November 4 2014

November 4, 2014

admincw From Bill 2014, Bill Anderson, From Bill, newsletter, november, old army hat, whisperin

November 4, 2014

Hi Folks:

And thank you so much for remembering my birthday on November 1st. So many of you reached out to me via e-mails, birthday cards, text messages, and through Facebook and Twitter to let me know you were thinking of me, and it meant more than you’ll ever know. Kind of like Senior Discount Day at the grocery store…it makes getting older not quite so bad!

November is going to be a wild and crazy month in and around Whisperville, starting with the “World Premiere” of our “Old Army Hat” video on Veterans Day, November 11th. I know, most of you are saying you’ve already seen the video so how can it be a world premiere? Well, it’s new to the viewers of CMT, and that network is going to feature it for the first time on their CMT Pure channel and on their web site, so they can call it a “World Premiere” if they want to! You can find more information at CMT.com. I hope lots of you will be tuning in.

I’ll be appearing on the Big D & Bubba nationally syndicated radio show on Veterans Day morning as well as on the PGA Golf radio channel. Then that afternoon, I’ll be performing at my grandkids’ school as part of their annual salute to the Veterans. I’ll top off the day by singing “Old Army Hat” on the Tuesday night Opry from the Ryman.

Later that week, on November 14th, I’m going to return to my alma mater, the University of Georgia, to help make a big announcement regarding my new book which, hopefully, will be coming out next year. I can’t reveal too many of the details just yet, but it’s very exciting and includes much more than just news about the book. Stay tuned.

Oh, and they’re going to let me stay over on Saturday the 15th and sit in the President’s Box for the Georgia-Auburn football game! For me, that’s the icing on the cake and the cherry on top!

We’ll be going down to the Orange Blossom Opry in Weirsdale, Florida, for the first time in several years on Saturday November 29th, and I hope lots of you will come see us. That’s always a fun place to play because we see so many of our “snow bird” friends who head south for the winter as well as our friends and fans who live in the area year-round. As always, we’ll have a matinee performance as well as a night show.

Our November Grand Ole Opry dates include the 7th, 8th, 11th, 21st, 22nd, and 25th. Remember we go back to the Ryman this month, and the Saturday night shows include two performances.

Here’s wishing each of you a Happy Thanksgiving on the 27th. My family and extended family will be gathering at my house once again, and that’s always one of the highlights of my entire year. I hope you get to spend your Thanksgiving with the people who mean the most to YOU.

Take care, and stay in touch. Thanks for being the greatest bunch of fans and friends a guy could ever have.

Still,

From Bill

September 1, 2021

Hi Gang:

I can’t believe how many cards and letters I continue to receive from you congratulating me on my 60th anniversary at the Grand Ole Opry.

Just when I think there won’t be anymore, another batch arrives in my post office box. I have read every single one that I have received, and appreciate all the effort so many of you have put into sharing your thoughts with me. Country music fans have always been…and continue to be…the best folks in the world! Thank you SO much.

Of course the hot topic of conversation at the Opry these days is our 5000th consecutive broadcast which will be coming up on Saturday October 30th. I’ve marked it on my calendar to be there, and hope you’ll mark yours to be listening. Between now and then I have Opry appearances scheduled for September 11th, 18th, and 24th and October 16th and 19th.

I enjoyed a relaxing ten-day vacation last month, but came home to a whole lot of bad news. As I’m sure you know by now, Tom T. Hall, one of the greatest singer/songwriters who ever walked among us, passed away while I was gone as did Don Everly of the Everly Brothers. I didn’t know Don as well as I knew Tom T., but they will both be missed.

(I recorded a two-part Visit With The Legends satellite radio interview with Tom T. and his late wife, Dixie, back in 2007, and hopefully some of you heard Hour #1 rebroadcast on Willie’s Roadhouse over the weekend. Hour #2 will air this coming Sunday Sept. 6th at 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern time. I’ve also learned that those programs can be heard on YouTube. If you’d like to listen down below.
Lots of good music, laughter, and conversation that’s even more special now in light of T’s passing).

And then there was the horrific weather that hit just west of Nashville on the day I returned, taking twenty lives and wreaking havoc for hundreds if not thousands of residents. Hopefully, by the time you are reading this, recovery and restoration efforts will be well underway. Our hearts go out to all those affected…and now to those struggling with the aftermath of Hurricane Ida down in Louisiana and Mississippi.

In happier news, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is continuing to ready the Bill Anderson Exhibit and they’ve given it a name. It will be called, “Bill Anderson – As Far As I Can See,” which you should recognize as coming from the opening line of my first hit song, “City Lights.” Hopefully, the Exhibit will still open as planned on December 3rd, but with all this crazy COVID mess who knows? If I hear of any change in plans you’ll be the first to know. In case you’ve forgotten, the Exhibit is scheduled to be open until March, 2023.

My team and I are having meetings as we speak regarding the release of my new recordings, but I don’t have any definite news to share with you as yet. The timing of record releases these days seems to be more important than ever, and we are trying to navigate those choppy waters as best as we can. Our objective, of course, is to release our new music at a time when it will have the best chance of being heard and recognized. Again, when I know something, so will you.

On the personal side of things, my oldest granddaughter, Rae Robeson, became Mrs. Zach Kunde at a colorful outdoor wedding ceremony this past Saturday afternoon in Brentwood, Tennessee, just south of Nashville. Rae was a beautiful bride, as you can see from the attached picture, and PawPaw was a proud grandfather. I asked Zach prior to the ceremony if he was nervous, and he said, “No. It’s the easiest decision I’ve ever made in my life.” I knew right then he was the perfect new addition to our family.

Grandson Gabe continues to rest and recuperate at home from his bone marrow transplant which will mark 100 days this week. We are cautiously optimistic about his recent progress, but the doctors caution us that he still has a long way to go. He is taking online school classes, and while he’s usually pretty tired at the end of the day, he’s right back at it the next morning. He continues to be strengthened by your thoughts and prayers, as we all are. Don’t stop now!

I wish for each of you a great September as the temperatures begin to cool and the fall colors begin to emerge. Stay well and stay safe…there’s a lot of craziness out there. See you back here in October.Thanks for everything….

From Bill

August 2, 2021

Hi Gang:

Well, if I had known my 60th Opry anniversary was going to be so much fun, I would have scheduled it earlier in my career!!

Seriously, the whole weekend was surreal beyond belief, and I thank you so much for being here, for watching and listening, and for your countless cards, letters, and notes of congratulation. I wish I could respond to every one of you personally, but I simply cannot. Just know that every single message was read and deeply appreciated.

If you’d like to see the pictures and read a first-person account of the evening’s activities, we have a slideshow available. Just click the link https://wp.me/p36e3n-2zA or visit the Journal area and enjoy.

There are so many people I want and need to thank that I hardly know where to begin. Dan Rogers and Gina Keltner from the Opry were fantastic in planning everything and following through with a wonderful presentation on stage.The beautiful engraved watch (I thought they only gave watches to people who are retiring….reckon they’re trying to tell me something?) and the incredible private reception backstage afterward were simply amazing.

At the reception, I was given proclamations from both the City of Nashville and the State of Tennessee declaring July 17th as Bill Anderson Day. There were wall-to-wall flowers, a cake decorated like the Hatch Show Print poster that was on sale that night, and 500 specially engraved guitar picks courtesy of my friend, Jeannie Seely. One side of the picks is a drawing of me by artist, David Anderson, and the other side is dedicated to “Bill Anderson – Opry Whisperer – 60-Years (So Far). Thanks, Seely. You are truly one-of-a-kind!

All three of my children were at the show and the reception, along with six of my eight grandchildren. Add it all together and know that it was one of the most special nights of my life. I fell into bed about two o’clock Sunday morning…exhausted but feeling very, very loved.

I had done so many interviews leading up to the celebration that I was getting a little hoarse prior to going on stage. On Thursday night, I had joined with many of my country music friends in honoring our buddy, Keith Bilbrey, on a TV special geared toward raising funds for him and his wife, Emmy Joe, following their devastating house fire a few weeks earlier. On Friday, I taped a guest appearance on Larry’s Country Diner which will air in late September and early October. All week long it seemed someone was sticking a microphone and/or a camera in my face. It was a non-stop frenzy for sure.

The following Monday I was back in the recording studio beginning the mixing process on my new songs. I can’t tell you a lot right now, but I will share this with you: One of the songs I plan to release is a duet with Dolly Parton…and another features performances by Jimmy Fortune and Bobby Bare. I am somewhere ‘way beyond excited!

On the family front, my grandson Gabe, who will mark his 17th birthday August 6th, is back home from his fourth trip to the hospital since his bone marrow transplant in May. He has been battling pneumonia and high blood pressure. Your prayers continue to be vital and most appreciated. Gabe’s older brother, Blake, leaves for college this month while sisters Hallie and Sophie have begun middle school cheerleading practice. My oldest granddaughter, Rae, gets married on August 28th, and sometime this month I’m going to sneak away to the beach and work on my tan. I might just “accidentally” forget to take my phone and my laptop!!

Enjoy the month wherever you are and whatever you are doing. Thanks for everything, and we’ll see you back here in September.

From Bill

July 1, 2021

Hi Gang:

Welcome to our July newsletter…a month I’ve been looking forward to for quite some time.

I’m going to be busier this month than I’ve been in a long while, but it’s a good kind of busy with lots of exciting things going on.

Most of the excitement is built around my 60th Anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry which we will be celebrating on Saturday night July 17th. Between now and then, I’ll be busy doing interviews and tending to all the million-and-one little details that go into making a milestone like this all that it can be. Many of you are coming in to help celebrate with us, and I’m looking forward to seeing you. We’ll be hosting a special meet ‘n greet for our fans and fan club members prior to the show that night.

I will be on the televised portion of the Opry which you can see on the Circle Network and in a variety of other places. For those who can’t be here, I’ll hope you’ll tune us in.

I’ve been back in the recording studio these past couple of weeks, and I’m excited about the new music we’ll be releasing later this year. I can’t share too many details just yet, but rest assured I have recorded a COUNTRY record like many of you have been asking for. Lots of fiddle and steel and country lyrics and melodies. A few of my country music friends have joined me on this new music, and I can’t wait for you to hear what we’ve done. If I sound excited it’s because I am.

And speaking of recordings, we are in the process of repackaging both our gospel and Christmas CDs, including a totally new design on the Christmas CD cover. We’ll be offering these with special pricing shortly. Stay tuned.

The next big event in Whisperville will come in early December when the Bill Anderson Exhibit will open at the Country Music Hall of Fame….and the process is underway full-blast. The HOF sent a big ol’ van loaded with cardboard boxes and bubble wrap out to my house and to my office yesterday, and they hauled off everything that wasn’t nailed down…stage clothes, guitars, record albums, song lyrics, pictures, awards, trophies. They are going to need a humongous exhibit space to display even half of what they gathered!

My friends at the University of Georgia library are pitching in to help, too, as they are bringing up some of the materials I gave them and lending them to the Hall for my display. That’s called “super cooperation.” Why can’t more people in this world get along like that??

June was both a happy and a sad month for me in that I lost a dear friend with the passing of Jim Bessman, a music journalist based in New York who wrote many nice articles about me over the years, and then the tragic house fire at the home of my buddy, Keith Bilbrey, and his wife Emy Joe. A bunch of us are getting together for a televised tribute and a fund-raising show for the Bilbrey’s on Thursday night July 15th. Larry Black and Mike Huckabee, who both host TV shows where Keith is the announcer, are putting it together. You can watch via CountryRoadsTV and hopefully other outlets as well.

The good news in June was that my grandson, Gabe, got to go home from the hospital after being confined for over a month following his bone marrow transplant. He still has a long recovery road ahead of him (he’s already been back in the hospital with pneumonia), but the doctors are pleased with his progress overall. I continue to be so grateful for your many prayers and messages of concern. I truly believe his support system is a big reason he is doing as well as he is. But please don’t stop now. The first 100 days following a procedure like this are critical, and we’re not even halfway there. Thank you.

Guess that wraps it up for this time. You folks here in the U.S. enjoy your Fourth of July and celebrate it in a safe and sane fashion. I’ll see you from the Opry stage on July 9th, the 17th, and the 31st, and back here again next month. Thanks for everything.

November 4, 2014

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