The key facts

  • John Anderson died at 71; the cause of death has not been named
  • Hits of the 1980s and 1990s: Swingin', Straight Tequila Night, Seminole Wind
  • Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2024 and into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2014

The musician's death

American country singer and songwriter John Anderson died on Wednesday at the age of 71, his family said. In a statement posted on Instagram, his relatives wrote: 'With the heaviest of hearts we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather and best friend,' adding that to the world he was a gifted country performer whose voice and songs touched countless lives, and to the family — much more. The cause of death has not been disclosed.

Career

Anderson was born in Orlando, Florida, in 1954. After finishing school he moved to Nashville to pursue a music career and worked various jobs on the side, including taking part in the construction of the Grand Ole Opry House building. Fame came to him in the 1980s with the hits Swingin', Wild and Blue and Black Sheep, and in the 1990s he found success again thanks to the songs Straight Tequila Night, Seminole Wind and Money in the Bank.

Awards and recognition

Anderson received three Country Music Association awards, including the 'Single of the Year' award for Swingin' in 1983. In 2014 he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and in 2024 — into the Country Music Hall of Fame.