"I had the privilege of working alongside Betty White on many occasions back in my game show days of the late '70s and early '80s. We appeared together on Match Game, Tattletales, and Password Plus, and she always went out of her way to make me feel welcome. She kept us all laughing with her incredible sense of humor, while at the same time always performing as the consummate professional. I feel so honored to have known her."
- Bill Anderson
"Betty and I worked together at American Humane Association. We shared our passion rescuing abused animals. She may have looked like she’d just come from a bridge party, but then she’d crack a joke with a sexual innuendo. She was one of my role models. I also knew her late husband, Alan Luden when I was a contestant on Password."
- Naomi Judd
ABOUT BILL ANDERSON:
Country Music Hall of Famer and Grand Ole Opry titan Bill Anderson is the rare songwriter whose first major label cut went to No. 1 on the charts, was named Song of The Year and sparked a writing career that is currently in its seventh decade. The song, "City Lights," was written when Anderson was a 19-year old Georgia disc jockey and became a career-defining hit for Ray Price in 1958. The song opened doors for him in Nashville, leading him to signing with BMI and Tree Publishing. Anderson was far from a one-hit wonder. He followed "City Lights" with country standards like "Tips Of My Fingers," the GRAMMY-nominated "Once A Day," "Saginaw, Michigan," "That's What It's Like To Be Lonesome," "I Missed Me," "Cold Hard Facts Of Life," which earned him another GRAMMY nomination, "Mama Sang A Song," the crossover smash, "Still," and countless others. He was voted country Songwriter of the Year six times during his first decade in Music City. His success continued into the 1970’s with award-winning hits like "Slippin' Away," "The Lord Knows I'm Drinking," "I May Never Get To Heaven," and the disco-flavored, "I Can't Wait Any Longer." The 1980’s saw Anderson's chart-topping career take a hiatus as he became a TV network game show host, spokesman for a national restaurant chain and a nonstop touring Grand Ole Opry performer. In the 1990’s he came roaring back with a vengeance, however, as he seriously turned to co-writing for the first time. Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001, his collaborations with the newer generation of Nashville tunesmiths resulted in hits like "Wish You Were Here," the GRAMMY-nominated "Two Teardrops," "A Lot Of Things Different," for Kenny Chesney, "Which Bridge To Cross (Which Bridge To Burn)," for Vince Gill and two CMA Song Of The Year trophies for "Whiskey Lullaby," with Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss and George Strait’s "Give It Away," in 2005 and 2007 respectfully. He continues to write today with songs like Brad Paisley’s "Dying To See Her.”
For more information on Bill Anderson visit BillAnderson.com or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
ABOUT NAOMI JUDD:
Naomi Judd is a six-time GRAMMY®, nine-time CMA and seven-time ACM Award-winning singer, songwriter, actress, philanthropist, author and public speaker, whose life and career continues to inspire dreamers today. Naomi and her daughter Wynonna brought a fresh acoustic sound to country music, with unmistakable harmonies as The Judds surrounding Wynonna’s powerful lead vocals. The Judds are often celebrated for a rarely-interrupted stretch of 14 No. 1 hits when every single of theirs released by RCA Nashville/Curb landed in the Billboard Top 10; and a career that defined what it means to be individualists in the music business. The Judds dominated touring with 20 Top 10 hits, have sold more than 20 million albums and blazed a trail for duos and women who have followed them. Hailing from the Appalachian foothills of Ashland, Ky., mother and daughter duo The Judds were discovered by RCA Nashville label head Joe Galante in 1983, after they landed a guest spot on WSM-TV’s Ralph Emery Show. The Judds made their Billboard country chart debut at the end of that year, with “Had a Dream (for the Heart),” and they were on their way to a history-making career. In 1991 when Naomi’s diagnosis of hepatitis C forced her to retire from the road, The Judds embarked on a historic farewell tour with Garth Brooks as an opening act. Naomi focused on her health, beating the disease and wrote several New York Times Best Sellers and became a popular motivational speaker and actress. To this day, their enduring legacy has inspired their peers, as well as established and aspiring artists. The Judds broke the mold for what it means to be an entertainment titan and remain one of the most successful acts in the history of the country music format. Most recently, the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame inducted the country music icon and GRAMMY® winning songwriter during its first ceremony at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. In 2022, The Judds will receive a star on the world's most famous walkway, The Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Keep up with Naomi Judd on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and naomijudd.com.
