Recorded in August, 1982, for the Silver Eagle Cross Country radio concert series, this is one of two Silver Eagle shows recorded between 1982 and 1984 featuring Bill Anderson. Anderson, who had not had a top-10 hit since the late 1970s, was still very much a concert draw when this show was captured. Featuring several of classic hits, as well as some new material cut during this period, Anderson offers a solid country set that includes: “You Turn the Light On,” “Quits,” “Five Little Fingers,” “If You Can Live with It,” “Po' Folks,” “I Wonder if God Likes Country Music,” “Rollin' in my Sweet…entire summary
Bill Anderson - lead vocals, guitar
Mike Johnson - pedal steel, dobro, vocals
Louis Johnson - guitar, banjo, vocals
Mike Shook - bass
Leanne Fulsom - fiddle, vocals
Gale Porter - keyboards, piano, vocals
Mike Streeter - drums, vocals
Recorded in August, 1982, for the Silver Eagle Cross Country radio concert series, this is one of two Silver Eagle shows recorded between 1982 and 1984 featuring Bill Anderson. Anderson, who had not had a top-10 hit since the late 1970s, was still very much a concert draw when this show was captured. Featuring several of classic hits, as well as some new material cut during this period, Anderson offers a solid country set that includes: “You Turn the Light On,” “Quits,” “Five Little Fingers,” “If You Can Live with It,” “Po' Folks,” “I Wonder if God Likes Country Music,” “Rollin' in my Sweet Baby's Arms,” and the theme from Dallas, which featured his back-up band.
Anderson is old-school country, a great performer and a true gentleman. He is continually thanking the audience for their support over the years, and seems genuinely grateful to still be able to make his living making music.
Bill Anderson is one of the few legendary country artists to make the transition onto the contemporary country charts. Anderson released his first hit in 1959 and had a solid string of top-20 hits through 1979. Beginning in the 1990s his career was rejuvenated as a songwriter for the likes of Steve Wariner, Kenny Chesney, Lorrie Morgan, Collin Raye, John Michael Montgomery, Mark Wills, Brad Paisley, Vince Gill, among others.
Born in 1937, and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Anderson graduated from college in the late-1950s and began working as a sports journalist. That career led him to work in radio, and eventually, as a country DJ.
While spinning records, he started writing and recording demos of his own songs. One of those songs, “City Lights,” was recorded by country superstar Ray Price and became a top-five hit, in 1958. The success of that song encouraged Anderson to pursue his own career, and the following year he moved to Nashville, signed with Decca Records, and started penning hits of his own.
Many would follow, among them: "That's what it's like to be Lonesome," "Tip of my Fingers," "Po' Folks,” "Mama Sang a Song,” "8 X 10," and "Still," a ballad that crossed over onto the pop charts in 1963.
From 1977-1978, Anderson co-hosted The Better Sex, a game-show on ABC. He subsequently appeared on Match Game, Hee-Haw, Family Feud, soap opera One Life to Live, and from 1983-1989 hosted country-music game show Fandango. More recently he has interviewed country musicians on Opry Backstage. Today he hosts an XM radio show called Bill Anderson Visits with the Legends.
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