September 1, 2010


Hi Folks:

This is the first of two fan club newsletters we will be sending out this month. Consider this our regular edition. In a couple of weeks we'll be sending a special edtion letting you in on the big plans we've made for my 50th Anniversary at the Grand Ole Opry set for July, 2011.

Everything seems to be falling into place, and we're sure excited. We've been setting up special phone lines for you to call, special facilities to handle your questions, your credit card payments, and a million and one other things that go into trying to pull a big event like this together. Hopefully, we'll have most of the answers in place by the middle of this month and we can start to rock 'n roll. In a country kind of way, of course!

I've been getting back into doing some songwriting these past few weeks after having taken some time away from writing this summer. Billy Ray Cyrus recorded a song I helped write a few days ago, and I'm really excited about it. I'll tell you more as the release date approaches. It's part of a patriotic album he's doing, and it's based on a powerful true story. I think the Disney folks have it scheduled to come out in November.

The Grand Ole Opry is headed home to the Opry House on the 28th of this month after almost five months of bouncing around from place to place due to the Nashville floods. Supposedly they've done a lot of remodeling, particularly backstage, while we've been away. I can't wait to see what all they've done.

Did you know you can take backstage tours at the Opry House now when you come to Nashville? They even offer them on show nights following the performances. I think you'd enjoy that. You might want to put it on your list of things to do when you plan your next visit to Music City.

I'm going to repeat something that I wrote on my web site recently because some of you might not have seen it. Several of you have written to me recently telling me of problems you've had receiving our online fan club newsletters and of certain issues you've had with some of the messages that have been posted on our message boards. My webmaster has asked that from now you please address your questions and concerns directly to board@billanderson.com rather than send them to me. This will allow her to begin solving your problems much quicker. Thanks.

We'll be back in your mailbox again in a couple of weeks, so be watching for us. Meantime, take care, and my best to you all.

When you've been in this business as long as I have, you accumulate a long list of things like these, and it's hard to narrow it down to one or two instances. But the first thing that came to my mind regarding "shocking" was the night the woman in Dayton, Ohio, came onstage while I was singing "Still" and began to remove her clothes. Fortunately, a policeman was nearby, and came and removed HER!

And the first thing I thought of under "kindest thing" was the Sunday afternoon at Sunset Park, Pennsylvania, when a lady asked me to autograph her Bible. I pulled her aside and explained to her that I had a policy of never autographing Bibles or American flags. I just didn't feel it was the proper thing to do. Big ole tears welled up in her eyes and she said, "But this is my family Bible. It is the most special thing I have in my life. It has the names of all my family members and has been handed down for generations. Your music is so special to me that I feel like you're like a member of my family. That's why I want you to sign it." I took my pen and wrote my name. What greater compliment could I have been paid?

Thank you. I can't think of any one specific thing other than to say I'd like to be able to continue down this marvelous road I've been on for a little while longer. I still have some songs I want to write, another book or two I'd like to try and put together, and people I'd still like to entertain. Believe it or not, there's still a few places I haven't been and a mountain or two I have yet to climb. As long as I'm blessed with the health to stay at it, that's what I hope to do.

The Opry's first performance was in November of 1925, so we'll be celebrating the show's 85th birthday this fall. Every show during those 85-years has been broadcast on WSM radio. The Opry was first televised in the fifties, and has been on and off televison throughout the years. It is currently not televised on a regular basis.

Hi Gang:

There's no one particular subject on my mind this week, so I thought I'd touch on a few different things.

First, I want to offer my condolences and deepest sympathy to the family of country singer, Bill Phillips, who passed away a few days ago at the age of 74.

Bill and I came to Nashville about the same time, and in the early days people would often get us confused. On one of the first road shows I ever worked with Opry stars, the local disc jockey introduced me as Bill Phillips. Bill used to laugh and tell me they often called him Bill Anderson.

Bill's biggest success came when he recorded "Put If Off Until Tomorrow" and asked an unknown girl from east Tennessee named Dolly Parton to sing on the record with him. He toured with the Johnny Wright-Kitty Wells Show for many years, and built a substantial fan base all around the world. His overall success, however, never seemed to rise to the level of his talent. He was a great singer, and a fine gentleman. He will definitely be missed.

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