News · Music & Entertainment · Nashville, Tennessee
Country Music Hall of Fame singer John Anderson dies at 71
John Anderson, the country singer known for songs including "Swingin'," "Wild and Blue" and "Black Sheep," has died at 71, according to ABC7 New York and other ABC-affiliated stations.
His family announced the death Wednesday on his social media accounts, the stations reported. The announcement did not give a cause of death or other details.
In the statement, the family said Anderson was known to the public as a talented singer whose music reached many listeners. They added that at home he was the center of the family, someone who kept them laughing and showed them deep love, according to ABC13 Houston.
Anderson grew up in Apopka, Florida, and relocated to Nashville after finishing high school, ABC7 Los Angeles reported. Before his music career took off, he held a series of odd jobs. One of them was working on the roof of what was then the new Grand Ole Opry House, according to the reports.
His commercial breakthrough came in 1977 with the song "I've Got a Feelin' (Somebody's Been Stealin')." Over the following decades he recorded other well-known tracks, including "Straight Tequila Night," "Seminole Wind" and "I Wish I Could Have Been There," ABC11 reported.
Anderson was frequently grouped with George Strait and Ricky Skaggs as part of the "New Traditionalist" movement in country music, according to the stations. His high, plaintive voice and his habit of bending notes drew comparisons to earlier stars such as George Jones and Merle Haggard.
The Country Music Association honored him twice, the stations reported. In 1983, "Swingin'" was named single of the year. In 1994, he shared album of the year honors as one of the artists featured on "Common Thread," a tribute album to the Eagles, on which he recorded a version of "Heartache Tonight."
Anderson was voted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2024, according to the reports.
All four outlets carried the same account of his life and death, and none reported details about funeral or memorial arrangements.
Compiled by True News from reporting by ABC7 New York, ABC13 Houston, ABC7 Los Angeles and ABC11. Each outlet's original story is linked below.
Sources
- John Anderson, country music star whose hits included 'Wild and Blue,' dies at 71 (ABC7 New York)
- John Anderson, country music star whose hits included 'Wild and Blue,' dies at 71 (ABC13 Houston)
- John Anderson, country music star whose hits included 'Wild and Blue,' dies at 71 (ABC7 Los Angeles)
- John Anderson, country music star whose hits included 'Wild and Blue,' dies at 71 (ABC11)
Get stories like this every morning
The True News daily briefing: who's funding your officials, the economy in plain numbers, missing persons and community stories. Free, one email a day, unsubscribe in one click.