FANCLUB

FROM BILL

Hi Gang:

Well, I’ll have to admit that returning to the Opry stage after our long, COVID-induced absence was a real hoot. Once I remembered which end of the microphone to sing into…and which way to face standing on stage…it was like riding a bicycle. I just hope I never have to be away for such a long time ever again.

And it was so cool to see fans sitting shoulder to shoulder in the pews and smiling and laughing without masks covering their faces. I’ve taken that for granted for almost sixty years, but never again. Now if we can just return to our normal backstage atmosphere. That’s where so much of the fun is for us…not to mention the free coffee and the free popcorn!

Our next Opry appearances will be on Saturday June 5th, Tuesday June 15th, and Friday June 25th. Hope you’ll tune us in when you can.

And speaking of the Opry, our fan section for my 60th Anniversary on July 17th has almost sold out, so they are adding more seats for those of you who have yet to sign up. Remember, to be part of our group…and a meet ‘n greet following the show if we’re allowed to have one…order your tickets from www.opry.com and put in the code BILL60. Did I mention you get a 20% discount? Well, you do.

I’ll have to admit that there was a bit of a bitter-sweet feeling to being back at the Opry because my longtime guitar player, Les Singer, wasn’t with us there for the first time in 40-years. Les is having some health issues that prohibit him from playing right now, and I hope you’ll keep him in your thoughts and prayers. Kerry Marks and Danny Parks from the Opry staff band filled in. Lester, it took two of them to take your place, Pal!

I’m getting ready to go into the recording studio here in a few days to begin working on what I hope will be a new album to be released later this year. At the moment I’m not sure if we’re talking a complete album or maybe a shortened EP with six or seven cuts, but regardless I’m anxious to put down some of the new music I’ve been working on. Stay tuned.

My buddy, Dallas Wayne, from Willie’s Roadhouse on Sirius-XM satellite radio, came to town recently and recorded a new song that he, Buddy Cannon, and I wrote called, “He Even Brought Her Flowers.” I’m not sure just when it will be released, but I’ll keep you posted. Steve Wariner has recorded a great new version of our song, “Christmas In Your Arms,” that will be featured in his new Christmas album later this year, and Joe Mullins’ bluegrass version of, “Go Spread The Gospel,” is now available in his new collection titled, “Somewhere Beyond The Blue.” Jimmy Fortune is hosting a new television show called, “My Life My Songs,” and I recorded an episode with him, laughing and discussing my crazy career. Hopefully, that will be airing soon. I may not be on tour this year, but I’m managing to stay busy. And I like it that way.

I was saddened, as I’m sure you were, over the Memorial Day weekend to learn of the passing of B. J. Thomas. He was a terrific singer, a wonderful man who overcame a lot of adversity in his life, and, I’m proud to say, a good friend. He left us a lot of great music. May he rest in peace.

On the personal side of things, I can’t begin to tell you how much my family and I have appreciated your thoughts, prayers, and concerns expressed for my grandson, Gabe, and his sister, Hallie, as they went through a bone marrow transplant this past month in an effort to rid Gabe’s young body of the rare form of cancer that he’s been fighting for the past ten years. It’s been a very intense period of time for all of us, but knowing you were lifting us up in prayer has meant more than you’ll ever know.

The transplant itself went well, but this was only the beginning of the journey. Gabe will be in the hospital for several more weeks followed by a long recovery time at home. I hope you will continue to keep him, his parents, and his siblings in your prayers. Hallie is sore and moving slowly, but overall she is doing fine.

I goofed in last month’s newsletter by failing to wish all the moms a Happy Mother’s Day, and, believe me, I heard about it. My apologies. So, lest I forget again, to all you dads out there, let me wish you a Happy Father’s Day on the 20th. Enjoy the hazy, crazy, lazy days of summer, and we’ll see you back here in July. Thanks for everything.

LATEST NEWS

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ASK BILL

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.

LATEST PHOTOS

Happy Anderson smiles were evident everywhere on Saturday May 15th when my grandson, Blake, received his high school diploma. My son, Jamey, and I were grinning and celebrating with him. Grandson Gabe’s bone marrow transplant was ten days later, and the hospital team treated it as a celebration too, with signs like the one pictured here. And I love the third picture where B. J. Thomas is singing “When Two Worlds Collide” on the Country’s Family Reunion show that honored my 50-years in the music business. A 19-year old Bill Anderson is appearing to look over his shoulder and smile his approval. B. J. was a tremendous talent, and he will be missed by those of us who knew, respected, and loved him.

LATEST JOURNAL

This was the happy scene in Gabe’s hospital room around noon today. Hallie had donated her bone marrow earlier in the day, and was waiting for the actual transplant itself to begin. She said her back felt as though she had a pulled muscle, but other than that, you can see she was smiling. And wearing her Team Gabe t-shirt!

I slept in mine last night, and have worn it all day today as have so many of our family members and friends. Thank you for your marvelous show of support. It’s truly been a “team” effort.

So many of you have reached out with your prayers, positive thoughts, and messages of encouragement over the past 24-hours, and our entire family appreciates them all. There is still a long road ahead, but every road has to begin somewhere, and we are so hopeful that today’s road will lead Gabe to a lifetime of restored health and happiness that he otherwise might never have known.

Thanks again, and God bless each of you.