JOHN ANDERSON DIES IN HIS SLEEP

Country singer John Anderson died in his sleep on 21 October, his family said. Anderson was a Country Music Hall of Fame inductee whose songs included “Swingin’,” “Straight Tequila Night” and “Seminole Wind.” “It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and best friend,” his family said in a statement. The family described Anderson as “the heart of our family” and asked people to keep them in their thoughts and prayers. He had attended a Country Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony three days earlier.

Anderson grew up in Apopka, Florida, and moved to Nashville in 1971. Before the Grand Ole Opry House opened in 1974, he worked on its roof, nailing down shingles. Recalling his early career in a 2024 interview, Anderson said: “I was just wanting to play and sing pretty much at any level that I could.” His family said his voice and songs touched many lives. It said the love he gave them and their memories of him would remain his greatest legacy to them.

Fellow country singers Blake Shelton and John Rich paid tribute to Anderson. Shelton wrote on X that Anderson had been both his hero and his friend. “I got the opportunity to find out that my hero wasn’t just the guy I hoped he’d be,” Shelton wrote. Rich called Anderson his favourite country artist and said Anderson had influenced him in more ways than he could count.