Bill Anderson

He wrote his first song, "Carry Me Home to Texas" in the late 1940s and formed his first band in 1952. Whilst studying for his journalism degree at the University of Georgia and working as a disc jockey, he wrote "City Lights", which Ray Price recorded in 1958 and took to No. 1 for 13 weeks. This same year, Anderson signed to Decca Records and Tree Publishing. In 1960, Anderson had his own Top 10 hit with "The Tips Of My Fingers", and recorded his first No. 1 in 1962 with "Mama Sang a Song".

Having permanently moved to Nashville a year before, Anderson joined the Grand Ole Opry as a cast member in 1961. In 1965, he began appearing in his own syndicated television series, "The Bill Anderson Show", which stayed on the air for 9 years. During this time, he was married to Bette Anderson. He was elected to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1975 and to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001. Anderson's songs have been recorded not only by his country contemporaries, but by pop, r'n'b and soul performers.