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Ask Bill – May 1, 2023

1) I have heard you worked with Ferlin Husky in your early days, and I wonder what it was like working with him. He seemed like a real character.

He truly was that! Ferlin’s publicity referred to him as the “Star of Any Stage He Steps On,” and he was that as well. Whether he was singing one of his million-sellers like “Wings Of A Dove” or “Gone”….or tickling the audience’s funny-bone as his alter-ego, Simon Crum…there wasn’t anybody in country music who could follow him onstage back in his heyday. I learned so much just standing in the wings watching him entertain, and he helped me so much personally. When he saw that I was having trouble accepting him and other artists impersonating me, he pulled me aside and said, “If you weren’t different, there wouldn’t be anything to impersonate,” and “If I didn’t like you, I wouldn’t give you the publicity!” Ferlin was one of my true heroes. I’m so glad I got to be a small part of his life during his primo years.

2) What country song do you believe to be the best song to capture the essence of country music?

Almost everyone says that “He Stopped Loving Her Today” is the perfect country song, and it’s hard to disagree with that. But again, like so many things in life, the “best” is often in the eyes and ears of the beholder. Country music is certainly about love, but it’s also about trains and trucks and Mama and home and prison and beer and dogs and peeling bananas and Jesus and just about anything else you can think of. I’ll say the “best” one is the one that best reaches out and touches your heart.

3) This is purely hypothetical, but if I were watching a Malpass Brothers performance on a cruise ship and I requested “Tips Of My Fingers,” and they sang it, are they obligated to slip you some royalty cash the next time you have lunch with them? Do you ever extend to friends the offer to freely perform your songs?

Once a song is licensed and out on the market, anyone can perform it on stage at any time. The writer is compensated through whichever performing rights society he or she is affiliated with. In my case, that would be BMI. The Malpass boys wouldn’t be obligated to pay me anything, but I’d be glad to let them buy me lunch!

Our Question Of The Month comes from Deb in Missouri: I just finished reading a book about Roger Miller. When he was awarded all those Grammy’s back in ’64 and ’65, some categories sounded the same to me. For “King Of The Road” and “Dang Me”, he won for SINGLE of the year and then for RECORD of the year. What makes them separate categories.?

I had our folks do some serious searching on this question because I didn’t understand the difference myself. It turns out that Roger won country music Grammy’s in 1964 for Single of the Year, Album of the Year, Male Vocal Performance, Song of the Year, and as Best New Artist. There was no such category as Record of the Year. Evidently, the book you were reading was in error.

Quickies: Have you ever recorded “Suppertime” on an album? I recorded it on an album that was only released on a cassette tape if you can believe that. The collection was called Yesteryear, and it was so obscure that up until recently I didn’t even have a copy myself. But, thankfully, I finally found one. Did you ever write any songs with Mel Tillis? No, because back in the day we were affiliated with different publishing companies and they wouldn’t split copyrights. I would love to have written with Mel. One of my favorite singers was James O’Gwynn. Did you know him and do many shows with him? I knew him and, in 1962, wrote one of his biggest hits, “My Name Is Mud.” I worked with him a couple of times on the Louisiana Hayride where he once let me borrow his guitar. It was one of the best sounding Martin’s that I’ve ever heard. You wrote a song, “You Lied To Me” that Tracy Byrd recorded. Did you ever record it. If not, why? Charlie Walker had the first record on that song, Tracy had the second, and Charley Pride recorded it in his final album. I never recorded it, but I’ve sung it on the Opry several times, once with Tracy. No real reason why I’ve never cut it…maybe I will someday. Do you know what happened to the inventory of LPs from Lawrence Brothers Record Shop that used to be on Broadway near the Ryman? I have no idea. Anybody?

So many good questions this month I couldn’t get to them all. If you have one, send it to me at askbill@billanderson.com and I’ll answer as soon and as best as I can. If yours is chosen Question Of The Month, you’ll receive any item of your choice from our online store absolutely free. Let me hear from you, and I’ll see you back here again in June.

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Ask Bill – April 3, 2023

1) I always wondered when artists are on the road in a bus who pays for what? When pulling over into a truck stop, does each person pay for his own meal? Who buys the water for the bus? The toilet paper? And even coffee and the other essentials of life?

This probably varies from artist to artist and bus to bus, but in my case I always supplied the bottles of drinking water, the ice to keep it cold, the paper towels, the toilet paper, and other basic essentials. The band members were responsible for their own meals, their own personal items (toothpaste, etc.) and their own individual cups of coffee. If we made a pot of coffee, which in our case was seldom, I furnished that. There are no set rules and, like I said, it probably varies from group to group.

2) You said you planned to read a lot while recovering from your surgery. What kinds of books do you like? I’m just wondering because I am an avid reader too.

If you were to look at the bookshelves in my house you would definitely wonder what kind of an idiot lives there. I read the widest range of books imaginable. I like mysteries, humor, biographies, books on history and current events, sports…almost anything that is well written, informative, and entertaining. I have a very large collection of books written by and about my friends in country music, many of which are personally autographed to me and highly treasured. Although I enjoy reading at any point during the day, I do most of my reading at night before going to sleep. I find it’s a great way to relax and de-stress from the events of the day.

3) What was it like recording a combination of country music and disco on your “Ladies Choice” album? Has anyone ever described you as the Barry White of country music?

Yes, they have, and I take that as a compliment. Barry White was a great communicator. It was my idea to see if country music melodies would mesh with disco rhythms, and along with my record producer at the time, Buddy Killen, we discovered that they would. I’ve never been afraid to try different things with my music, and I saw the country/disco merger as a challenge. People either seemed to love what we did or they didn’t like it at all. There wasn’t a lot of middle ground. Frankly, if I could go back to that time in my career, I would probably try to ride that horse a little longer. It might have been interesting to see just where it would have taken me.

4) Our Question Of The Month comes from Chris in Wisconsin:  “My question to you is what makes someone a legend? A pioneer in the industry? The years in the industry? The number of hits by an artist? Why are some country singers called legends and some are not?”

That’s a great question. I just wish I had a great answer. In fact, I’m not sure there even is an answer. I would say, though, that it’s a combination of the things you mentioned above mixed in with factors that are far less tangible…things like charisma, originality, uniqueness. Even the dictionary has a hard time pinning it down. Mr. Webster says a legend is “one who achieves legendary fame.” I think we all knew that! I would say that a legend is quite possibly defined in the eyes and ears and minds of the beholder. A legend to one person is not necessarily a legend to another. Do you agree?

Quickies: Is there a celebrity you really want to meet or record with? There probably is, but at the moment I can’t think of who it might be. Hey, when you’ve recorded with everyone from Dolly Parton to David Alan Coe, there’s not a lot of uncharted water remaining. Have you ever recorded with BRELAND or with Jeannie Seely? Jeannie, yes, BRELAND, no. When people have been nominated for a Grammy, who votes or determines the winner? The members of The Recording Academy. How did you come up with the song, “Unicorn?” I did not write that song. Shel Silverstein did, and he was a creative genius. Did you write “Slippin’ Away” for Jean Shepard and, if not, how did she come to record it? And when you wrote it, which came first the lyrics or the catchy melody? I seldom write songs for a particular artist. In this case, I think Jean’s producer, Larry Butler, heard the song and thought it would be good for her. I started composing the song with the lyric first, which I usually do, and let the lyric “suggest” the melody. And before I sign off here, the vast majority of you agreed that “Tips” of my fingers is correct rather than “Tip” of my fingers. Thanks for your input…it was fun hearing from you.

If you have a question you’d like for me to try and answer, send it to me at askbill@billanderson.com and I’ll give it my best shot. If yours is chosen our Question Of The Month, you will win any item from our online store free of charge. Put your curiosity cap on, and we’ll see you back here again next month.

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Ask Bill – March 1, 2023

1) I have written lyrics to a song but have no musical ability to add a tune. Would you consider reading the lyrics and guide me in how to get music put to it?

You have no idea how many requests similar to yours that I receive, and as much as I’d like to help, there is simply no way I have the time to do so. If there is a good musician that you know of in your hometown, seek them out and perhaps they’d like to collaborate with you. Schools or churches might be a good place to start looking for someone. Or perhaps a person who gives music lessons. I wish you the best of luck.

2) Is the house where Roy Acuff lived at Opryland still there? If so, what is it used for?

I asked Dan Rogers, vice president of the Opry, for an answer to your question. He replied, “Roy’s house still stands today. While a portion of the home is utilized as office space for Opry Entertainment staff, other rooms of the home have been used for exhibits lately, including an exhibit of Les Leverett Opry photography and last year an exhibit celebration of country music of the 1990s. The Opry says a new 2023 exhibition will be announced soon. If you ever make your way to the house, look for a few photos of Roy inside the house in the 1980s.” So there you have it from someone who definitely knows.

3) I was honored to be on your Fandango show as a contestant back in the 1980s. I heard from somewhere that there will be a new similar game show. If you know anything about it I hope you would let me know.

There have been rumors of such a show off and on down through the years, and I know of one idea that got so far as the actual filming of a pilot episode, but so far as I know neither that show nor any of the others are actually scheduled for broadcast. If I learn anything more I’ll be glad to pass it along.

Oh, and before I continue, let me pause here to eat a little crow. In our most recent Ask Bill column I wrote that I didn’t know of anyone who had recorded my song, “Next Time You’re In Tulsa,” other than myself. I stand corrected by several of you who wrote to remind me that Charlie Louvin also cut that song in a 1968 album called, “Hey Daddy.” Charlie was one of my favorite singers and favorite people, and I apologize for overlooking his heartfelt version of my song. I’ve actually heard it several times, but you know how things slip your mind as you get……..

4) One of my favorite songs is “The Tip Of My Fingers,” and I’ve heard several different versions where some say “tip” and others say “tips.” Which is correct?

That’s a great question, and one I’ve been asked many times over the years. I originally wrote it as “tip” but came to decide in later years that it should be “tips.” So, I started singing it that way. But, to be honest, I really don’t know which is grammatically correct. Any English teachers out there? Settle this for us, please, once and for all. Thank you.

5) Our Question of the Month comes from Marie in Alaska –  I absolutely love Gene Watson singing, “When A Man Can’t Get A Woman Off His Mind.” You wrote this, I believe, with Sharon Vaughn. My question is about my favorite line in the song, “I just crushed a Dixie Cup for running out of wine.” Who wrote that line?

Technically, both of us did, but I’m glad you asked because I love to tell this story. Sharon and I had finished writing the first verse and the chorus of the song and were halfway through with the second verse when she asked to be excused from our little writing room to go to the restroom. When she returned I said, “I think I’ve got it,” and I sang, “I just cussed a Dixie Cup for running out of wine.” She screamed, “Oh my God, I love it….but you need to say ‘crushed’ instead of ‘cussed’.” I said, “No, that ol’ boy cussed it!” Sharon said, “Yeah, but after he cussed it, he crushed it!” We both laughed, and the lyric became “crushed.” That’s the sort of stuff that only happens in co-writing sessions, and is the kind of thing that keeps me keeping on after all these years.

6) Out of all the venues you have played, where would you like to play again? Name the top 3 please.

Oh, Wow! That’s a tough question. Off the top of my head, though, I would probably say Carnegie Hall in New York, the Palladium in London, and maybe the football stadium in Athens, Georgia, where we had an audience of over 70,000 people, some of whom had come to see a football game! And then there’s Massey Hall in Toronto, Madison Square Garden in New York, the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, and….and….and…..

7) Do you plan to go on another cruise this year? I really enjoyed the last one.

Thanks, but I’m not planning another one at the present time.

8) I’ve always wondered how records climb up the Billboard charts. How does a record go from #40 to #20 and so on?

I can’t speak for Billboard, but most people who put together music popularity charts use a combination of record sales and/or streaming numbers, combined with how many times a song is played on radio and television, to come up with the most popular songs during a particular time period. As a song’s numbers increase, that particular song grows in popularity and therefore moves up the charts. Chart methodology is far from an exact science, which is why one survey will show one song as being #1 while another shows a different song entirely. It’s not a perfect system by any means, but it’s the best we’ve got.

9) Have you ever met or collaborated with John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival fame?

Yes, I have met him and found him to be a very nice, down to earth guy. I’ve never collaborated with him musically, but we’ve discussed it and I’d love to try it someday.

10) Over 50 years ago I worked at a McDonald’s in Ft. Lauderdale. There was a guy sitting on the curb with a guitar who said his name was Bill Anderson. He asked us to listen to a song and we liked it. Years later I became a die-hard country fan, heard you on the radio, and always wondered if that was you and if you remembered it.

No, that wouldn’t have been me. When I was in Ft. Lauderdale, I always worked the curb outside of Wendy’s!

And with that, I think it’s time to ride off in the sunset one more time. Remember if you have a question about country music, send it to me in care of askbill@billanderson.com and I’ll try to give you either a truthful or a stupid answer (See #10 above). If yours is chosen our Question Of The Month, you will receive any item of your choice from our online store absolutely free of charge. Let me hear from you, and I’ll see you back here in April.

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Ask Bill – February 8, 2023

1) I am having a disagreement with a friend about one of your old records. It’s called “Country Music Died Today.” She claims I am thinking of “Murder On Music Row.” So did you have such a song and did it chart? Who is right? And is it available on compact disc?

I did record a song called “Country Music Died Today” in the one album I did for Swanee Records back in the mid-eighties. I didn’t write it, and I don’t think the label ever released it as a single, therefore it didn’t make the charts. It has never been released on CD, but I recently purchased the masters to these old recordings so anything is possible. Stay tuned.

2) I have always wondered how a country artist gets paid? Do they get a percentage of the venues and also a percentage of the records they sell? Do most artists divide the money equally with the band? I’ve always wondered how the band gets paid when the artist gets all the attention from the public.

This is one of those topics where there is no one-size-fits-all answer. But I will try to generalize and answer as best as I can. Artists have several sources from which they can make money, record royalties and personal appearances being the primary two. A royalty rate is established when an artist signs a recording contract, and it is usually based on a percentage of record sales or streaming money received by the label. Personal appearance fees can be negotiated on a percentage of ticket sales or on a guaranteed amount for the artist agreed upon ahead of time. Most artists do not divide their appearance money with the band but rather pay their band members a salary or on a per-show basis. There are probably as many variations to these answers as there are artists, but these are the simplified basic rules today. Somebody will probably re-write them tomorrow.

3) You produced some great albums on Lewis Grizzard. Please enlighten us on how you came to know Lewis and your friendship with him.

Lewis, who was a great southern humorist (some called him this generation’s Mark Twain), was a small-town Georgia boy who loved country music, journalism, humor, and the Georgia Bulldogs above everything else in the world. Does that sound like someone else you know? We had known of each other for a long time, but we connected over all that we had in common when he once came to speak at a PoFolks restaurant convention. I sat next to him at the head table and somewhere in the course of conversation I asked him if he had ever considered recording his speeches for a record album. Next thing I knew I was following him all over the country capturing all the funny things he said and editing them into a series of albums and CDs. I think we did eight in all prior to his untimely death in 1994 at the age of 47. Those were some of the best times I ever had, and hardly a day goes by but what I don’t quote something crazy that he said. He was truly one of a kind.

Our Question Of The Month comes from Marsha in Pennsylvania: What would you say is the biggest highlight of your career, and would your answer be different now from what it might have been thirty years ago?

Yes, my answer would be quite different. Thirty years ago I had not written two Songs Of The Year, been named to the national Songwriters Hall of Fame, been chosen BMI’s first country songwriting ICON, celebrated 60-plus years as a member of the Grand Ole Opry, nor been voted membership  into the Country Music Hall of Fame. THE highlight? My whole career has been a “highlight” to me because I never expected any of these things to happen. I guess the cherry on top of the sundae, though, would be my election to the Country Music Hall of Fame. That’s the top rung on the ladder that I’ve been trying to climb ever since I was a teenager, and to have reached it is a feeling like no other.

Quickies: During the credits for Coal Miner’s Daughter I noticed the name Bill Anderson Jr. Is he your son or any kin?  I must have been asked this question a thousand times over the years and my answer is still the same: No. How tall was Peter Cooper? I thought you were 6’2″ or so, and he is a lot taller than you. I don’t know Peter’s exact height, but he was a couple of inches taller than me. In some pictures, he appears to be even taller than that, but it was the camera angle that made it look that way. And on the subject of pictures: Did you know that in pictures featuring both you and Dolly you look a lot younger?  And a lot better too! Dolly makes everyone and everything around her look better!! I am inquiring about your favorite car. I go to many car shows and sometimes see a celebrity with a classic. What was your favorite car? I’ve never been a big “car guy”, certainly not in the league with someone like Jay Leno. My favorite car I’ve ever owned was a late sixties Cadillac El Dorado…turquoise body, white leather top, and an all-white leather interior. It was hard to keep clean, but it sure was fun to drive. One of my favorite songs of yours is “Next Time You’re In Tulsa.” I feel that song should have gone high on the charts, but I don’t know if it ever charted at all. Did anyone else ever record it? Thank you. That song was in my “I Love You Drops” album, but was never released as a single. I can’t recall anyone else ever having recorded it. I love your monthly newsletter. It’s like getting a letter from a friend. That’s awfully nice of you to say. Sometimes I wonder if anybody cares about what I write, but I keep doing it because I enjoy staying connected to country music as well as to my friends and fans. I put a lot of time into it each month, but receiving a letter like yours makes it all worthwhile. Thank you.

I appreciate all your questions this month, and I hope I’ve satisfied your curiosity with my answers. We’ll do it again in March, so if you have a question send it to me. If yours is selected as our Question Of The Month, you’ll receive any item of your choice from our online store absolutely free. Write to me anytime in care of askbill@billanderson.com, and I’ll see you next time.