US country singer John Anderson dies at 71 — The Guardian

US country singer and songwriter John Anderson, known in particular for the songs Swingin’, Seminole Wind and Straight Tequila Night, has died at the age of 71. The musician’s family announced his death on social media, The Guardian reports.

His relatives called Anderson a talented country performer whose voice and songs touched the lives of many people. According to them, he was the heart of the family, able to make his loved ones laugh and sincerely loved them.

A career spanning nearly half a century

Anderson was born and raised in Florida. After graduating from school, he went to Nashville, where he performed in the evenings and worked manual jobs during the day. In particular, he worked as a roofer at the Grand Ole Opry for some time.

The musician’s debut single was released in 1975, and his breakthrough came two years later with the song I’ve Got a Feelin’ (Somebody’s Been Stealin’). In 1981, I’m Just an Old Chunk of Coal (But I’m Gonna Be a Diamond Someday) became his first single to reach the top five of the country chart and earned him his only Grammy nomination, for Best Male Country Vocal Performance.

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Hits and return to performing

The songs Wild and Blue, Black Sheep and Swingin’ topped the US country charts. Swingin’ also became Anderson’s only hit on the US pop chart. The 1992 album Seminole Wind included three songs that reached the top three of the country chart, while the following album, Solid Ground, featured the number-one song Money in the Bank.

In total, Anderson recorded 22 studio albums. His last one, Years, was released in 2020 and recorded with Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. In 2017, the musician was hospitalized because of a non-cancerous tumor. In 2020, he said that he had almost completely lost his hearing, but it later began to recover. After that, Anderson continued performing live. In 2024, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani paid tribute to the performer. Shelton said he had the opportunity to see that his idol was exactly the kind of person he had hoped he would be.