1) I am a Canadian fan who noticed recently that you once recorded your TV show in Windsor, Ontario. That’s a long way from Nashville. Whyever did you choose Ontario for a location? When I first began my syndicated TV show in 1965, we recorded the programs in Charlotte, N.C., because there was no studio space available in Nashville. After about a year and a half, we were told if we’d move our production to Canada that we’d automatically be on the air coast-to-coast up there which was exciting. The closest Canadian video facility was in Windsor, just across the river from Detroit, so that’s where we went. Unfortunately, the nationwide exposure in Canada never materialized. Broadcasting in color up there lagged behind the United States, too, and we eventually had to find a home back in Nashville. I enjoyed our time in Windsor. Everybody treated us great.

2) Do you have a favorite memory of Dolly Parton that you’d like to share with us? I have many, going back to the night I first met her in a parking lot behind the WSM radio studios. My wife and I had been to a movie with George Hamilton IV and his wife, and we met a young Dolly and her date (Carl?) as we were returning to our car. She had short blonde hair, wore a bright yellow dress, and had that “bouncy” personality which she never lost. The next time I saw her she was singing some vocals for me on a demo session at Bradley’s Barn. That’s when we recorded “If It’s All The Same To You,” which is on my boxed set and my “As Far As I Can See” CD. We saw each other many times across the years, but she provided me with my favorite memory of all when she recorded “Someday It’ll All Make Sense” with me and then agreed to appear with me in the video of that song. I’ll never forget some of the things we talked about that day, and I will forever treasure our friendship.

3) Two of my all-time favorite country artists are Carl Smith and Wynn Stewart. How well did you know each of them? I knew Carl better than I knew Wynn, primarily because Carl lived just outside Nashville and for most of his career, Wynn headquartered on the west coast. Carl was rather private, but if he liked you and felt comfortable around you, he was fun to be with. Not long after his wife, Goldie Hill, passed away I found myself out at Carl’s ranch on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. We sat on his screened porch sipping iced tea and talking country music, quarter horses, sports, and any other subject we might hit on. He was one of my heroes growing up, and I was in awe of simply being there with him. I was a big Wynn Stewart fan as well (he used to tease me about his having been Jan Howard’s original duet singing partner before I came along), but I was never around him all that much. I loved his music, though, and always wished we could have spent more time together. Jan thought the world of him.

4) Our Question of the Month for the first time ever comes from England and a fan named Pat. I thought you’d find it interesting: “We have only visited the Opry once when we came over from England. The audience was given the chance to look around backstage while the show was going on, but we declined. We knew this would be our only opportunity and we wanted to see the show. Can you please tell us what happens when the audience does go backstage?” Well, I’ve never had a reason to personally take the backstage tour myself, but from what I’ve observed the fans get a big taste of our life behind the footlights. They get to see our dressing rooms, the backstage post office where we receive our mail, the myriad of Opry photographs that adorn the backstage walls, and hear a running narrative from a well-trained tour guide who explains much of the Opry’s history and legacy. I don’t think the fans are allowed to step out of line to talk with us or take pictures, but I try to always speak when I pass a tour group in the hallways and let them know we appreciate having them there. You were probably correct in staying in your seats and watching the show, but perhaps next time you visit you can add a backstage tour to your itinerary. I think you’d find it worthwhile.

Quickies: Was your song, “Still,” written from a real life experience? It keeps going through my mind because it’s so true for me. I’d say virtually every song written is from someone’s real life experience whether it’s the experience of the writer or someone else. I didn’t write “Still” from a real life experience but I wrote it BECAUSE of one. I explained it in more detail in my autobiography. Just wondering if Dolly Parton recorded any of your songs and did they chart? The only songs Dolly ever recorded of mine were the two duets that I mentioned earlier: “Someday It’ll All Make Sense” and “If It’s All The Same To You.”  I wish I could say she recorded some others, but she didn’t. I just watched an episode of the game show Password Plus with Allen Ludden from 1979. Do you have any memories of Allen from this or other episodes of this show? Also, you wore a pair of white cowboy boots. Just wondering if you still have them?  I always enjoyed my appearances with Allen and his wife, Betty White. I was on Password with Allen several times and admired his warmth and professionalism. My wife and I were also with him and Betty on Tattletales, and I often appeared on Match Game with Betty. They were a marvelous couple. I doubt I still have the white boots from 1979, but I have several pair just like them.  I am a fan from Italy. I’m wondering when you write the lyrics of a song do you pay attention to the formal aspects like the metric, the phonosymbolism, or the figures of speech as if it were a poem? Or is it more of a spontaneous process? Nothing with me is very “formal,” and I know nothing about writing poetry. Whatever I end up writing is definitely spontaneous. How did it make you feel when you first heard yourself singing on the radio? And how does it make you feel now?  The thrill of hearing myself on the radio has never worn off. Everybody wants to feel that something they’ve created is exposed to the widest audience possible. It’s not just about me, though. It’s also knowing that someone else, the DJ or program host, is placing part of his or her job security on my shoulders. They’re trusting that their listeners will stay tuned while I’m singing. That’s also very special. This is the 42nd anniversary of our losing Ernest Tubb. Do you have any stories about him? He was a great man from all that I hear.  You heard right. E.T. lent the original “helping hand” to as many or more Nashville newcomers as anyone back in the day, and was the kindest, most patient star I’ve ever known when it came to relating to his fans. I learned a lot from just hanging around and watching him. Plus, I always felt indebted to him because he helped convince Ray Price to record “City Lights.” I am from Australia. I heard talk recently about a group wanting to do a Legends tour here and your name was mentioned. Would you be able to come? I love your country and I’d love to return, but stopped touring after Covid in 2020. I know I would enjoy the shows and the music and the fans, but that’s the longest plane ride I ever took in my life. I’m not sure my ol’ bones would be up to that again!  Did you ever perform on any shows with Johnny Horton? I think he only performed on the Opry 4 times, but perhaps you met him there? No, and I never met him when I was at the Louisiana Hayride either. However, I did work a short midwestern tour…three to five days if I remember correctly…with him in 1960 not long before he was killed in the auto crash. And I’ve been a staunch advocate for his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame for years. Maybe someday.

And maybe someday we’ll get to do this again…like perhaps the first part of November. We need your questions, though, so if you’re curious about anything “country” reach out and let me know. Send your questions of me in care of askbill@billanderson.com  or at P.O.Box 888, Hermitage, TN. 37076, and I’ll do my best to answer. If yours is chosen our Question Of The Month, you’ll receive absolutely free any item of your choice from our online store. Stay curious…and I’ll look forward to hearing from you.