April 4 2022

Ask Bill – April 4, 2022

1) Of all the songs you have recorded, are they all songs you have written or do you occasionally record a song written by someone else?

I have recorded quite a few songs that I didn’t write. Ones you might have heard include Golden Guitar, World Of Make Believe, Peanuts & Diamonds, I Wonder If God Likes Country Music, Don’t She Look Good, But You Know I Love You, and several others. When it comes time for me to record, I don’t care whether I wrote the song or not. I just want to cut the best songs I can find.

2) Did you ever meet Stringbean (Dave Akeman) and his wife, Estelle? What are your favorite memories of the couple?

Of course I knew “String,” as we all called him. He and I were both Opry members and shared many stages together. He and Estelle were two of the kindest, most unassuming people I have ever known. My favorite memories of them as a couple would be the nights she would drive him to the Opry (String never got his driver’s license), stay around backstage while he performed, and, when the show was over, pick him up in the alley out back of the Ryman to drive him home. String was a big baseball fan (the Braves, of course), and we talked baseball every chance we got. He told me once as we rode with several other entertainers to a concert date together, “Billy Boy, everybody in this car is crazy except me and you.” He took a big puff of his pipe and added, “And I’m not too sure about you!” How could you not love a man like that?

3) I’m wondering if Opry members and/or guest performers are paid for their appearances and, if so, how much?

Yes, everyone who appears on the Opry gets paid. The musicians are paid union scale as determined by the American Federation of Musicians. The featured performers are paid union scale through AFTRA, the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists. When someone performs on a televised portion of the show, or on a portion broadcast via satellite radio, that scale increases. It also increases when an artist is inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. All scales are adjusted periodically for cost of living increases. Nobody ever got rich enough to retire by strictly working the Opry, but the pay has definitely improved over the years. My first Opry check in 1959 was for $12.22.

Our “Question of the Month” comes from Milton in Kentucky: What went into the decision process of how many singles to release from an album in past decades? In the 60’s, you released one or two singles per album, but by the 80’s some artists had albums from which they released as many as five singles. As a fan, fewer singles meant another album soon, and more singles meant having to wait longer for a new album. What made the difference with the artist and the record company?

That’s a great question, and I’m not sure there’s a “one size fits all” answer. Back in the day, we used to fill about half of the slots on an album with songs that had been hits for other artists, the belief being that “titles sold albums.” Therefore, when a 12-song album was released, half of the songs were already eliminated as possible singles because they had recently been out and been hits by other people. So, if an artist got as many as three singles from one LP, he or she was doing well. As that trend began to fade, and albums began to contain more and more previously unreleased material, there was a larger number of songs from which the artist and the label might choose singles. And, as you said, sometimes an album could spawn up to five or more singles. In the final analysis, releasing music has always been and still remains a guessing game. We all have to wait for the public to ultimately tell us how wise our choices are. Or maybe how dumb.

Quickies: Have you ever turned down a song that later became a hit record? Or have you ever had an album cut that later became a hit for someone else? Yes to both questions. I turned down “Funny How Time Slips Away” back in the sixties, and I had the original recording of “When You Leave That Way (You Can Never Go Back)” in an album in 1984. It became a Top 20 hit for Confederate Railroad in 1993. What gift have you received from another performer or acquaintance that means the most to you? My old Grammer guitar that had been missing for fifty years and was returned to me by a pawn shop operator from Phoenix a few years ago. He could have probably sold it and made some good money, but he saw that it had originally been made for me, and he tracked me down to see if I would like to have it back. Unselfish gifts are the best gifts, and that one was about as unselfish as they come.

Thanks for another month of great questions. If you’re curious about something related to country music, ask me about it and I’ll do my best to get you an answer. Send your question to askbill@billanderson.com, and remember if yours is chosen as our Question Of The Month, you will receive any item of your choice from our online store free of charge. See you back here next month.

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Ask Bill – June 2, 2022

1) I saw recently where Lorrie Morgan said she is the youngest person to ever be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. She was 24. And then they said on TV that Ricky Skaggs was the youngest at 27. If my math is right, you were 23 when you joined. Doesn’t that make you the youngest one ever?

I don’t know if I’m the youngest one ever, but I was definitely younger than Lorrie and Ricky when I joined! I became an Opry member in July, 1961, and I didn’t turn 24 until November of that year. I am not the oldest member there today, but I have been a member the longest amount of time…something for which I am extremely grateful and thankful.

2) Why do you think it’s harder for 2nd and 3rd generations of kids of country singers to break in and make a name for themselves in the business?

I don’t know that it’s any harder for second and third generation country music children to succeed than it is for second and third generation athletes, media personalities, attorneys, doctors, or used car salesmen to succeed. Not everybody possesses the same talents or the same attributes as their parents. Plus, you don’t have to look any farther than Hank Williams Jr., Lorrie Morgan, Justin Tubb and others to know that it can be done in country music. And I’m sure it will be done again…and probably again and again…in the years to come.

3) What do you do when some amateur asks you to critique a song he or she wrote? Before you answer that, will you critique my great song?

I don’t know if you have a future as a songwriter, but you definitely have one as a comedian! I wish I could critique every song that was sent to me and offer advice and encouragement to every aspiring writer, but I simply cannot. There was a time earlier in my career when I tried, but I finally realized it was either these people’s songs or my own. Since I like to eat every day and put gasoline in my car, I figured I’d be better off putting my time and effort into my own creations. The Nashville Songwriters Association, International, has people who work with up and coming writers. I suggest you and other hopeful writers contact them.

Our Question Of The Month comes from Dennis in Missouri: In the March newsletter, you mentioned that you did not write the song, “But You Know I Love You.” However, you did record it, as did Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers. All three of you had hits with it even though the tempos and phrasing are different. I’m wondering who makes the decision about tempo and phrasing? I am fascinated by how a song could be interpreted in so many different ways and still come out sounding great every time.

What an insightful question! Let me say first that neither Kenny, Dolly, or I wrote the song. It was written by Mike Settle, who was a member of Kenny Roger’s First Edition band, the first artists to record the song back in the mid-60’s. I’m sure Kenny’s version reflected the way Mike intended for it to sound. In those days, Kenny’s records were not being played on country radio, though, and I told my producer, Owen Bradley, that I felt this was a country song. He agreed, changed the tempo, simplified the chord structure, and my version went to #2 on the charts in 1969. Dolly didn’t cut it until 1981, not doing either my version nor Kenny’s, although hers was closer to his than to mine. She did it her own way, and it topped out at #1. Each of us tried to do the song in the style that we felt suited us best. And, fortunately, each of us succeeded.

Quickies: Is Stringbean’s killer still alive today? Two men were convicted in String’s murder. One died in prison and the other was paroled. Last I heard he was employed by the Cornerstone Church in Madison, Tennessee. Is Mike Snider still an active part of the Grand Ole Opry family? Yes, most definitely. He did not appear on the show much during 2020 and ’21, but he has begun coming back to see us recently. And the Opry House is a brighter place when he’s in the building! One of my favorite songs of yours is “A Death In The Family.” Is it a true song? How did you come up with the idea? It is based on a true story, yes. I was going through a divorce when I wrote it. I only had to look inside my heart to come up with the idea to write it. When are you coming to Melbourne, Australia? To Las Vegas? To England? To Texas and Oklahoma? Obviously, these are the same question from different folks in different locations, and my answer is the same to them all: I do not know. I appreciate your wanting me to perform in your part of the world, but right now I’m staying close to home and not touring. When that changes, you’ll be the first to know.

Thanks for a good set of questions this month. We’re open for yours anytime you’d like to send us one. Just address it to askbill@billanderson.com and be watching for an answer. And remember if yours is chosen our Question Of The Month you’ll receive any item of your choice from our online store absolutely free. Stay curious, and we’ll see you back here in July.

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Ask Bill – May 3, 2022

1) Numerous original music artists like George Jones, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, and others have been impersonated by various individuals. To my knowledge, I have never heard anyone impersonating the one and only Whisperin’ Bill Anderson. Is is because there is no one except you who has that unique singing voice?

Back in the day, you used to have to stand in line if you wanted to impersonate Bill Anderson. Loretta Lynn did it. Ferlin Husky did it, as did others like Billy “Crash” Craddock and Del Reeves. People used to think it bothered me, but I considered it a compliment. As Ferlin told me one time, “If you weren’t different, there wouldn’t be anything to imitate.” I haven’t heard of any of today’s young artists impersonating me, but maybe one will come along someday. I hope so. That way I can be in two places at once!

2) With the sad news that the E.T. Record Shop is closing do you plan on updating “Gone Away?” Also the passing of Bobbie Nelson and Naomi Judd.

Sadly, I could update the song, “Gone Away,” almost every day. So many things are changing and so many of our music business friends are passing away….including Steve Ripley who wrote the melody and the original lyrics to “Gone Away.” We all know nothing stays the same forever, but it would be nice if some of the changes would at least slow down for awhile. Meantime, I don’t have any plans to try and update the song.

3) Did you ever write a song for the late and great Webb Pierce? He was the first country singer I heard when I was 12-years old, and I’ve been hooked on traditional country music ever since.

Webb was an over-the-top performer and a great song stylist, and I would love to tell you that I wrote one or more of his big hits, but unfortunately, I didn’t. I think he may have covered a couple of my songs….maybe “Once A Day” or “I Don’t Love You Anymore”….in one or more of his albums, but we never had a single together. I wish we had, but Mel Tillis was always in line ahead of me!

4) Our Question Of The Month comes from John in California: When you sang the song, “Bright Lights and Country Music” later in life, I noticed you changed up the part about a bottle filled with wine. Was this because of your faith? And what caused you to later sing it as it was originally written?

We singers often wonder if listeners pay attention to the lyrics of our songs when we are singing them, but this question proves that at least some of you do. And I’m glad. I have a good answer as to why I changed the lyrics to begin with, but probably a not-so-good answer as to why I went back to the original version. My wife was nearly killed and was permanently impaired by a drunk driver who crashed head-on into her car late one night back in 1984. I swore at that time that I would never sing another song that glorified drinking, and for years I didn’t. Some time ago, after more than thirty years had passed, a fan wrote me and said they really missed their favorite line in that song – “Honkytonks were made for men with women on their mind” – and asked me if I would go back to singing it that way. I did it on the Opry not long afterward and, truthfully, you are the first person to mention it. I figured if nobody cared enough to bring it up, I’d just leave well enough alone. Do any of our readers have thoughts on the subject??

Quickies: Were you ever in the movies? Yes. And the popcorn was delicious. Oh, you mean was I ever IN a movie? Back in the 60’s I was in four or five Grade B country music films that were shown in the better drive-in theaters from coast-to-coast, but I was never featured as an actor or anything like that. Mostly I think the producers just wanted to show my fancy rhinestone Nudie suits in color on a big screen. Do you know if any artist ever buys their albums back from fans? I’ve never heard of anyone doing that, but I’m not like Hank Snow. I haven’t been everywhere. Do you have a boot endorsement and would you wear square toe boots? How many pair do you keep at home? Yes, I endorse boots made by the Easterling Boot Company in Fredericksburg, Texas. We experimented with a couple of square-toe models a few years ago, and they are pretty comfortable. I just looked in my closet and there were 16 pairs (or is it “pair?”) staring back at me. Keep in mind, though, that several of my favorite ones are on display right now at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Who arranges the order of songs in your concert shows? I do. Will you be having any concert dates during 2022? Right now there are none on my schedule.

Thanks for your questions…I love trying to answer them. If you’re curious about something connected to me or to country music, send your question to askbill@billanderson.com and I’ll do my best to reply. And remember, the person who submits the Question of the Month wins any item of their choice from our online store absolutely free. See you back here in June.

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Ask Bill – March 2, 2022

1) During all your road trips and going all over the USA who was the one artist you liked touring with the best? Maybe the best travelling partner you had back in the day?

I’ve been so lucky throughout my career to have toured with so many great people, great artists, and great performers that I honestly cannot narrow it down to any one particular person. I enjoyed being with different ones for different reasons. Faron Young always had a ton of stories and was usually a barrel of laughs. So was Del Reeves. And Johnny Russell. Watching Ferlin Husky entertain an audience was like going to school every night. Johnny Cash, George Morgan, Little Jimmy Dickens…they all taught me so much both onstage and off. There’s too many to count, and I wouldn’t want to leave anyone out.

2) What are some of your favorite versions of songs you’ve written being performed by other artists? I’m sure it’s always gratifying to hear another performer cover one of your songs, but I wonder if there are some singers you think have done a particularly great job of interpreting one or more of your compositions.

Here again there have been so many artists who have done an amazing job on my songs that it would be impossible to list them all. Other than the obvious (Ray Price “City Lights”…Connie Smith “Once A Day,” etc.), several of my favorites are from artists outside the country music realm who have taken my songs and made them their own. I’m thinking of James Brown, Bing Crosby, and Con Hundley, each of whom put his own stamp on “Still,” Aretha Franklin who sang, “I May Never Get To Heaven,” as only she could, Dean Martin who breathed new life into “Nobody But A Fool” and “Tips Of My Fingers,” and Elvis Costello who put a totally different spin on “Must You Throw Dirt In My Face.” I’ve often said anybody can trace a picture, but it takes a true artist to paint one. To me, these artists (along with others too numerous to mention) each painted masterpieces on their own unique and special canvasses. And I’m grateful to each and every one.

3) I realize your memory is better than most, but I wonder in your heyday how everything didn’t become blurred. Did you keep a diary of what happened on such and such a tour or recording session? Do you have a story of someone correcting your version of an event that you wrote about?

No, I never kept a diary. I was always too busy doing things to stop and write them down. I guess I have just been blessed with a good memory, and while some of my memories may have been blurred, as you suggested, I don’t recall anyone ever coming out and “correcting” me. Jeannie Seely may have said it best when she said, “They’re my memories, and I’ll remember them the way I want to!”

Our Question Of The Month comes from Glenn in New Jersey: In your long and illustrious career, have you ever tried to yodel?

I read this question and laughed out loud. Whoever heard of a “whispering yodel?” What do you reckon that would sound like?? No, I’ve never tried yodeling, at least not when I was sober…and definitely not in public. There have been some great yodelers in country music….Elton Britt, Jean Shepard, Kenny Roberts, and Slim Whitman among them, but not ol’ Whisperin’ Bill. I think I’m better off just doing whatever it is that I do and leave the yodeling to the professionals. But thanks for the thought and for brightening my day!

Quickies: What do you do in your spare time? I don’t know. I’ve never had any. I’m only joking, of course. I am a big sports fan and follow my favorite ball teams, I read quite a bit, and I try to spend as much time as possible with my family. I’ve often said my work is my hobby, and I spend a lot of time tinkering with my songs. I have never seen you live in concert, but wonder if you include gospel songs in your show? Yes. I include “Mama Sang A Song” in virtually all of my performances and close nearly every show with “I Saw The Light.” In between I’ll often sing something from one of my gospel albums or share a gospel-oriented narration like “Deck Of Cards” or “The Touch Of The Master’s Hand.” Gospel music has always been a big part of my life and my career. Back in the day country performers were all spit and polish. Why do you think so many of today’s singers have to look grungy with beards, long hair, and ragged clothes? I don’t know….I guess it’s just a sign of the times. What is your favorite cookie? Oatmeal/Raisin…the soft, chewy kind. Followed closely by Oreo’s.

Thanks for your questions. We had a wide variety this month for sure…from yodeling to cookies. If you’re curious about something related to country music, send your question to me at askbill@billanderson.com and I’ll do my best to answer it. If your question is chosen as our Question of the Month, you’ll win any item from our online store free of charge and personally autographed. See you back here in April.

Ask Bill – April 4, 2022

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