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Ask Bill – March 1, 2021

ASK BILL!

span>1) I just came across the song “Double S” on my playlist. What was your inspiration for writing that song?

I was on the bus killing time between a matinee and a nighttime show when the idea struck me. I was making the band laugh by seeing how many words I could come up with that started with the letter “S,” and the more they laughed the crazier I became. Finally, I went to the rear of the bus and began to construct a story out of all these words. I never intended for it to be a song…it was a joke as much as anything else. But when I got back to Nashville and showed what I had written to my producer, Buddy Killen, he began putting a melody behind it and a song was born. It was one of those love/hate records in my career. People either loved it or they hated it. I’ll be nice and not ask which side you fall on!

2) I have seen a lot of your appearances on different game shows. Which was your favorite to be on? And did you pattern your great hosting style on Fandango after any one game show host?

I think I enjoyed being on “Password Plus” more than any other game show, probably because I did better there than on some of the others. I like words and word games, and it was fun to help my contestant partners win lots of money. I have never tried patterning myself…either as a singer or as a game show host…after anyone else. I just tried to be myself and hoped that somebody somewhere liked what I attempted to do.

3) How are you able to perform a song that you have literally sung for decades and still sing it with energy for your audience?

I’m sure different artists handle this in different ways, but to me a song is new every time I sing it. Somebody in that audience may be hearing it for the first time. Somebody else bought a ticket just to hear that song. Either way, it’s up to me to deliver it as best as I can. Before I go onstage every night I tell myself that the show I’m about to do is the most important one I have ever done. I’ve never done a perfect show and I never will, but it won’t be because I didn’t try.

Quickies: Is there any chance the Country’s Family Reunion Road Shows will return to Branson? I never say never, but I doubt we’ll be bringing those back anytime soon. I have looked and looked for the sheet music to “Walk Out Backwards.” Is it available anywhere? That song came out in 1960, and back then they didn’t publish a lot of sheet music for country songs. I can’t find where any was ever printed. Have you ever co-written songs with Skip Ewing and Paul Overstreet? They are among my favorite songwriters. Mine too, and I have written with both of them. Skip and I had a #1 hit (along with Debbie Moore) on Mark Wills’ “Wish You Were Here.” Paul and I haven’t been quite that lucky….yet! One of my favorite female singers was Penny DeHaven. Did you ever do any shows with her? I helped Penny get her first recording contract with Imperial Records, and she recorded several of my songs. I’m sure we must have toured together, but I can’t recall any particular instances. Have you ever thought of doing a duets album? I’ve only done six of them…four with Jan Howard and two with Mary Lou Turner. Plus I’ve recorded duets with Roy Acuff, David Allen Coe, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Vince Gill and others. Where have you been??

Thanks as always for your questions. My mailbox is open 24/7 at askbill@billanderson.com or in care of P. O. Box 888, Hermitage, TN. 37076 if you’ve got one you’d like to send me. See you back here next time.

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Askl Bill – July 1, 2021

1) What advice would you give to somebody who wants to write songs?
It would depend on what that person had in mind. If they wanted to write strictly for their own enjoyment, I’d say pick an idea, put together a chord structure on guitar or keyboard, and go for it. But if they have dreams of writing songs commercially, then I would suggest that, first, they listen to current music as much as possible to see what the trends are and the types of songs that are successful. Print out lyrics and study how hit songs are constructed. Search through some of the many books and videos that address songwriting. And consider joining the Nashville Songwriters Association, International (www.nashvillesongwriters.com). They have some amazing materials and programs for aspiring writers. And I would wish this person good luck….because we can all never have too much of that!
 
2) Do you have contact with any of the people in your high school graduating class? Did you participate in the choir or the band?
My graduating class was an extremely close-knit group, and we have had well over a dozen class reunions since 1955. I have attended most of them. One of my classmates, Shirley Bettis, for years forwarded all our fan club newsletters to our group, and that helped me stay connected to many of them as well. Like the song says, “You can’t make old friends,” and those are some of the best friends I ever had. No, I was not in the choir or the band in school.
 
3) I have heard about Jimmy Gateley all of my life. I will someday be buried in the same cemetery as him. I would like to know how he passed, and if you have any stories that you’d like to share of your time working with him.
 
Jimmy, from the little community of Pleasant Hope, Missouri, was the bass player, fiddle player, singer and emcee for my Po’ Boys band for 13-years…from its inception in 1964 until 1977. He died of a heart condition in 1985. Jimmy was the only band member I ever hired who was older than me, and I learned so much from him. He had been a cast member on the Red Foley Ozark Jubilee TV shows before moving to Nashville, and he was so much wiser about the ins-and-outs of the music business than I was. I wore him out asking questions, but in his calm, understated way he graciously (and often humorously) answered them all. He was a great guy, extremely talented, and hardly a day goes by that I don’t remember something he said or did and it always makes me smile. I wrote a lot about him in my first autobiography, “Whisperin’ Bill,” which you might be able to find at a garage sale somewhere.
 
Quickies:  I was so sad to read of the recent passing of B.J. Thomas. Did he ever record any of your songs? And did Elvis ever record any? Yes…back in the sixties B.J. recorded “I May Never Get To Heaven.” Elvis never did any of mine, though. I wish he had!
You recorded a song in the 50’s called “Take Me.” Have you ever thought about re-recording it for a current album? No I haven’t. That wasn’t a very good song back then, and it hasn’t gotten any better over the years. Did you ever smoke? I tried it like most teenagers, but I didn’t like it. I’ve got plenty of bad habits, but smoking is not one of them. How did you come up with the song, “If Anything Ever Happened To You?” It’s a great song. Thank you. I wrote it thinking about my mom and dad They were married for 68-years, and I’d often wondered which one would go first and how the other one would be able to survive on their own. Have you ever written a song for one of your children or grandchildren? The day my first child, Terri, was born I wrote a song for her, but that’s the only one. It was not intended to be commercial, and I never tried to do anything with it other than giving it to her. Were the two great guitar players, Sammy Pruitt and Jack Pruitt, related? Yes. Sammy, who played with Hank Williams, was the older brother of Jack, who played with Marty Robbins and others. A fan of yours noted a wish for a Bill Anderson-Lionel Richie writing session. Any thoughts? I have never met Lionel Richie, but I’m a big fan of his. I’d love to write with him, but we should probably meet one another first.
 
Thanks for a large supply of good questions this month. Sorry I couldn’t get to them all. I’ll hang onto as many as I can for August. Meantime, you can always send yours to me at askbill@billanderson.com or at P.O.Box 888, Hermitage, TN. 37076. See you back here next month.
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Ask Bill – June 1, 2021

1) Eddie Stubbs retired recently. As you know, he was an Opry stage announcer as well as a DJ on WSM. Many years ago, he was the fiddle player for the Johnson Mountain Boys. Is Eddie the only Opry stage announcer who also performed on the Opry stage?
 
That’s an interesting question, and I called my buddy, Keith Bilbrey, also a former Opry announcer, and asked him. Neither of us could remember an announcer other than Eddie who played an instrument on the Opry, but we both recalled Ralph Emery and T. Tommy Cutrer performing on the show. Ralph had a brief recording career and a hit record called, “Hello Fool,” which I remember his doing onstage several times. T. Tommy, who had one of the warmest, most sincere voices of all time, made some records too, and would sometimes perform a gospel song live with the Jordanaires. I can’t think of anyone else.
 
2) I’d love to see you get a song on the charts so it would be eight decades in a row. What are the odds?
 
With the current country music landscape being so different from what it has been in the seven preceding decades, I wouldn’t bet the farm on it. At the same time, I’m still writing songs, and I’ve got 60-plus years worth of back catalog that someone might just discover someday. As my high school baseball coach used to say, as long as you’ve got a bat in your hands and you’re up at the plate swinging, you’ve got a chance to get a hit. It would be nice for sure, and I appreciate your encouragement. 
 
3) I am interested in the process of recording a new album. Who picks the songs? Who picks the musicians and backup singers? What does studio time cost? I notice older albums often contained songs by other artists. Who chose those? You may have to talk to us as if we were first-graders because most of us are not familiar with musician lingo.
 
No problem. I’ll try and explain as best as I can. The artist usually chooses a producer to work with in the recording process (or sometimes a record label might assign a certain producer to a certain artist), and the producer and the artist work as a team. They may listen to hundreds of songs trying to find ones that they both agree would work best. They also work in tandem most times in the selection of the musicians and background singers. Studio costs vary in that some are booked at an hourly rate and others negotiate a flat rate for an entire project. No two studios have the exact same rates. In the olden days, artists and their producers would often scan the popularity charts prior to recording an album and choose songs they liked that were hits by other artists, then try to give those songs their own interpretation.The thinking back then was that “titles sell albums,” and fans like to hear their favorite singers sing their favorite songs. Or as the great Owen Bradley put it, “A Webb Pierce fan doesn’t think a song has been sung until Webb sings it.”
 
Quickies: Have you ever sung or recorded with Vince Gill? Yes, I’ve done both. I sang our co-written song, “Which Bridge To Cross (Which Bridge To Burn)” with him on one of his Opry anniversaries, and he sang with me and Jan Howard on my recording of “He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands,” from my “Whisperin’ Bluegrass” CD. Who would be your favorite country singer of all time? I don’t normally like to list my favorite anythings, but in this case I’ll make an exception. Hank Williams is my all-time favorite country singer, with Merle Haggard running a close second. As a child, I remember hearing Lulu Belle and Scottie on the Grand Ole Opry. Do you remember them? Of course I remember them, but you probably heard them on the WLS Barn Dance out of Chicago rather than on the Opry. That’s where they headquartered. They were man and wife, and extremely popular in their time. Scotty Wiseman wrote the classic song, “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You,” and after their performing days were over, Lulu Belle was elected to the North Carolina legislature where she served two terms. I’ve often thought they should be members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
 
Thanks for your questions as always. I’m running a bit low on them right now, so send me yours for next month’s newsletter. You can e-mail them to askbill@billanderson.com or send them to me at P. O. Box 888, Hermitage, TN. 37076. I’ll look forward to hearing what you’re curious about, and I’ll see you back in this space in July.
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Ask Bill – May 1, 2012

1) One of my all-time favorite albums is your duet album with Jan Howard called “Bill And Jan Or Jan And Bill.” The album is filled with such a terrific mix of country songs. Do you have any special memories of recording this particular album?

Oh boy, I sure do! Jan and I had done so many serious songs on our first two records together, that we decided from the get-go that this record was going to be FUN. It started with the title. I wanted to call it “Bill & Jan,” naturally, and she wanted to call it “Jan & Bill.” So we settled on using both names, and the liner notes were a series of letters we wrote to one another about the concept. We laughed our heads off coming up with those. Then so many of the songs were light-hearted and fun….including “Dis-Satisfied,” “Beautiful People,” “We,” and “Someday We’ll Be Together.” We cut the original version of “Satin Sheets” here, too, before Jeanne Pruitt had her big hit with it. Jan and I took our music seriously, but we didn’t take ourselves seriously, and this album was certainly proof of that. I’m glad you like it. We both liked it too.

2) A little while back my brother heard you sing a song, “Someday It Will All Make Sense.” Did you write this song and record it? He loved it and wanted to know if it was available.

I co-wrote that song with Bobby Tomberlin and Ryan Larkins, and I’ve sung it a couple of times on the Grand Ole Opry. I have not recorded it yet, but I hope to and plan to as soon as I can get back into the recording studio. I would like very much for it to be part of my next album. Tell your brother I’m glad he likes it.

3) I have a question for you. You have done so much – written and sung thousands of hit songs, acted on a soap opera, appeared many times on TV and, of course, the Grand Ole Opry. You have traveled around the world and much more. Everyone seems to have their own Bucket List. What are a couple of items still on your B.L.??

Professionally, I can’t think of a thing. I have been blessed far beyond my wildest imagination. Personally, at the top of my list is living to see my grandson, Gabe, become cancer-free and able to pursue his life and his dreams. That, along with health and happiness for all my children and grandchildren. My list is actually a pretty short one.

Quickies: Wasn’t there some talk awhile back about Bear Family issuing a boxed set to follow up on “The First Ten Years?” Has there been any movement on that? There was some talk, but it seems to have died out. I don’t think those folks are putting out as much music today as they once were. What is your road schedule for this year? I would love to see you again and hear you sing.  You don’t know how much I’d like to be out there pickin’ and singin’ for you, but due to COVID and my current family situation, I am taking the entire year of 2021 off the road. Will I go back on tour in 2022? Stay tuned. When someone does a parody of a song, does the original writer get credit? Is the writer asked if the song can be used? I’m thinking of Sheb Wooley and the parody he did as Ben Colder on “Still.”  Yes, the writer gets co-writing credit on the parody. The writer doesn’t have to give permission for the parody to be released, but the publisher, who owns the copyright, has to grant a license. I always took parodies of my songs as great compliments. They meant my original song had been successful enough to warrant someone’s making fun of it.  You’ve always had a love for baseball. What is your favorite position?  Being left-handed, my options were limited because lefties don’t play second base, shortstop, third base, or catcher. I loved pitching, and then playing first base on the days I wasn’t on the mound. Will there be any more Country’s Family Reunion shows in the near future?  This continues to be my most asked question which tells me that many of you really enjoyed those shows. I enjoyed them,too, but the decision as to whether any more shows will be recorded is out of my hands. Larry Black owns the copyright to that name and that series. The decision rests with him and his sons who now run his company.

Thanks as always for your questions. I’ll do it again in June if you’ll send me the material I need. Address your questions to me at AskBill@billanderson.com or at P.O. Box 888, Hermitage, TN. 37076. See you back here next month.

1 Comment

  1. Treva Stogner
    March 13, 2021 @ 2:12 pm

    Bill, have you written any songs lately without co-writers that will be published soon?

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