Trailblazing and Celebrated Songwriter and Entertainer Liz Anderson Has Passed.  (January 13, 1930 – October 31, 2011)
 
Famed songwriter and singer Liz Anderson passed last evening at St. Thomas Hospital at the age of 81.  Liz was hospitalized on Thursday, October 27th with complications from heart and lung disease. As a cofounder of the Nashville Songwriters Association International alongside husband Casey, Liz was a groundbreaking songwriter at a time when women writers were not accepted in Nashville. Liz wrote the breakthrough Merle Haggard smash “(My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers.” He named his band The Strangers after this Top 10 single. She also penned his first number one hit “The Fugitive.” This two-time Grammy nominee also penned numerous hits for Charley Pride, Brenda Lee, Tammy Wynette, Ernest Tubb, Loretta Lynn, George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Kitty Wells, Conway Twitty, Del Reeves, her daughter, Grammy Award Winning Lynn Anderson, and many others.
 
Chet Atkins signed Liz to RCA where she had string of hits produced by Felton Jarvis, who also produced label mate Elvis Presley. They included “Husband Hunting,” “Go Now, Pay Later,” and “The Game of Triangles,” a trio with Bobby Bare and Norma Jean. Liz and Lynn also had a Top 25 hit with “Mother May I” in 1968 and appeared on the Mother’s Day edition of the Lawrence Welk Show.  Liz is survived by her loving, co-writing husband of 65 years (Casey), daughter, country music icon (Lynn Anderson), 3 grandchildren (Lisa Lynn Sutton, Gray Stream and Melissa Hempel) and 2 great-grandchildren (Grace Stream and Geddings Hempel).
 
Funeral arrangements are set for 11:30 AM on Saturday, November 5th at Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home located at 660 Thompson Lane, Nashville, TN. Visitation will be held on Friday, November 4th from 5 - 7 PM. Woodlawn can be reached at (615) 383-4754. Flowers are welcome, but her family asked that donations may be directed to the NSAI Legislative fund. NSAI is located at 1710 Roy Acuff Place, Nashville, TN 37203 and can be reached online at www.nashvillesongwriters.com or (615) 256-3354.

 

We are deeply saddened by the passing of our friend, Liz. Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to Casey and the family.
- Lee and Shari  Wenger

-Loudilla and Kay Johnson

 

Please click here to post comments, sentiments or stories you have when you think of Liz.  We will post them right here.

---

This CD was almost titled "family and friends" because it so describes this project. Good friends like my cutting horse buddies, the distinquished actor Barry Corbin and my old compadre radio hall of famer Bob Kingsley - both of whom added their cowboy voice-overs on "Turn The Herd"  and made it very special and loads of fun.  

The original Pony Express was organized 150 years ago in 1860 between the U.S. Postal Service and three American transportation pioneers - William H. Russell, Alexander Majors and William B.Waddell. The Pony Express Riders were all very young and mostly single. When the U.S. Postal Service celebrated the 100-years of the U.S. Mail in 1960, there was a re-enactment ride across the original trail. This ride was 1966 miles between St. Joseph, Mo. (which was the westernmost point that the railroad and the telegraph had reached) and Sacramento, Ca.

Superstar LYNN ANDERSON has a new Western CD - “COWGIRL” - a collection of 12 songs - some old -some new - all great. Lynn is co-writer on one of them with her songwriter mother - Liz Anderson “FULL MOON IN BAGHDAD” - a beautiful patriotic love song.

Now we go to the old west and listen to songs for the cowboy and cowgirl in all of us. We have the 'Sons Of The Guns' CD where Liz Anderson sings "The gunslinger" then introduces Casey Anderson and the other 'sons' - Mark Moseley, Jim Mundy, Gray Stream and Joe Barnhill to sing songs about the west. They all do a great job on all the western songs in the album.

Then Liz Anderson does 'The Cowgirl Way' - A great collection of westen songs like 'Wild Wild Women of the Wild Wild West', and 'Cowboys Are A Girl's Best Friend'. Casey Anderson does three guest vocals on this CD - one is called 'The Six Gun Kid' where he wears six guns - not just two.

A very timely song  - "Are You Hungry? Eat Your Import!"  is  from one of your  favorite singers of the past.  Faron Young had one of the best voices in the country music business.

For very young children, and the child in all of us - we take you to 'Golden Rainbow Land' where Liz Anderson as "Fairy Grandmother" sings children songs to warm your heart. There are now two CD's.

'The Fairy Grandmother' sings her favorite children's christmas songs. You'll enjoy hearing about 'Jeannie The Little Reindeer Girl', 'Christopher The Christmas Seal', 'The Little Christmas Angel' and six other christmas songs that children will love. Casey Anderson makes a guest appearance singing about the 'Magic Candy Machine'.

'The Fairy Grandmother' sings songs for various national holidays - you will love. 'Chelsea The Easter Chicken' for easter and 'The Candy Goblin' for Holloween. Casey makes his appearance here as 'Tommy Turkey', 'Grandfather Time' and 'The Kinght In Shining Armor'. Also making her first guest appearance is Liz's Granddaughter - Lisa sutton - singing 'Lisa The Little Farmerette' about all the animals she has owned complete with sound effects for all.