Jamey Johnson and Mark Wills Celebrate Anderson’s Unprecedented Career During NATD Honors
The Nashville Association of Talent Directors’ (NATD) 8th Annual Honors Gala honored Country Music Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame member Bill Anderson during a reception at the Hermitage Hotel November 7.
Country music star Mark Wills surprised the songwriting titan by performing the hit Anderson wrote for him, “Wish You Were Here.” Country singer-songwriter Jamey Johnson also joined to make remarks on Anderson’s unprecedented career before inviting the legend to the stage.
The event, presented by Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and the Grand Ole Opry, featured Nashville’s best of the best in the entertainment industry to present and show respect to the honorees. Other honorees include legendary CAA agent Stan Barnett, award-winning Christian band MercyMe, Variety Attractions’ George Moffett, President & CEO of TPAC Kathleen O’Brien and legendary APA agent Ray Shelide.
In addition to the NATD Honor, Anderson was inducted to the Songwriters Hall of Fame this year, and received the Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award, NSAI’s highest honor, at their Songwriter Awards on Sept. 19. The ceremony was on the hallowed stage of the Ryman Auditorium where 57 years ago Anderson was inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
Anderson also released his 72nd album Anderson earlier this year. The self-titled album was produced by Anderson, Thomm Jutz and Peter Cooper, recorded and mixed by Jutz at TJ Tunes with assistant engineer Andy Kern and mastered by Alex Mccullough at True East Mastering. Three of the tracks were penned solely by Anderson, who has written charted songs in each of the past seven consecutive decades, while the additional tracks feature venerable singer-songwriters including John Paul White of The Civil Wars and country music outlaw Jamey Johnson. Click HERE to download Anderson.
For more information on Bill Anderson visit BillAnderson.com or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
BILL ANDERSON TOUR DATES:
Dec. 8 Eichelberg Performing Arts Center – Hanover, Pa.
Dec. 9 Beacon Theatre – Hopewell, Va.
Jan. 10 Casino Regina Show Lounge – Regina, SK Canada
Jan. 11 River Cree Resort and Casino – Enoch, AB Canada
Jan. 19 The Gobbler Theater – Johnson Creek, Wis.
Jan. 27 Country Family Reunion Cruise – Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Mar. 9 Orange Blossom Opry – Weirsdale, Fla.
Mar. 10 Florida Stawberry Festival – Plant City, Fla.
ABOUT BILL ANDERSON: Country Music Hall of Famer and Grand Ole Opry titan Bill Anderson is the rare songwriter whose first major label cut went to No. 1 on the charts, was named Song of The Year and sparked a writing career that is currently in its seventh decade. The song, “City Lights,” was written when Anderson was a 19-year old Georgia disc jockey and became a career-defining hit for Ray Price in 1958. The song opened doors for him in Nashville, leading him to signing with BMI and Tree Publishing. Anderson was far from a one-hit wonder. He followed “City Lights” with country standards like “Tips Of My Fingers,” the GRAMMY-nominated “Once A Day,” “Saginaw, Michigan,” “That’s What It’s Like To Be Lonesome,” “I Missed Me,” “Cold Hard Facts Of Life,” which earned him another GRAMMY nomination, “Mama Sang A Song,” the crossover smash, “Still,” and countless others. He was voted country Songwriter of the Year six times during his first decade in Music City. His success continued into the 1970’s with award-winning hits like “Slippin’ Away,” “The Lord Knows I’m Drinking,” “I May Never Get To Heaven,” and the disco-flavored, “I Can’t Wait Any Longer.” The 1980’s saw Anderson’s chart-topping career take a hiatus as he became a TV network game show host, spokesman for a national restaurant chain and a nonstop touring Grand Ole Opry performer. In the 1990’s he came roaring back with a vengeance, however, as he seriously turned to co-writing for the first time. Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001, his collaborations with the newer generation of Nashville tunesmiths resulted in hits like “Wish You Were Here,” the GRAMMY-nominated “Two Teardrops,” “A Lot Of Things Different,” for Kenny Chesney, “Which Bridge To Cross (Which Bridge To Burn),” for Vince Gill and two CMA Song Of The Year trophies for “Whiskey Lullaby,” with Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss and George Strait’s “Give It Away,” in 2005 and 2007 respectfully. He continues to write today with songs like Brad Paisley’s “Dying To See Her.” For more information, visit BillAnderson.com.
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