Remembering My Friend John Anderson’s Last Abilene Visit

When I heard John Anderson had passed away, I closed the door to my radio studio and quietly cried.
👇Listen to my last John Anderson interview this past August.👇

John died October 21, 2026, at age 71. A local television reporter asked whether I knew him. My boss asked whether I was the only person who interviewed him for his last Abilene concert.

The answer to both questions was yes. And sitting here sharing these memories, I’m crying again.

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Our Friendship Started Over a Cold Beer

I believe it was 1983, during the Country Radio Seminar at Nashville’s enormous Opryland Hotel. I was sitting in a little bar I remember as the Pickin’ Parlor. There was a small stage tucked into a corner.

John walked over and asked whether he could sit beside me. He was going to perform, but first he wanted to thank me for playing his music and visiting with him during his radio tour.

Photo by: John Anderson-Family/Cindy Smith TRRR

Then he asked, "What are you drinking?"

“Coors Light,” I told him.

He chuckled and said he had never had one. I offered to buy him a beer, and we spent about 15 minutes talking country music.

Then John said he had to get to work. He opened his guitar case, they called him to the stage, and he played a song that was already familiar to our listeners.

“Swingin’.”

That record won CMA Single of the Year in 1983, the same year John received the Horizon Award. Years later, he shared the 1994 Album of the Year honor for Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles.

Through the records, the tours, and the changing years, he remained someone I was always happy to hear from.

One Interview Before His Last Abilene Show

John’s last Abilene concert was August 13, 2026, at our historic Paramount Theatre. Ahead of that appearance, he called the station hotline to talk about his music and the show.

I asked how he was doing. He said he was doing great, and he sounded great. We talked about songwriting, his music, and what his future might hold.

His management and Paramount management told me he wanted to do one interview for that visit, and he wanted that interview to be with me.

Knowing he remembered our friendship and all those years of sharing his music meant the world to me.

Afterward, I asked whether he remembered that Coors Light at the Pickin’ Parlor. I offered to buy another round if we could get together.

I didn’t know that conversation would become our goodbye.

👇Listen to my interview with John Anderson below.👇

Remembering the Heart Behind the Voice

John loved his fans, and I remember his willingness to help radio stations supporting their communities.

He also supported Vanderbilt Health, where he received care after experiencing severe hearing loss. A benefit concert at the Ryman was organized to support Vanderbilt’s music therapy and hearing programs. That willingness to give back says so much about him.

Above all, he loved his family. Their statement remembered a husband, father, and grandfather who filled their lives with love and laughter. My heart goes out to them.

I believe his Hall of Fame recognition should have come years before his 2024 induction. But I’m grateful he lived to receive that honor.

John, thank you for the songs, the stories behind them, the phone calls, and the wonderful memories. Thank you for remembering the fellow who bought you a cold beer all those years ago.

I will never look at a tall brown bottle quite the same way again.

You will be missed, brother. I like to think the good Lord is already asking you to play a few songs.

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