
(Bill Anderson)
6. Watchin’ It Rain
(Dave Gibson/ Bill Anderson)
7. That’s What Made Me Love You
(Orion Lore/ Bill Anderson)
8. Practice Leaving Town
(Bobby Tomberlin/ Lance Miller/ Bill Anderson)
9. The Only Bible
(Tim Rushlow/ Bill Anderson)
10. Waffle House Christmas
(Erin Enderlin/ Alex Kline/ Bill Anderson)
11. Thankful
(Bill Anderson)
For more information on Bill Anderson visit BillAnderson.com or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
BILL ANDERSON TOUR DATES:
Sept. 21 Ross Country Jamboree – Scottsburg, Ind.
Sept. 22 Red Barn Convention Center – Winchester, Ohio
Oct. 11-12 – Blue Gate Theatre – Shipshewana, Ind.
Oct. 20 Meramec Music Theatre – Steelville, Mo.
Dec. 8 Eichelberg Performing Arts Center – Hanover, Pa.
Dec. 9 Beacon Theatre – Hopewell, Va.
Jan. 27 Country Family Reunion Cruise – Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
ABOUT BILL ANDERSON:
Country Music Hall of Famer and Grand Ole Opry titan Bill Anderson is the rare songwriter whose first major label cut went to No. 1 on the charts, was named Song of The Year and sparked a writing career that is currently in its seventh decade. The song, “City Lights,” was written when Anderson was a 19-year old Georgia disc jockey and became a career-defining hit for Ray Price in 1958. The song opened doors for him in Nashville, leading him to signing with BMI and Tree Publishing. Anderson was far from a one-hit wonder. He followed “City Lights” with country standards like “Tips Of My Fingers,” the GRAMMY-nominated “Once A Day,” “Saginaw, Michigan,” “That’s What It’s Like To Be Lonesome,” “I Missed Me,” “Cold Hard Facts Of Life,” which earned him another GRAMMY nomination, “Mama Sang A Song,” the crossover smash, “Still,” and countless others. He was voted country Songwriter of the Year six times during his first decade in Music City. His success continued into the 1970’s with award-winning hits like “Slippin’ Away,” “The Lord Knows I’m Drinking,” “I May Never Get To Heaven,” and the disco-flavored, “I Can’t Wait Any Longer.” The 1980’s saw Anderson’s chart-topping career take a hiatus as he became a TV network game show host, spokesman for a national restaurant chain and a nonstop touring Grand Ole Opry performer. In the 1990’s he came roaring back with a vengeance, however, as he seriously turned to co-writing for the first time. Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001, his collaborations with the newer generation of Nashville tunesmiths resulted in hits like “Wish You Were Here,” the GRAMMY-nominated “Two Teardrops,” “A Lot Of Things Different,” for Kenny Chesney, “Which Bridge To Cross (Which Bridge To Burn),” for Vince Gill and two CMA Song Of The Year trophies for “Whiskey Lullaby,” with Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss and George Strait’s “Give It Away,” in 2005 and 2007 respectfully. He continues to write today with songs like Brad Paisley’s “Dying To See Her.” For more information, visit BillAnderson.com.
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