MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Two more top names in country music have been added to the lineup for June’s Carolina Country Music Fest in Myrtle Beach, organizers announced on Wednesday.
HARDY and Tracy Lawrence will join headliners Morgan Wallen, Miranda Lambert, and Brooks and Dunn for the event, which is set for June 8-11.
HARDY will headline the McDonald’s Thursday Night Kick-Off Concert, according to organizers, who said more than 40 national, regional and local artists are scheduled to perform throughout the weekend.
Others scheduled to perform include Travis Tritt, Whiskey Myers, Scotty McCreery, Lainey Wilson, Ernest and Bret Micheals.
HARDY, the 2022 ACM Songwriter of the Year, has gained a reputation throughout the country music industry earning 12 No. 1 singles. He has written songs for top artists like Florida Georgia Line, Chris Lane, Blake Shelton, Dallas Smith, Thomas Rhett, Morgan Wallen, and more.
Tracy Lawrence is a country music veteran with more than 30 years in the industry. He has sold more than 13 million albums and recorded 18 No. 1 songs.
The 2023 festival in sold out, but organizers plan to release a limited number of tickets for the McDonald’s Thursday Night Kick-Off Concert, which is set for June 8. Tickets for the one-night- only event went on sale Wednesday morning.
Local discount tickets are available at The Bowery located at 110 9th Ave N. in Myrtle Beach, and at Riptydz Oceanfront Grille and Rooftop Bar located at 1210 North Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach. A local ID is required.
The new ‘Rest of the World’ vote is made to strengthen the audience’s power to influence the results and to recognize the global reach of the competition
LONDON, United Kingdom – Viewers from countries not participating in the Eurovision Song Contest will be able to cast a vote for their favorite act next year for the first time in the competition’s history, the organizer said on Tuesday, November 22.
It said the new “Rest of the World” vote was to strengthen the audience’s power to influence the results and to recognize the global reach of the competition, which last year drew a television audience of more than 160 million.
Viewers will be able to vote via a secure online platform, and a full list of eligible countries will be published nearer the time of the event, usually held in May.
“Votes from countries not participating will be combined to create a set of points with the same weight as one participating country in both of the Semi-Finals and the Grand Final,” the contest’s organisers said on their website.
The 2023 Eurovision Song Contest will be held in the northern English city of Liverpool on behalf of this year’s winners Ukraine.
Decades-long tradition usually dictates that the winner of the contest gets to host it the following year, but the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said safety and security reasons due to the ongoing conflict there meant runners-up the United Kingdom would host it instead.
The contest’s organizers said they were also making changes to the voting system for the semi-finals, which would now be decided by viewers alone rather than a combination of votes from viewers and national juries of musical experts as previously.
The grand final results will still be decided by a combination of votes by viewers and juries.
It said the changes were designed to protect the event’s integrity after irregular voting patterns in the results of six countries in the 2022 contest. – Rappler.com
Blake Shelton says 16-year-old Brayden Lape has “a future in Country music” after an epic country cover on NBC’s The Voice.
Prior to taking the stage during rehearsals, the small-town Michigan teen recalled the moment that made him fall in love with music and made him realize that a career in country music is the path he wanted to pursue.
“My dad was talking to this band playing at this bar, and they let me go onstage. I think I was 14,” Lape explained. “I was so nervous. I got up on the microphone, did a little sound check, and I started singing. That day changed my life. It’s made me fall in love with performing and led me to where I am today.”
Lape then allowed his unique vocals to shine during Monday evening’s (Nov. 21) Top 13 Live Playoff show with an impressive cover of Kenny Chesney’s “Come Over,” a chart-topping Chesney hit that was co-written by Sam Hunt.
The fast-rising country star, who is the youngest contestant on the show, made his way around the stage as he belted out the lyrics to the massive country hit.
“I told you I wouldn’t call, I told you I wouldn’t care / But baby, climbing the walls gets me nowhere / I don’t think that I can take this bed getting any colder / Come over, come over, come over, come over, come over,” Lape sang on the chorus of the tune.
Following his performance of the country hit, The Voice coaches Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani praised his vocal abilities.
“He’s so naturally gifted,” Shelton gushed, before his Shelton’s wife Stefani added, “so gorgeous and so tall.”
“Wow, There’s just something about you, you don’t really have to do much, and that’s rare,” Stefani added. “Honestly, you just be you. I want you to remember that about yourself, because you’re 16, and you’re just gonna get to know yourself better. I think what you do is so pure. That’s what people love about you.”
“You just have that thing, she’s right,” Shelton said, agreeing with Stefani’s comments.
Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton; Photo Courtesy of The Voice/NBC
Blake Shelton went on to rave over his unique vocal range before declaring that he has what it takes to succeed in Country music.
“Trust me. Other people on this panel really like you, too, just so you know,” Shelton added. “Man, you just have that thing. You have a solid country voice that’s different and unique. You have a future in country music, not to mention how far you’re going to go on this show. You’ve got it all, man.”
Since the show was a live playoff, Lape needs America’s vote to move onto the next round of the competition. The fate of Lape’s future on the popular singing competition show will be revealed during Tuesday evening’s (Nov. 22) one-hour episode of The Voice on NBC.
Brayden Lape; Photo Courtesy of The Voice/NBC
Lape has been a fan-favorite on The Voice since he first took to the NBC studios stage during his blind audition, where he put a country twist on Niall Horan’s “This Town.”
The Voice returns on Tuesday evening (Nov. 22) at 8/7c on NBC.
For a band that made only one studio album – 30 years ago – Arc Angels has quite a devoted fan base. That loyalty was clear at Houston’s Heights Theater on November 16, when the band drew an enthusiastic near-capacity crowd for its third Houston show of 2022.
Arc Angels – named for the Austin Rehearsal Center, or ARC, where the band came together – originally included drummer Chris “Whipper” Layton and bassist Tommy Shannon (aka Double Trouble, the rhythm section that backed Stevie Ray Vaughan) plus singer-songwriter/guitarists Doyle Bramhall II and Charlie Sexton. For the current tour at least, Eric Holden is handling the bass duties.
Doyle Bramhall II, Chris Layton, Eric Holden, Charlie Sexton (Photo by Paul T. Mueller)
In a high-volume set of bluesy rock that lasted an hour and 45 minutes, the band ripped through most of its self-titled album’s 12 tracks, starting with the bad-behavior tale “Paradise Café.” Most of the songs found Bramhall (son of Vaughan’s late running buddy Doyle Bramhall) and Sexton (who spent years in Bob Dylan’s band, among others) trading licks and solos, while Layton and Holden supported them with a steady and seemingly effortless groove.
About midway through the show, Sexton led the crowd in singing “Happy Birthday” to Layton (67, for those keeping score). A bit later, the band launched into Charley Patton’s “Oh Death,” prefaced by Sexton’s joking apology to Layton for playing such a song so soon after the birthday wishes.
The main set wrapped up with three of the stronger songs from the Arc Angels album – “Spanish Moon,” “Shape I’m In” and “Living in a Dream.” After a short break, the band returned for a one-song encore, the powerful “Too Many Ways to Fall.”
Austin-based quartet Madam Radar opened the show with an energetic 40-minute set. The band’s sound, and appearance, featured something of an early ‘70s hippie vibe, fueled by the rock-star posturing of guitarist/singer Kelly Green and the cool elegance of bassist Violet Lea. They closed, fittingly, with a faithful rendition of Golden Earring’s “Radar Love.”
OCALA, Fla. – In just a few short weeks, a country concert is coming to Ocala’s World Equestrian Center, and in the crowd, you may find a pretty unique audience member.
Travis Mills is one of five surviving post-9/11 era quadruple amputee veterans.
“I’ve got my hook on today,” Mills joked during our conversation.
Mills is the founder of the Travis Mills Foundation, an organization that supports recalibrated veterans and their families.
What does recalibrated mean?
“I was just tired of hearing people call me wounded, you know, I hate that I’m lumped into that,” Mills said. “Like it has negative stigma like, ‘Oh, you’re wounded. You’re one of those.’ I’m not, I’m healed. I mean, I got scars, but that’s about it. And I just decided I was going to be recalibrated, if anything. I’m actually, I guess, a recalibrated warrior, because, you know, we had to change things. I had to find my new normal. And I had to bounce back, if you will, and go forward with life.”
Mills lost his arms and legs more than 10 years ago.
“I was fortunate to serve as a second Airborne Division joined the US in 2006, I went out three deployments, and I’m a third deployment, I have my you know, my backpack on the ground. And my backpack hit the ground or anything was a bomb, the bomb resulted in me losing portions of both arms, both legs.,” Mills said.
At first, he said he found it difficult to look at himself in the mirror, but with a baby at home, he had to get it together pretty quickly.
“I had a 6-month-old little girl that was right there with me the whole time recovering, learning how to walk with me, how to do everything with me, and I’m not one to be down and out for a long time,” Mills said. “It’s difficult when you have to think about, ‘I don’t have arms and legs anymore at 25 years old.’ That’s kind of a hard thing. It’s difficult to realize that I lost the best job I’ve ever had, you know, and I can’t do my job anymore. But the same time, you know, for every negative thought that I had, I think I had a positive support group with my wife by my side, my daughter, my parents, my family, my in-laws, everybody. And at the end of the day, I just don’t see myself as different anymore. I mean, yeah, like I have no arm, I have a prosthetic, like I’ve got a hook on right now. I wear a hand usually, but you know, I’m in my wheelchair, I have prosthetic legs. I just see myself as having extra steps in the morning, put on my legs, on my arm, on my clothes, and I go about my day.”
It’s coming so far in his personal life and the love of those around him that inspired him to give back to other veterans who need the support.
“My wife and I were shown so much love and support, we decided that we wanted to start a nonprofit just to give back. We didn’t know really what we were doing. And we started giving care packages out with a donation from ourselves,” Mills said. “And now we have a fully-functioning retreat that we bring people to with physical injuries due to service, paralyzation, amputation, spinal cord injury, something to do related to service while they were in there, show them and their families a great time. do things adaptively, how to live life to the fullest, to never live life on the sidelines, be active always. And, you know, it’s been a fun ride.”
The retreat takes place in Maine, where Mills lives. It’s an all-inclusive, all-expenses paid experience in the outdoors, which includes bonding with other veterans and plenty of rest and relaxation.
It’s that type of work Mills and his organization do that events like the ‘Never Give Up on Country’ concert funds will go to support.
“We’re having Jimmie Allen as a headliner, Colt Ford and Kidd G as, well. It’s going on in Ocala at the World Equestrian Center, it’s gonna be a great time. We’re very thankful for, you know, all the performers and all the World Equestrian Center staff and Mary and Larry Roberts, for allowing us to host it there. And I’m just excited to see where it goes. I mean, it’s, you know, it’s special, because people come together and do great things. And they believe in my foundation, they want to help my foundation grow,” Mills said.
“Hopefully I see you guys there. And if you can’t find me in the crowd, I’ll be the one with no arms, no legs!”
Get tickets here.
‘Never Give Up on Country’ concert (Copyright 2022 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.)
Copyright 2022 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
The first single I bought Daniel Bedingfield’s If You’re Not the One. I remember that it came out around Christmas. Me and my best friend at the time, Elliott, really liked that tune and we went to HMV on our own and bought it. I just listened to it over and over again, pretending I was in a music video.
My karaoke go-to Tom Jones – It’s Not Unusual. I think Tom and I have a similar range and karaoke is built for 60s music, with the cheese and the dancing. You have to pick a song that everyone knows, and that’s a tune. And it’s two minutes, so you’re not up there too long.
The song I inexplicably know every lyric to I’m Back by Eminem. My mum actually bought The Marshall Mathers LP for me when I was six or seven. At the time Eminem was being targeted by everyone – the media, the police – and he decided to come back with a record that was just as offensive, and just as personal to him. Of course it’s inappropriate for a child – but my mum always had this amazing outlook on music as a way of expressing emotions. She said: “Here’s a boy who’s got a lot wrong in his life, and isn’t as privileged as you are, and here he is turning his experience into lyrics.”
The last song I streamed Stormzy’s Mel Made Me Do It. I love Mike, he’s the nicest guy and he deserves all the success he’s had. In a world where artists are definitely pressured to make songs for TikTok, up to two minutes long, to come out with an eight-minute single and an 11-minute video is quite a rebellion. The video and the song are flawless.
The best song to play at a party Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond. No, I haven’t seen the video of Boris Johnson dancing to it with Carrie at their wedding, but if there’s anyone who knows parties, it’s our UK government, so fair play. It’s the easiest crowdpleaser ever, in England specifically.
The song I’d want for my stadium entrance music Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s In Motion. I love soundtracks, so I could go for John Williams or Hans Zimmer here, but the score for The Social Network by the chap from Nine Inch Nails is brilliant. There is a tune called In Motion that would be the absolute bollocks to walk out to. I often work listening to that score, it’s brilliant.
The song I want played at my funeral Elvis Presley’s If I Can Dream. There’s a real Elvis affinity in my family: he’s been played throughout my life, and I can remember hearing The Wonder of You at my nan’s funeral. This song is about: “Did I achieve everything I wanted to? Did I do everything I can? Can I still do it?”
The song I can’t help singing B.O.T.A. (Baddest of Them All), the new song by Eliza Rose and Interplanetary Criminal. I can’t say that I’m the biggest fan but I always catch myself singing it. It reminds me of early 2000s pop, like Sweet Like Chocolate – you know, when it sounds like a little baby is singing it.
The song I can’t stand This is going to be really controversial but Starman by David Bowie. [Sings] “There’s a staaar-MAN! … ” Oh, God, shut up! Does everybody actually like it, or do they just pretend to like it? Put it this way: I love everything that David Bowie stood for, I think it’s fantastic; I can see that he was a trailblazing artist. My dad is a big Bowie fan. However, it’s one of those where I listen to it and I’m like: “Is this it?” I’m yet to hear one David Bowie song that makes me go: “Yes, phenomenal.” Is it so many different styles, or is it just a bit boring? I’ll level with you on one: I like Let’s Dance, but that’s just a Nile Rodgers record.
The song I pretend to hate that I secretly like John Lennon’s Imagine. The Beatles, I just don’t really get it. Yes, I know this is the Guardian but I want to be honest. However, that is a phenomenal song. I would put Hey Jude in the same category.
The song I tell people is my favourite Slipknot’s Wait and Bleed. It was one of the first songs that I remember making me feel a certain way about metal. I had a huge metal time in my life, and I still love it, how it makes me feel. I will still say Wait and Bleed is my favourite song of all time, just because I’ve listened to it so many times, but now I listen to it and I’m a bit like: “I could switch this off, after a minute.” I think it means more to me than I actually enjoy it.
My actual favourite song Back Down South by Kings of Leon. I can say that, hands down. I actually think Come Around Sundown is their best album. I have such a soft spot for country music and that song is so in the vibe of where Kings of Leon are really from. I love singing it, and how I feel when I sing it: it will always make me feel good. Kings of Leon are one of those bands that I’ll keep going back to, along with a couple of albums by Arctic Monkeys and Nirvana.
Roman Kemp’s book Are You Really OK? is out now, published by Mirror Books.
Creator Taylor Sheridan regularly features Texas country, Red Dirt and Americana staples on the hit show.
FORT WORTH, Texas — Love Yellowstone or not, it’s hard to deny one thing: The show’s selection of music is top-notch.
Creator Taylor Sheridan regularly features Texas country, Red Dirt and Americana staples on the hit show, which premiered Season 5 on Sunday, Nov. 13.
And if you’ve seen any of Sheridan’s movies – Hell or High Water and Wind River, to name two – that’s no surprise. Watching Yellowstone sometimes feels like listening to 95.9 The Ranch, the Fort Worth station that veers from mainstream country music.
Robert Earl Keen, Zach Bryan, Hayes Carll and Shane Smith and the Saints were all featured on Sunday night’s Season 5 premiere, and Shane Smith and the Saints played a show in one scene. And, of course, there’s Ryan Bingham, the Grammy-winning country singer who plays the role of “Walker” on the show.
Fortunately, Yellowstone keeps a Spotify playlist of each song featured on the show. As you’ll see, there’s a heavy Texas influence.
Check the full Yellowstone soundtrack playlist:
Here are a few of the highlights with Texas connections:
Shane Smith & the Saints
Ryan Bingham
Robert Earl Keen
Hayes Carll
Cody Johnson
The Panhandlers
Willie Nelson
Charley Crockett
Casey Donahew
Red Shahan
Cody Jinks
Rob Baird
Waylon Jennings
Kacey Musgraves
And more local ties are reportedly on the way. Wide Open Country this week featured Denton artist Isaac Hoskins, whose newest release, “Bender,” was released Friday ahead of one song appearing in Yellowstone this season.
Hoskins met Sheridan a few years ago while playing a set at a Fort Worth bar, according to a report.
The music isn’t the only local ties to Yellowstone.
Sheridan grew up in Texas and went to high school in Fort Worth. And just this week, the show was filming a “speech scene” in the city of Venus, in Johnson County, which was temporarily transformed into Montana.
And yes, Kevin Costner was there, playing catch with a football in between takes.
Country music star Miranda Lambert has notched numerous achievements over the past two decades. From releasing nine studio albums to earning more ACM Awards than any other artist, she has plenty to be proud of. However, one accomplishment Lambert’s fans might know about is her fragrance line with her brand, Idyllwind. Find out more about Miranda Lambert’s perfumes and why the singer wanted to launch a fragrance.
Miranda Lambert wanted a perfume line for years
Miranda Lambert attends the 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas | Jeff Kravitz/ACMA2018/FilmMagic for ACM
After placing third on the USA Network competition show Nashville Star in 2003, Miranda Lambert signed with Epic Records. Shortly after, her single “Me and Charlie Talking” became a hit upon its summer 2004 release. Lambert quickly followed the single with her first major-label debut, Kerosene.
After nearly a decade of touring the globe and rising to the top of the charts, Lambert revealed she still had more goals on her bucket list. One was to release her own perfume. When Lambert spoke with Taste of Country in 2011, Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, and Faith Hill had recently released fragrances. After seeing her fellow country stars dropping perfume lines, Lambert’s desire to have a fragrance grew.
When Taste of Country asked Lambert what her perfume would smell like, she said, “I’m not sure — probably not too sweet.” She revealed her favorite scents at the time were Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue and Michael Kors.
A decade after revealing her dreams, Miranda Lambert finally released her first perfume.
The country star launched her clothing and boot company, Idyllwind, in September 2018. Three years later, Miranda Lambert realized her dreams when she debuted her fragrance Idyllwind Eau de Parfum in October 2021.
And last month, the “Geraldene” singer released her second fragrance through Idyllwind. It’s called Velvet Rodeo Eau de Parfum, inspired by her recent hit single “Actin’ Up,” off her ninth studio album, Palomino. In the song, Lambert sings, “I want a sunset ride, a velvet rodeo, a Colorado high, a California glow. I want to see the desert from a painted palomino. Senorita need to have a little fun. I’m actin’ up.”
So, what do Miranda Lambert’s perfumes smell like? Idyllwind Eau de Parfum features notes of Georgia’s sweet peach blossoms, Southern magnolias, golden sandalwood, citrus, and jasmine petals. And Velvet Rodeo Eau de Parfum has notes of “rich jasmine, spicy violet iris, and vanilla suede.” Fans can find the two scents at Boot Barn stores and Idyllwild.com, Country Now reports.
Idyllwind reflects the country star’s passion for fashion
In addition to her two perfumes with Idyllwind, Miranda Lambert has created a successful fashion line. The music star partnered with Boot Barn in 2018 to launch Idyllwind, selling apparel, footwear, and accessories.
Asked what made her want to launch Idyllwind, Lambert told Footwear News: “I always loved the way clothes can express the women underneath — how it makes them feel and move. I wanted to create a brand of products that made women feel badass while doing ordinary or extraordinary things.”
Lambert describes her collection as “a vintage vibe with a fashion edge. We wanted to build something comfortable with great quality — clothes and boots you can wear on the road, hanging out, and a few showstoppers for going out too.”
Now that Miranda Lambert has released two perfumes in consecutive years, fans will have to stay tuned to find out if the singer three-peats with a third scent in October 2023.
RELATED: Miranda Lambert’s Fall Fashion Is Literal Fire
Good news, Audacy Country fans! We’ve got all your favorite music coming to you, commercial-free, via the Audacy app this weekend.
Download the free Audacy app now
From MarenMorris to LukeCombs, MorganWallen and KelseaBallerini — you can hear all the music you love alongside your favorite Audacy Country hosts, ad-free, from November 18 to November 20.
Elevate your weekend by tuning into one of the 17 participating Audacy Country stations via the free Audacy app between 5PM local time on November 18 and 11:50PM on November 20 to catch the ad-free wave!
Not only will the playlist be fueled by the biggest Country songs from ’90s stars, CMA Award winners and GRAMMY nominees, but you’ll also be joined by your favorite Audacy Country hosts who will deliver the hits one after another without wasting any time.
Participating stations include US101, 94.1 The Wolf, US99, WBEE, 100.7 The Wolf, 103.7 KSON, WYCD, 107.7 & 104.7 The Wolf, 99.5 The Wolf, 100.3 The Bull, Froggy 101, Y108, KISS Country, BIG 98.5 and WHLL 98.1.
What are you waiting for? Download the app now and meet us where the music is great and commercial-free all weekend!
The City of Smithville and Chamber of Commerce held a dedication ceremony and ribbon cutting for the John Anderson Alley, formerly known as Walnut Alley. The alley was recently renamed in honor of the Country Music Icon, who has made Smithville his home for more than 40 years. At one time John and his wife Jamie owned a downtown building attached to the alley.
The alley is between buildings extending from Walnut to West Main Street downtown Smithville.
Anderson and his family were on hand for the dedication along with several fans and friends.
After attending a special event featuring John at the Grand Ole Opry, Smithville resident and business owner Tony Luna had the idea to name the alley after the Country icon.
“I came up with the idea after my wife Sommer and I went to the Grand Ole Opry and they had a John Anderson night. I thought how could we not do something when he has lived here over 40 years. I really wanted a street named after him which is a big deal so we got the idea of naming the alley. I went to Mayor Josh Miller and he immediately jumped on board and got it passed by the Aldermen and then my wife and I commissioned the mural and it just turned out to be a cool thing and its long overdue,” said Luna
“A few months ago Tony Luna contacted me and asked if we could consider changing the name from Walnut Alley to John Anderson Alley. I thought it was a great idea. I took it to the city council and they thought it was a great idea and they voted on the name change and here we are today. I think its great tribute to a very prominent citizen of the city and county. John has had a great career and I think this was a good thing to do,” said Mayor Miller.
Anderson’s successful singing and songwriting career has lasted more than four decades. 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.
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. 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. 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.
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’)”, 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.
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.
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. The single became the biggest selling record in the history of Warner Bros. Records. 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.
After leaving Warner Bros., Anderson signed with MCA Records and released two albums under that label, followed by one with Capitol Records in 1990. The following year 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. 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.
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. In 1993, Anderson was awarded the Academy of Country Music Career Achievement award.
Over his career, Anderson has collaborated with a number of different artists. He has worked with John Rich of Big & Rich on his 2007 album Easy Money, and co-wrote Rich’s 2009 single “Shuttin’ Detroit Down” Anderson lives in Smithville, Tennessee, his home for more than 40 years with his wife and two daughters.
