Lynn Anderson
Lynn René Anderson (September 26, 1947 – July 30, 2015) was an American country singer and television personality. Her crossover signature recording, "Rose Garden," was a number one hit internationally. She also charted five number one and 18 top-ten singles on the Billboard country songs chart. Anderson is regarded as one of country music's most significant performers.[2][3]
For other uses, see Lynn Anderson (disambiguation).
Lynn Anderson
- Singer
- songwriter
- television personality
- equestrian
1966–2015
-
Harold "Spook" Stream(m. 1978; div. 1982)
Mentor Williams (1989–2015)
3
- Liz Anderson (mother)
Vocals
- Chart
- Columbia
- Permian
- MCA
- Mercury
- Laserlight
- Intersound
- Smith
- Showboat
- Center Sound
Born in Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States, she was raised in California by her mother, Liz Anderson, who was also a country music artist. Daughter Lynn was signed to a recording contract to Chart Records in 1966 after she was heard singing along with her mother at an industry function. Previously she had recorded some demo tapes of her mother's songs and appeared on television in California on regional country music shows. In 1967, she had her first top ten hit with the single "If I Kiss You (Will You Go Away)". Soon after, Anderson joined the cast of The Lawrence Welk Show, where she performed country music weekly to a national audience.
In 1970, Anderson signed with Columbia Records, where she was produced by her first husband, Glenn Sutton. She had her biggest commercial success with "Rose Garden". The song reached positions on the Billboard country, pop, and adult contemporary charts, also charting in other countries and earning her a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. Throughout the decade, Anderson also had number-one hits with "You're My Man", "How Can I Unlove You", "Keep Me in Mind", and "What a Man My Man Is". She also became a television personality, with appearances on The Tonight Show, specials with Bob Hope and Dean Martin, and her own prime-time specials.
After a brief hiatus, Anderson returned with the studio album Back (1983). The album spawned three singles, including the top ten hit "You're Welcome to Tonight", with Gary Morris. She continued recording sporadically throughout the 1980s. This included a revival of the pop hit "Under the Boardwalk" and the studio album What She Does Best (1988). Anderson continued releasing new albums into the new millennium, such as 2004's The Bluegrass Sessions. Towards the end of her life, Anderson struggled with alcohol addiction, but continued performing until her death in 2015. For her work as a crossover artist, she was ranked on Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Country Artists of All Time" and CMTs "40 Greatest Women of Country Music".
Early life[edit]
Lynn Rene Anderson was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota, on September 26, 1947, to Casey and Liz Anderson.[4] Her grandparents were Scandinavian immigrants who established a North Dakota "saddle club". According to Anderson, she could ride horses before she could walk.[5] While she was still a young child, the family relocated to a subdivision in Fair Oaks, California.[6][4]
However, Anderson insisted that her parents move to a ranch, prompting the family to move to Sacramento, California. In Sacramento, the Anderson family bought a ranch with two acres of land. The family raised horses, which she learned how to ride and care for. At the age of 9, Anderson won second place at a local horse-racing event in San Francisco, California.[5] Lynn also became interested in performing from an early age. Both her parents were aspiring songwriters that had formed friendships with west country performers.[6][7] Her performing and musical interests continued into high school. During her teens she landed a job working as a secretary for KROY in Sacramento.[6] Upon graduating, she became the station's secretary to the general manager.[5]
While working full-time, Lynn continued entering equestrian competitions. Once winning several competitions, she was dubbed the "California Horse Show Queen" in 1966.[4][6] While watching her daughter at these events, Liz Anderson was also composing songs. She sent her compositions to Los Angeles and Nashville, Tennessee, where they were heard by music executives.[5] Among the songs heard was "(My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers", which was recorded by Merle Haggard in 1964.[6] The song led producer Chet Atkins to sign Liz to a recording contract at RCA Victor. This prompted the family to relocate to Nashville.[5] Before officially moving, Liz took a brief trip with her daughter to Nashville in 1965. At a hotel, mother and daughter performed in an informal sing-along with several other artists. Also present at the sing-along was producer Slim Williamson. Impressed by her vocals, Williamson offered Lynn a recording contract of her own.[6] In 1966, she signed her first recording contract with Chart Records.[4]
Music career[edit]
1966–1969: Early country success and The Lawrence Welk Show[edit]
During a car ride, Liz Anderson composed a song titled "Ride, Ride, Ride". Her daughter liked the song and had an interest in cutting it at her new label. It was cut at her first recording session.[8] Although her debut single was 1966's "In Person",[9] it was "Ride, Ride, Ride" that became Anderson's first charting single.[6] Her next release was another Liz Anderson composition, "If I Kiss You (Will You Go Away)".[1] It was Anderson's first major hit as a music artist, reaching number five on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1967.[10] Her debut studio album of the same name was also released in 1967 and peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.[11] She followed it with "Promises, Promises", which reached number four on the country singles list in February 1968.[12] Her second studio release of the same name reached number one on the country albums chart.[13]
Personal life[edit]
Marriages, relationships and family[edit]
Anderson was married twice and had three children.[41] Her first marriage to Glenn Sutton lasted from 1968 until 1977. The pair met after Sutton developed an interest in producing her music while at the Chart label.[21] Anderson stated that she had turned down several professional opportunities due to Sutton's disapproval.[77] This included touring in Vietnam with Bob Hope and acting in the film W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings. The pair continued collaborating musically until they divorced in 1977.[78] The couple had one child together, Lisa Sutton.[40]
In 1978, Anderson married Texas business entrepreneur Harold "Spook" Stream. She had met Stream at a rodeo event and developed a romantic relationship shortly afterward.[78] The couple had two children together. The couple divorced in 1982.[50] Anderson claimed that Stream had been physically abusive, stating that he had attempted to run her over with a vehicle and attempted to hit her.[79] Following their divorce, Anderson and Stream fought over custody of their two children. Although attempting to gain visitation rights, Anderson ultimately lost custody of the children.[80][50]
Anderson reconnected with songwriter Mentor Williams following her divorce. The pair reunited at a Nashville press event and the relationship turned romantic in 1989.[50][81] The couple later moved to a ranch in Taos, New Mexico, the home state of Williams. Anderson and Williams lived in New Mexico until her death in 2015.[81] The pair never married but remained in a committed relationship. "He’s technically my boyfriend, but really he’s like my husband", Anderson said in 2013.[82]
Legacy, honors and achievements[edit]
Anderson has been widely regarded as one of country music's most significant female artists.[3][2][1] According to Mary A. Bufwack and Robert K. Oermann, Anderson brought female artists to a new level in the 1970s.[50] Steve Huey of Allmusic called her "one of the most popular female country singers of the early '70s".[1] Courtney Campbell of Wide Open Country called her "one of the most important female country music voices of her time".[98] At the time of her passing, other country artists acknowledged her as a career inspiration, most notably Neal McCoy, Martina McBride and Mary Sarah.[99] Reba McEntire also saw Anderson as a musical inspiration: "I am a huge fan of Lynn’s. She was always so nice to me. She did so much for the females in country music. Always continuing to pave the road for those to follow."[100]
Writers and music journalists have most notably regarded Anderson as an important crossover music artist. In his book Historical Dictionary of Popular Music, author Norman Abjorensen viewed her as an artist that "took aim at the mainstream pop audience".[101] Bufwack and Oermann noted that Anderson's "Rose Garden" helped set the trend for female crossover artists in the 1970s.[40] Her crossover legacy has also been recognized for her national television appearances. In 2015, The Washington Post explained that Anderson was the first female country artist to appear on national television due to cast membership on The Lawrence Welk Show.[102] Courtney Campbell of Wide Open Country noted that she was the first female country performer to appear on The Tonight Show and headline at Madison Square Garden in New York City.[98]
Anderson has also been given honors and achievements as part of her legacy. Record World named her their "Artist of the Decade" between 1970 and 1980.[103] In the mid-1990s, a hybrid tea rose was created called "The Lynn Anderson Rose".[104] In 1999, Governor Don Sundquist of Tennessee made June 15 "Lynn Anderson Day" in the state. She was also inducted into the North American Country Music Association Hall of Fame the same year.[98]
In 2002, she was ranked by Country Music Television on their list of the "40 Greatest Women of Country Music".[105] She received a similar recognition when Rolling Stone included her on their list of the "100 Greatest Country Artists of All Time".[3] In 2017, her stage costumes and memorabilia were on display at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The Anderson exhibit was called "Keep Me in Mind".[106] The exhibit ran through 2018.[107] In 2018, daughter Lisa Sutton helped open the Lynn Anderson Rose Garden in Nashville to pay tribute to her career.[108] In 2019, she was inducted into the Western Music Association Hall of Fame.[109] In 2020, Anderson was featured in the PBS documentary "Iconic Women of Country". Female country artists, including Trisha Yearwood, discussed her legacy in the genre.[110] The same year, Anderson's eleventh studio album, Rose Garden, was remastered for its 50th anniversary. The new edition included liner notes from Clive Davis and Reba McEntire.[111]