June 1 2020

Ask Bill – June 1, 2020

1) My question to you is how big of a part does gospel music play in your shows? Meaning do you include gospel music in each concert you do?

It’s been so long since we’ve done a live concert that I almost don’t remember. But, seriously, yes, I always try to include a gospel song. I don’t do a gospel segment as such, but I include “Mama Sang A Song,” in virtually all my shows and close most of my shows with “I Saw The Light.” If I have requests for other gospel songs, and if time allows, I’m more than happy to sing them as well.

2) I watched the Ray Price tribute you did, and I notice you wear your watch on your right wrist. Are you left-handed? You play the guitar right-handed. Just curious.

Yes, I am totally left-handed…and right-brained! The only thing I do right-handed is play the guitar. I only do that because when I was teaching myself to play, I couldn’t find any chord books for left-handers. My first inclination was to play it left-handed, but I knew I’d have to turn it around if I were ever going to learn. And so I did.

3) In your career you have primarily focused on singing and songwriting. But have you ever had an occasion where you had and accepted an offer to do something professionally that you never in your wildest dreams ever expected to do? And, if so, how did it turn out? And did you continue doing it?

Oh, yes. I never imagined myself as a contestant on and/or a host of a television game show…and in my very wildest dreams I never imagined I would appear on a TV soap opera. Those opportunities both came my way back in the late 70s and early 80s, though, and I took advantage of them, primarily because I knew I would regret it someday if I didn’t. How did they turn out? Well, let’s just say I haven’t been asked back to any of the soaps, but I continue to get game show hosting opportunities. In fact, if the pandemic calms down a bit, I plan to host a new game show pilot in July. Will it continue beyond there? Stay tuned.

4) And a few questions that require only short answers: Will you make a movie about your life? Do you have any CDs of you and Jan Howard singing together? What is your favorite restaurant in the Nashville area – one the tourists don’t know about? And when our country opens back up, what is the first thing you are going to do?

No, I won’t make a movie about my life. Somebody else might, but I won’t. Unfortunately, none of my and Jan’s albums were ever released on CD. If I tell you my favorite restaurant that the tourists don’t know about, then they’ll know about it. But ok…it’s a place called The Yellow Porch. And the first thing I’m going to do as soon as I can is go hug all the people I’ve missed hugging while we’ve been socially distancing. And the second thing I’m going to do is go hug them all again!!

Thanks for your questions. You can always send them to me at askbill@billanderson.com
or to P. O. Box 888, Hermitage, TN. 37076, and I’ll answer as best as I can. Send me yours, and I’ll see you back here in July.

Ask Bill

Ask Bill – February 01, 2021

1) To start off the year here’s a question a friend asked me:
If you were able to meet your 18 year old self – what 3 words of advice would you give to him?

That’s an interesting question. Let’s see…when I was 18-years old I was going to school every morning, working at a radio station all afternoon, and driving for an hour in between. At night I was studying, writing songs, or playing music somewhere. I was burning the candle at both ends 24/7, and I never really stopped for the next sixty-plus years. I’m sure my work ethic was responsible for a lot of my success, but it was probably also responsible for an ulcer and some high blood pressure. So, if I had to put it into three words, I think I’d tell my 18-year old self to stop and “Smell The Roses.” Slow down a bit, Kid, and don’t be afraid to enjoy what you’re working for.

2) I noticed in a group picture of The Po’ Folks Band that Pat, the steel guitar player, was missing. Is he still with the band, and if not, what is he doing now? Also, once you are able to tour again, will you ever be going back to the Bill Anderson Performing Arts Center in Commerce, Georgia, for another show?

No, Pat Severs is no longer with our band. He moved to a beach somewhere in South Carolina shortly before the pandemic hit last year. I assume he’s doing what the rest of us are doing – staying home. I would love to perform at the PAC in Commerce again someday. I hope I’ll have the opportunity.

3. I think the Waffle House video is a riot. Who are some of those people? Any family?

Thank you. We had a lot of fun making it. I’m sure you recognized Jeannie Seely as one of the waitresses along with Gretchen “Redneck Woman” Wilson. Tanya Tucker and Erin Enderlin were sitting next to me at the counter, and our wonderful cook was, of course, Kid Rock. My son, daughter-in-law, granddaughter, and grandson were in a quick scene sitting in one of the booths as was my manager. I don’t know who the rest of those crazies were…they just wandered in off the street and wouldn’t leave until we fed them.

Quickies: Was George Jones ever a guest on Family Reunion? No, unfortunately, he wasn’t. He was on the way to the studio one day but got sick and had to return home. We were never able to reschedule him and that was our loss. Besides your hometown and Nashville, what is your favorite place to perform? Anyplace where the sound and the lighting are good and the people come to the show in a mood to be entertained. I don’t have any geographical favorites. I love everywhere. I know you are a big Georgia fan, but I’m wondering if you follow the Falcons or Titans in the pros. I was a Falcon fan until the Titans came to Nashville, but now I’m Titan two-toned blue all the way. Got to support the hometown team! I sure would love to know the story behind the song, “Still.” It’s one of my all-time favorites! Thank you.The short story behind it is that I ran into a former girlfriend that I hadn’t seen in several years. The longer version begins on Page 78 of my autobiography and runs for several pages. I don’t have the room to repeat it here, but I’m glad you like the song.

Thanks for your questions. I have several left over from our recent online chat that I will get to in March. Meantime, if you’re dying to know something, write to me at askbill@billanderson.com and I’ll try to help out. See you back here next month.

Ask Bill

Ask Bill – January 4, 2021

1) I am curious…are you the current longest running member of the Grand Ole Opry?

No, there are probably several Opry members who can run longer than I can. Oh, wait….you mean have I been at the Opry the longest, right? No, Stonewall Jackson joined the show in the late fifties, and I didn’t come along until 1961. There are no living members who joined between Stonewall and me, though, so next to him I’ve been around the longest. Hopefully, I’ll get to celebrate being a 60-year member in 2021.

2) Did you ever get interviewed by Ken Burns for the video, “Country Music?” With your standing in the music business I can’t see how they didn’t.

You must not have watched the show because I’m all over it. Episode #4, which focuses on artists and music from the sixties, features me the most.

3) What can we do about the fact that Country’s Family Reunion is not on the air anymore? Is there a petition we can sign? How do we contact RFD?

This was my most-asked question this month, and I wish I knew the answer. I don’t know of a petition you could sign, but you can write to RFD-TV at 49 Music Square W., Nashville, TN. 37203. I’m not sure it would do any good, however, as the decision was a joint one between Larry Black’s production company, Gabriel Communications, and the network. Larry made his money from CFR on the sales of the DVD sets, but now with streaming and all kinds of free music and online video services, the DVD’s don’t sell much anymore. The shows are very costly to produce, and it finally reached the point where somebody had to pull the plug. The shows were a big part of my life for 23-years. Thankfully, you can still access them on Country Road TV.

Quickies: What song took you the longest to write? Believe it or not, “Peel Me A ‘Nanner” took over three years to finish. I couldn’t figure how to match verses to the silly little chorus that I wrote in about five minutes. How can I share a subject that you could be inspired to turn into a song? As with all songwriting questions, I suggest you reach out to the Nashville Songwriters Association, International, at www.nashvillesongwriters.com. They have some amazing programs for aspiring songwriters. Will there be or was there a tribute for Jan Howard? Jeff Hoag, the outstanding new nighttime announcer on AM650 WSM, did a marvelous radio tribute to Jan not long after she passed. I don’t know for sure, but I would imagine that show is still available in the WSM archives. Mandy Barnett recently honored Jan by singing “Evil On Your Mind” on the televised Grand Ole Opry. I collect country music DVD’s, but I do not have any of Bill Anderson. Have you ever done any DVD’s and, if not, why? I assume you mean full-concert DVD’s, and I have done only one. That was on the occasion of my 40th anniversary as a Grand Ole Opry member back in 2001. It was titled, “Bill Anderson – 40 Years Of Hits LIVE.” It was released by Varese-Sarabande Records in California, but my guess is that it is probably out of print.

Thanks for getting the New Year off to a good start with your questions. I’ve about exhausted all the ones in my files from 2020, though, so send me some new ones. You can write to me at askbill@billanderson.com or at P.O. Box 888, Hermitage, TN. 37076. Fill up my mailbox, and we’ll see you back here next time.

Ask Bill

Ask Bill – December 1, 2020

1) On some of the Country’s Family Reunion shows they show the guests signing posters during the break. Are any of these posters available or were they just for the guests to pass among themselves?

The posters originally had a two-fold purpose: A copy was given as a souvenir to each artist who participated in that particular taping, and the ones that were left over were donated to various charities to be used in their fundraising efforts. Larry Black tells me that they still have quite a few of the posters in their offices, but he has no idea what they might do with them…if anything.

2) Before XM and Sirius merged, you had a program called Bill Anderson Visits With The Legends on XM. I really enjoyed it. Are there plans to release that program on CD or bring it back to satellite?

I had two letters this month asking about those shows, and I appreciate your interest after all these years. Three of the programs, my visits with Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and The Oak Ridge Boys, were packaged together on CD’s and sold back in the day, but I have no idea where you might find one of those sets today. Perhaps try on E-bay. A few of the episodes, such as my visits with George Jones and Glen Campbell, were aired on Willie’s Roadhouse when these great artists passed away. But so far as I know, there aren’t any plans to take the others out of the vault, at least not anytime soon.

3) Was Connie Smith ever asked to sit in on Country’s Family Reunion? And did you ever do lots of shows with her?

I have been told by our talent coordinators that they reached out to Connie’s people every time we were set to record a CFR show, but that her schedule never seemed to match up with ours. She would have been a wonderful guest. No, we didn’t do “lots” of shows together because in the beginning I did not want people to think of her as the “girl singer” in my band. Then after “Once A Day” hit, I didn’t want to be the “boy singer” in her band!! We did play a few shows together in her early days, but not as many as you might think.

Quickies: I’m just wondering if you’ll ever do a UK tour. I would love to see one of your shows. Thank you. I have toured in the UK several times over the years and always enjoyed my visits over there. Maybe I can explore the idea again when all the coronavirus concerns are behind us. What is your favorite hymn and your favorite Christmas song? If you know me, you know I’m reluctant to name my “favorite” anything because my favorite on Tuesday may not be my favorite on Friday. But I’d say “The Old Rugged Cross” and “Silent Night” probably fill the bill as my favorite hymn and favorite Christmas song. And I don’t see that changing anytime soon. How do you keep your singing voice in shape during the times of being unable to perform? I walk around the house whispering a lot! No, I’m kidding. That’s actually a great question, and I’ll admit to having been worried about it when I first went back on the Opry after seven months. I do play and sing at home quite a bit, particularly when I’m writing new songs, and while that’s not exactly like performing in public, it helps. You have a million dollar smile, but don’t you have to force it sometimes? How in the world can you keep smiling over and over again for pictures for so many fans? First, thank you. I am basically a happy person, and most of the time smiling comes easy for me. I’m honored when people want to take my picture, and I try to show my appreciation by smiling. Somewhere someone is bound to have a picture of me with a big ol’ frown on my face, but hopefully they’ll keep it to themselves and not spread it around.

I always smile when you send me your questions, and I appreciate every one of them. I’m looking forward to starting off 2021 with a batch of new ones, so please send me yours. Just e-mail me at askbill@billanderson.com or write me at P.O. Box 888, Hermitage, TN. 37076. Thanks, and I’ll see you back here next year!

Ask Bill – June 1, 2020

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