John Anderson Biography

John Anderson and GAC's Suzanne Alexander on GAC Nights

John Anderson is among the very best country singers working today.

The Apopka, Fla., native came to Nashville with the kind of voice that rips through the airwaves. Anderson's voice is a thing of wonder; it ebbs and flows, rises and falls, all as seemingly effortless as breathing. This voice owns resonance, tone, power, subtlety, it wails, it moans, it shouts to the hills and from the honky tonks. Part revival meeting, part barroom howl, it is a voice that is absolutely one-of-a-kind. While vocal clones of George Joneses and the Merle Haggards are everywhere, nobody has ever attempted to mimic Anderson. And who could blame them?

A fine songwriter in his own right, Anderson is a master interpreter, able to deliver a hangdog lyric with stunning simplicity and earnestness. He can convey the sudden sting of infidelity, like the guy who comes to the realization his wife is cheating from a glance over coffee on "Your Lyin' Blue Eyes," or the man who suspects his loved one's misdeeds because of her newfound affinity for a certain style of music on "She Just Started Liking Cheatin' Songs."

Sometimes Anderson opts for soft poignancy. "1959" pines for a less complicated time and his portrayal of blossoming passion is dead-on. As the omnipresent observer Anderson is dead-on when describing the potent combination of loneliness and desperation on the Cajun-inflected "Wild and Blue," and the "Straight Tequila Night" narrator serves up advice like a seasoned barroom pal who knows of what he speaks.

Nobody does regret like Anderson. "I Just Came Home to Count the Memories" is a heart-wrenching gem about the reminders of "a better place and time" that crop up everywhere in a bottomed-out life. In "I Wish I Could Have Been There," the singer acknowledges his mistakes and sacrifices within his family, while at the same time knowing he is paying for those mistakes today. On "Down in Tennessee" Anderson is absolutely brilliant, making the hurt, pain, regret, frustration, helplessness, hopelessness, and self-pity palpable. In Anderson's priceless rendition of the classic ghost story "Long Black Veil" the doomed man stoically meets his fate, then finds redemption as his lover "cries over my bones."

As tough as it is to do sorrow and pain, handling humor effectively might be even trickier. There is a difference between a great song that's also funny and a straight-up novelty song, andAnderson knows this difference. With his free-wheelin', caution-to-the-wind delivery, he wants you in on the fun, as well. In 1983 Anderson gave country music one of its biggest hits ever in "Swingin'," a masterfully-delivered slice o' middle-class country life that manages to be both exuberant and disciplined in its portrayal of new lovers moon-eyed while normal life goes on around them. He returned to the style later on "Money in the Bank" and "Somebody Slap Me." Raucous earlier cuts like "Chicken Truck" and the priceless "Black Sheep" own a wry quirkiness few others could pull off. But perhaps his most eloquent blend of sly humor and a bittersweet career arc is "Would You Catch a Falling Star," told cleverly from a narrator who has been along for the ride.

Another of Anderson's best talents is his ability to induce mood. He can paint a picture and put you in it, whether it's the local beer joint of "Honky Tonk Crowd," the gorgeous, sultry, peaceful state-of-mind that is "Mississippi Moon," or the back pew for "Peace in the Valley." But Anderson's masterpiece is "Seminole Wind," a moving, heartfelt homage hew wrote to his home state's Everglades. The song has a conscience but isn't preachy. Anderson's bold lyric and soaring vocal take you to the land of the Seminole, lets you share its beauty, power, and fragility like a trusted friend shares a favorite, secret place.