When 17-year-old country singer-songwriter John Anderson moved to Nashville to pursue his music dreams, his day job included helping build the roof of the Grand Ole Opry House.
∙ Anderson debuted on the Country charts in 1977 with his second single, the honky-tonkin’ “I’ve Got a Feelin’ (Somebody’s Stealin’).”
∙ From 1980 to 1994, he placed 20 singles in the Top 10 of the Country chart, including five that climbed to No. 1.
∙ His blues-leaning smash “Swingin’” was certified Gold, won the 1983 CMA Single of the Year, and was covered by LeAnn Rimes, The Mavericks, and Cledus T. Judd.
∙ On 2007’s Easy Money, Anderson got an assist from an all-star lineup of country legends, including Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and Keith Urban.
∙ He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2014.
∙ Having semiretired due to health concerns, Anderson was persuaded to record a new album, 2020’s Years, by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, who cowrote and produced the collection.