There’s an old saying, “If you want someone’s attention,
whisper.” Bill Anderson has been using that philosophy for over
fifty years to capture the attention of millions of country music fans
around the world, en route to becoming a member of the Country Music
Hall of Fame and one of the most popular, most enduring entertainers
of our time. He’s known, in fact as “Whispering Bill,” a
nickname hung on him years ago as a result of his breathy voice and
his warm, soft approach to singing a country song. His credentials,
however, shout his prominence: One of the most awarded songwriters in
the history of country music, a million-selling recording artist many
times over, television game show host, network soap opera star,
spokesman for a nationwide restaurant chain, and a consummate onstage
performer. His back-up group, The Po’ Folks Band, has long been
considered one of the finest instrumental and vocal groups in the
business. Bill has been voted Songwriter Of The Year six times, Male
Vocalist Of The Year, half of the Duet Of The Year with both Jan
Howard and Mary Lou Turner, has hosted and starred in the Country
Music Television Series Of The Year, seen his band voted Band Of The
Year, and in 1975 was voted membership in the Nashville Songwriters
Hall of Fame. Ten years later, the State of Georgia honored him by
choosing him as only the 7th living performer inducted into the
Georgia Music Hall of Fame. In 1993, he was made a member of the
Georgia Broadcasters’ Hall of Fame. In 1994, South Carolina inducted
him into their Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame. And in 2001, he
received the ultimate honor, membership in Nashville’s prestigious
Country Music Hall of Fame. Since 1997, Bill has also hosted the
highly-rated television series on RFD-TV, “Country’s Family
Reunion,” a show where legendary country stars sit alongside both
their peers and newcomers to the industry, singing their songs and
swapping their stories. In the mid-nineties, after a ten-year
self-imposed hiatus, Bill returned to his first love, songwriting, and
for the second time in his life cut a wide path across the creative
landscape. He co-wrote giant hits for Vince Gill (“Which Bridge To
Cross - Which Bridge To Burn”), Steve Wariner (“Two Teardrops”),
Mark Wills (“Wish You Were Here”), Joe Nichols (“I’ll Wait For
You”), and Kenny Chesney (“A Lot Of Things Different”). He won
Song Of The Year honors in both 2005 and 2007 for helping to write
“Whiskey Lullaby” for Brad Paisley and Allison Krauss and “Give
It Away” for George Strait. He also won a Dove award for co-writing
the Country/Gospel Recorded Song of the Year, “Jonah, Job, and
Moses” for the Oak Ridge Boys, plus the CMA Vocal Event of the Year,
“Too Country,” recorded by Brad Paisley, George Jones, Buck Owens,
and Bill himself. Both “Give It Away” and “Two Teardrops”
afforded Anderson Grammy nominations. In 2002, Broadcast Music, Inc.
named Anderson its first country music songwriting Icon, placing him
alongside R&B legends Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, and
James Brown as the only recipients of that prestigious award. In 2008,
the Academy of Country Music honored him with their inaugural Poets
Award.
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11/10/2016 Last update