John Anderson is a country vocalist and guitarist who has a career lasting over 40 years. His vocal timbre and instrumentation places him in the neo traditionalist movement with other artists such as Ricky Scaggs and George Straight.
Born in Apopka, Florida in 1954, Anderson was heavily intrigued by rock music and influenced by legends such as Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones. He played in rock bands until the age of 15 when he discovered country music from George Jones and Merle Haggard. Anderson then shifted to playing country music, moving to Nashville in 1971.
In Nashville, Anderson supported himself financially by performing odd jobs and would play at clubs and bars at night. He continued to perform around town until he was noticed and signed to a recording contract by Warner Brothers in 1977. In the same year, Anderson’s first single “I’ve Got a Feelin’ (Somebody’s Been Stealin’)” was released. His first three albums did not reach mainstream success but built up his reputation as an up-and-coming force for country artists.
Anderson finally achieved mainstream success with his smash hit “Swingin” from his 1982 album Wild & Blue. The song reached number one on the country charts while crossing over to the Billboard Hot 100 at 43. With this, Anderson received five nominations for the CMA awards, winning the Horizon Award as well as the Single of the Year for “Swingin.”
After a string of less popular albums, Anderson struck gold again with his album Seminole Wind in 1991 under BNA records. The singles “Seminole Wind” and “Straight Tequila Night” helped to propel the album to be certified two times platinum. Since then, Anderson has released multiple albums and has charted over 40 singles on Billboard Country Music. Notable hits include “Wild and Blue,” “Black Sheep,” and “Money in the Bank.” Still performing to this day, Anderson’s latest album was Years which was released in 2020.