Jan. 15: All hail one of country music’s all-time great songwriters, still active more than a half-century after he took up the craft professionally. In my humble opinion, notable Bill Anderson songs – “Once A Day,” “Must You Throw Dirt In My Face,” “City Lights,” “Saginaw, Michigan,” “The Lord Knows I’m Drinking,” and so many more – far outnumber notable Bill Anderson records. But this is a good one, a Top 10 single from 1961 that was on his first album, released Jan. 15, 1962.
The album contained three of the eventual mainstays of Anderson’s recording career: “Po’ Folks,” “Tip Of My Fingers” and his first chart-topper, “Mama Sang a Song.” I’d heard all of those and his other big hits growing up. But I wasn’t familiar with this one till I moved to Nashville and began listening to that walking country music encyclopedia, Eddie Stubbs, on his WSM radio shows. It was a happy introduction.
If you don’t know the story of Bill Anderson’s Hall of Fame career, or highlights of his songwriting catalog, it’s time for an introduction of your own.
4 comments
Comments feed for this article
January 15, 2010 at 11:14 AM
Bill Greer
I know Sara Evans recorded this many years later, but was it a hit for her, or did some other female performer have a hit with it?
January 15, 2010 at 11:50 AM
3chordsaday
Best I can tell, it wasn’t a hit. It was on her great album “Three Chords And The Truth.” Bill, you’re the second of my many single digits worth of followers who mentioned the Sara Evans version. Here’s more on that album from the My Kind of Country blog.
January 15, 2010 at 9:06 PM
Bill Greer
I have that early Sara album … and have been greatly disappointed ever since because she left “country” behind for the freakin’ blackbird on a fence or whatever the %$#@ that was. “Suds” was about the only thing after “Three Chords” that I really liked.
January 17, 2010 at 8:33 AM
3chordsaday
Bill Anderson was a recent “Poets and Prophets” honoree at the Country Music Hall of Fame. http://bit.ly/7vc2Rd