NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Country Music Hall of Famer and Longest-Serving Member, Bill Anderson was prominently featured in NBC’s Opry 100 special, which aired on Wednesday, March 19. If you didn’t watch it, you can stream it on Peacock.
“In all my 64 years as part of the family, I’ve never been any prouder to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry than I was last night during the presentation of the Opry 100 TV special on NBC. I thought the show captured the musical essence of yesterday, today, and tomorrow which is what the Opry is all about.
Watching today’s stars singing classic country songs from across the years and proudly paying tribute to the artists on whose shoulders they stand was chill-bump city to say the least. Long live the Grand Ole Opry….and here’s to the next 100 years!” Bill Anderson shared.
During the special, Anderson introduced Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss as they performed the 2005 CMA Song of the Year ,“Whiskey Lullaby,” a song co-written by Anderson that has resonated with fans across generations.
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.
