NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Country Music Hall of Fame member, Songwriters Hall of Fame member and ACM and CMA-award-winning entertainment titan, Bill Anderson, will be honored with the 2024 Dr. David Godbold Lifetime Achievement Award by the South Carolina Entertainment and Music Hall of Fame. Anderson was inducted by the organization in 1994, and will be the first Lifetime Achievement Award honoree when the event is held April 25, 2024. Anderson was born in Columbia, South Carolina and lived there for the first 8 years of his life until moving to Georgia.
“My Carolina roots run deep. The first country music I ever heard was broadcast over radio station WIS in Columbia, and the first time I ever saw a country band perform in person was in their studios. My first musical heroes were local entertainers named Byron Parker and Snuffy Jenkins. I am truly humbled to be the first artist to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the South Carolina Entertainment and Music Hall of Fame, and I thank the Board of Directors for their unanimous vote. This is a tremendous honor. I hope to be there to accept it in person,” Bill Anderson shared.
The Dr. David Godbold Lifetime Achievement award carries the name of the founder of the South Carolina Entertainment and Music Hall of Fame and was created to recognize an artist who has previously been inducted and has achieved significant national success in the field of music and/or entertainment. The award is nominated and voted on by the board of directors to celebrate an individual or group who has achieved national prominence through their creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance that shines a positive light on the State of South Carolina.
“The South Carolina Entertainment and Music Hall of Fame voted unanimously to award Bill Anderson as the first artist recipient of the Dr. David Godbold Lifetime Achievement Award. We are thrilled to celebrate this award with Bill because of his lifetime contribution to the millions of country music fans around the world. He truly exemplifies the intent of this award through his work in country music as a singer, songwriter, television host and author. He is an extraordinary man with exceptional talent and has made a tremendous impact in South Carolina as well as so many people around the world,” said Roy Costner, Vice Chairman of the South Carolina Entertainment and Music Hall of Fame
Recently, Anderson was celebrated for his indelible 62 years as the longest-serving member in Grand Ole Opry history.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum currently features the life and illustrious career of Anderson in the exhibition, Bill Anderson: As Far as I Can See, which has been extended through Monday, September 25. The exhibit is an exploration of his life and musical legacy, from childhood through his contributions as one of the most decorated recording artists, songwriters, and entertainers in history.
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 Andersonwas 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.
