John Anderson, country music star whose hits included ‘Wild and Blue,’ dies at 71
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — John Anderson, whose high, yearning vocals on hits such as “Swingin,” “Wild and Blue” and “Black Sheep” helped earn him a spot in the Country Music Hall of Fame, has died at age 71.
Anderson’s family announced his death Wednesday on his social media accounts. It didn’t provide details, including the cause of death.
“To the world, he was a gifted country music singer whose voice and songs touched countless lives,” the family wrote. “To us, he was so much more. He was the heart of our family, the one who made us laugh, loved us fiercely, and made every ordinary moment feel special.”
Anderson’s death came just days after he attended the latest Country Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony, in Nashville, Tennessee, with new members including Tim McGraw, Paul Overstreet and the Stanley Brothers. On Thursday, McGraw wrote on Instagram that he was “completely shook” about Anderson’s death, adding that the singer “was in such good spirits” at the event.
“We talked, we laughed, we sang his songs that I loved so much together, just goofing off,” recalled McGraw, who posted a picture of himself with Anderson.
A native of Apopka, Florida, Anderson moved to Nashville after graduating high school. Before breaking through commercially in 1977 with “I’ve Got a Feelin’ (Somebody’s Been Stealin’),” he worked odd jobs, including helping put the roof on the new Grand Ole Opry House.
Anderson went on to release more than 20 albums and dozens of singles. Along with such peers as George Strait and Ricky Skaggs, he was often identified as a “New Traditionalist,” with a gift for bending notes. His other notable songs included “Straight Tequila Night,” “Seminole Wind” and “I Wish I Could Have Been There.”
Anderson was voted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2014 and into the Country Music Hall a decade later. His other honors included two awards from the Country Music Association: single of the year in 1983 for “Swingin,” and album of the year in 1994 as one of the performers on the Eagles tribute “Common Thread.” (Anderson covered “Heartache Tonight.”)