Song:Swingin'
Album:RCA Country Legends
John Anderson was a fixture on the country music charts in the 80s and 90s. Swingin' was one of his five number one country hits and is considered his signature song. He was born Dec. 13, 1954 in Apopka, FL which is a suburb of Orlando. He played in rock bands until he discovered Merle Haggard at age 15 and then turned to country music. His sound is in the tradition of honky tonkers like Haggard. He moved to Nashville in 1971 and played clubs at night while working during the day. Anderson signed with Warner Bros. in 1977 and his first top 40 country music hit was The Girl At The End Of The Bar in 1978. Anderson became a fixture in the top ten with songs like 1959, I'm Just An Old Chunk Of Coal and Chicken Truck. But his 1982 album Wild & Blue launched him to country music stardom. The title song was his first number one country music hit but Swingin' not only reached number one on the country music charts but it crossed over to pop and reached #43 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Wild & Blue album was certified Gold. Anderson wrote the song with long time songwriting partner Lionel Delmore. Anderson's success continued until he left Warners in 1986. Albums for MCA and Capitol were not as successful. In 1991 he signed with BNA Records which was the new name for RCA Nashville and clicked with veteran producer and former Giant Records president James Stroud. His 1992 album Seminole Wind got him back to the top of the country charts and was certified 2XPlatinum. And Straight Tequila Night was a number one hit. The success continued for a couple of albums. But Anderson faded and left BNA in 1996. This budget comp is a good intro to his music. Anderson has also recorded for Mercury and Columbia and his latest CD Bigger Hands was released on his own label June 2009. He is currently working on a gospel album. Here's John Anderson performing Swingin' on an awards show in 1984.
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