Bill Anderson papers

Bill Anderson papers

Descriptive Summary

Title: Bill Anderson papers
Creator: Anderson, Bill, 1937-
Inclusive Dates: circa 1940s-2011
Language(s): English
Extent: 20.25 Linear Feet (14 boxes, 4 oversize folders, 2 artifacts)
Collection Number: ms3941
Repository: Hargrett Library

Collection Description

Historical Note

Country music song writer and singer Bill Anderson was born in Columbia, South Carolina on November 1, 1937. His family moved to Georgia, where they lived in Griffin and Decatur. Anderson majored in journalism at the University of Georgia. From Athens, he became a disc jockey in nearby Commerce. Here, he began writing and recording songs. One of these - "City Lights" - became a hit in 1955 and changed his career. After graduating in 1959, Anderson headed to Nashville, where he began composing a series of hit songs. His greatest hit - "Still"- came in 1963. He went on to compose more than 500 songs and record some 40 albums. Known as "Whisperin' Bill" (also the title of his autobiography), Anderson has been voted Songwriter Of The Year six times, Male Vocalist Of The Year, and half of the Duet Of The Year with both Jan Howard and Mary Lou Turner. In 1975 he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 1985, Anderson was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, becoming only the 7th living performer to be so honored. In 1993, he was also inducted into the Georgia Broadcasters' Hall of Fame. The following year South Carolina inducted him into their Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame. Anderson received the ultimate honor in 2001, when he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Bill Anderson - GeorgiaInfo http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/topics/people/article/all/bill-anderson (Retrieved September 9, 2015)

Scope and Content

The collection consists of many photographs from Bill Anderson's tours and performances, as well as newspaper clippings, professional papers, performance clothes, related ephemera, and several decades of his fan club newsletters. Also included is a Fender King guitar and strap. Many of the photograph albums were donated on behalf of Kathryn House, Georgia Representative of the Bill Anderson Fan Club.


Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Bill Anderson papers, ms3941, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries.


Related Materials and Subjects

Subject Terms

Related Collections in this Repository

Related audiovisual materials from this collection are housed in the Walter J. Brown Media Archive: http://purl.libs.uga.edu/brown/har-ms3941/bmac-coll


Series Descriptions and Folder Listing

 

1. Photographs

boxfolder
133-34Miscellaneous
135-36Personal
137Performing at Sanford Stadium, 1972
138Signed to Bill Anderson
139Photographs with Captions
140Photographs with Captions
141Headshots
142"Fandango"
143"Fandango"
144Headshots
145Kathryn House
146Piedmont Hospital Graduating Class of 1953 - Kathryn House, 1953
147Photographs from fans
box
3Southeastern Stages Bus Tours, 1st Book - Kathryn House
3Southeastern Stages Bus Tours, 2nd Book - Kathryn House
3Country and Western Show Pictures, 3rd Book - Kathryn House
3Photo Album (blue) - Kathryn House
3Fan Photo Album (green)
3Fan Photo Album (white)
box
4Photo Albums - Kathryn House
box
5Photo Albums - Kathryn House
box
6Fan Scrapbook part one, 2011
box
7Fan Scrapbook part two, 2011
box
8Personal photographs - Kathryn House
box
9Personal photographs - Kathryn House
 

2. Printed Material

boxfolder
148Clippings
oversized_folder
3Clippings
oversized_folder
4Clippings
boxfolder
21Country Crossroads
22Fan Fair Softball Tournament Booklet, 1976
23Golden Award Song Hits
24Journal of Country Music vol. XII, no. 3
25Lyric Books
26The Bill Anderson Show
27The Bill Anderson Songbook
oversized_folder
1Posters
oversized_folder
2Posters
box
10Fan Club Newsletter / The Whisper Journal, 1972-2007
item
1"Bill Anderson in WJJC Studio with Original 'City Lights' 45 RPM", circa 1958
 

3. Ephemera

oversized_box
1Performance clothes including two Nudie Suits
box
11Buttons, t-shirts, hat, stickers, watch, belt buckle
box
12White Cowboy Boots
item
2Guitar used during 1972 performace at Sanford Stadium
 

4. Professional Papers

boxfolder
11G.A.B.
12Commerce Show, 1998
13W.B. Songs - Lyrics
14World Class Talent
15TKO-England
16HED Foundation
17H.R. 789
18Ocala TV
19Jimmy Sturr Christmas Tour
110Christian School Speech
111JoAnne Kurman
112Mtn. States Broadcasting KFTN Radio
113Stallion vs. BMI (KFTN)
114I.R.S. - KFTN
115Misc. KFTN
116C.M.M.
117Maners, Juli
118Ilson, Bernie
119Williams, Phil
120Yesteryear
121Reach A Star
122Road LP
123Swanee Records
124Opry Badstage Album- RCA
125Backstage TV
126Funzapoppin'
127Country Standard Time
128Po Folks
129Po Folks (2)
130Fandango
131Whisperin' Bill book reviews
132Book reviews for I Hope You're Living As High On the Hog as the Pig You Turned Out to Be
boxfolder
28Biographies
29Correspondence
210Georgia Radio Hall of Fame induction certificate, 2010

Special Collections Libraries
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602-1641