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John Anderson (singer)

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For other people named John Anderson, see John Anderson (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Jon Anderson.

John Anderson
Anderson at the Pike County Fair, 2008
Anderson at the Pike County Fair, 2008
Background information
Birth nameJohn David Anderson[1]
Born (1954-12-13) December 13, 1954 (age 70)
OriginApopka, Florida, U.S.
GenresCountry
OccupationSinger-songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar
Years active1974–present
LabelsWarner Bros., MCA, Capitol, RCA, BNA, Mercury, Columbia, Orpheus, Blu Mountain, Warner Bros./Raybaw, Broken Bow
Websitejohnanderson.com

John David Anderson (born December 13, 1954)[2] is an American country singer with a successful career that has lasted more than 40 years. Starting in 1977 with the release of his first single, "I've Got a Feelin' (Somebody's Been Stealin')", Anderson has charted more than 40 singles on the Billboard country music charts, including five number ones: "Wild and Blue", "Swingin'", "Black Sheep", "Straight Tequila Night", and "Money in the Bank". He has also recorded 22 studio albums on several labels. His latest album, Years, was released on April 10, 2020, on the Easy Eye Sound label and was produced by Nashville veteran producer David Ferguson and Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys.

Anderson was inducted to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame on October 5, 2014.[3] He was elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame ten years later in 2024.[4]

Early career

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Raised in Apopka, Florida, Anderson's first musical influences were not country artists, but rock and roll musicians such as Jimi Hendrix and The Rolling Stones.[5] He played in a rock band until the age of 15, when he discovered the music of George Jones and Merle Haggard and turned to country music.[1] Anderson moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1971, arriving unannounced at his sister's home, and took on odd jobs during the day – including one as a roofer at the Grand Ole Opry House – while playing in clubs during the evenings.[6]

The club appearances finally paid off in 1977 when he signed his first recording contract with Warner Bros. Records. He first hit the Billboard Country chart in 1977 with the song "I've Got a Feelin' (Somebody's Been Stealin')",[5] then broke into the country Top 40 with "The Girl at the End of the Bar" the next year. Anderson's decidedly backwoods accent and distinctive vocal timbre helped land him in the forefront of the "New Traditionalist" movement with artists like Ricky Skaggs and George Strait.[2]

A steady stream of singles through the late 1970s and early 1980s continued to build Anderson's name in the country genre. The song "I'm Just an Old Chunk of Coal (But I'm Gonna Be a Diamond Someday)" from the 1981 album John Anderson 2 netted Anderson a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male Country Vocal Performance.[7]

"Swingin'" and mainstream success

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The release of Anderson's fourth album, Wild & Blue, in 1982 led to his breakthrough to mainstream country when the single "Swingin'" hit the airwaves early the next year. Co-written with long-time writing partner, Lionel Delmore, the song broke into the country charts and reached Number One by March, while at the same time crossing over to the Billboard Hot 100, reaching a peak of Number 43.[8] The single became the biggest selling record in the history of Warner Bros. Records.[5] In the wake of "Swingin'", Anderson received five nominations for Country Music Association awards for the year. He was the winner of the Horizon Award, and the song was named Single of the Year; he also received nominations for Song of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Album of the Year.[9]

Anderson's success with Wild & Blue carried on through several more albums, but none would match its chart numbers or sales. In 1986, Anderson and Warner Bros. parted ways.[1]

Seminole Wind and later career

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After leaving Warner Bros., Anderson signed with MCA Records and released two albums under that label, followed by one with Capitol Records in 1990. Chart success was minimal throughout those years. However, that turned around in 1991 when Anderson joined BNA Records and, working with legendary country producer James Stroud, released the album Seminole Wind. Powered by the title single, which rose to Number Two, and the Number One single "Straight Tequila Night", the album proved a resurgence for Anderson's career.[10] The album has been certified two times platinum, the highest of any of Anderson's albums, and he was nominated for three CMA Awards – Male Vocalist, Song of the Year and Album of the Year.[9]

The success of Seminole Wind brought a fresh life to Anderson's career, and he released a number of albums that charted well, producing several more singles that pushed to the upper levels of the country charts. The 1993 album Solid Ground produced a Number One single, "Money in the Bank", which turned out to be the most recent chart-topper of Anderson's career. He recorded for BNA through 1996 before leaving the label.[2] In 1993, Anderson was awarded the Academy of Country Music Career Achievement award.[11]

Anderson has recorded for several labels since his departure from BNA, with moderate chart success.[6] An album entitled Bigger Hands, a return to working with Stroud as producer, was released in June 2009.[12]

Over his career, Anderson has collaborated with a number of different artists. He worked with Waylon Jennings on his last ever live album before Jennings's death in 2002, Never Say Die: The Final Concert, where he performed a duet with Jennings on the track Waymore's Blues. He has also worked with John Rich of Big & Rich on his 2007 album Easy Money,[13] and co-wrote Rich's 2009 single "Shuttin' Detroit Down"[14] He has been named an honorary member of the MuzikMafia, of which Rich is also a member.[15]

Anderson lives in Smithville, Tennessee, his home for more than 30 years with his wife and two daughters.[13]

Discography

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Main article: John Anderson discography

Billboard number-one hits

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Awards and nominations

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Grammy Awards

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Year Nominee / work Award Result
1982 "I'm Just an Old Chunk of Coal (But I'm Gonna Be a Diamond Someday)" Best Male Country Vocal Performance Nominated

American Music Awards

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Year Nominee / work Award Result
1984 "Swingin'" Favorite Country Single Nominated

Academy of Country Music Awards

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Year Nominee / work Award Result
1980 John Anderson Top New Male Vocalist Nominated
1984 "Swingin'" Single Record of the Year Nominated
Song of the Year Nominated
Wild & Blue Album of the Year Nominated
John Anderson Top Male Vocalist of the Year Nominated
1993 "Straight Tequila Night" Single Record of the Year Nominated
1994 John Anderson Career Achievement Award Awarded
Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles Album of the Year Nominated
1995 John Anderson and Tracy Lawrence Top Vocal Duo of the Year Nominated

Country Music Association Awards

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Year Nominee / work Award Result
1982 John Anderson Horizon Award Nominated
1983 "Swingin'" Single of the Year Won
Song of the Year Nominated
Wild & Blue Album of the Year Nominated
John Anderson Horizon Award Won
Male Vocalist of the Year Nominated
1993 "Seminole Wind" Song of the Year Nominated
Video of the Year Nominated
John Anderson Male Vocalist of the Year Nominated
1994 Nominated
Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles Album of the Year Won

References

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  1. ^ a b c Huey, Steve. "John Anderson biography". Allmusic. Retrieved May 18, 2009.
  2. ^ a b c "John Anderson bio". CMT. Archived from the original on April 6, 2004. Retrieved May 8, 2009.
  3. ^ [1] Archived October 24, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com, October 6, 2014; accessed January 3, 2015.
  4. ^ Willman, Chris (March 18, 2024). "Toby Keith Elected Into Country Music Hall of Fame, in Voting That Wrapped Up Days Before His Death". Variety.
  5. ^ a b c "John Anderson is Takin' the Country Back... And Who Is Better Qualified". CMT. July 29, 1997. Archived from the original on May 5, 2004. Retrieved May 8, 2009.
  6. ^ a b "John Anderson bio". Billboard.com. Retrieved May 8, 2009.
  7. ^ "John Anderson 2". johnanderson.com. Archived from the original on April 1, 2009. Retrieved May 8, 2009.
  8. ^ "He's as American as swinging on the porch". Kingman Daily Miner. April 8, 1983. p. 11. Retrieved May 9, 2009. [dead link‍]
  9. ^ a b "CMA Awards: John Anderson". cmaawards.com. Retrieved May 8, 2009.
  10. ^ "Heartland". UPI.com. December 6, 2002. Retrieved May 9, 2009.
  11. ^ "John Anderson awards". CMT.com. Archived from the original on March 7, 2004. Retrieved May 9, 2009.
  12. ^ "John Anderson Plans New Album With James Stroud". CMT News. CMT.com. April 10, 2009. Archived from the original on April 14, 2009. Retrieved May 9, 2009.
  13. ^ a b "Yahoo News". Yahoo Music. April 9, 2007. Archived from the original on January 5, 2013. Retrieved May 9, 2009.
  14. ^ "John Rich: Nation's Financial Crisis Inspired "Shuttin' Detroit Down"". CMT.com. April 1, 2009. Archived from the original on April 5, 2009. Retrieved May 9, 2009.
  15. ^ "MuzikMafia members". Archived from the original on April 7, 2010. Retrieved May 9, 2009.
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