Liz Anderson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Liz Anderson | ||
|---|---|---|
 The Cowgirl Way album; Liz Anderson, Showboat Records
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| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Elizabeth Jane Haaby | |
| Also known as | Liz Anderson | |
| Born | March 13, 1930 | |
| Origin | Roseau, Minnesota | |
| Genre(s) | Country | |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter, Singer | |
| Years active | 1964–Present | |
| Label(s) | RCA Records Epic Records Showboat Records |
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| Associated acts |
Norma Jean, Lynn Anderson, Cindy Walker | |
| Website | Liz Anderson Official Site | |
Liz Anderson (born Elizabeth Jane Haaby March 13, 1930 in Roseau, Minnesota) is an American Country Music Singer-Songwriter. She is the mother of legendary Country singer Lynn Anderson.
Liz Anderson was also a successful Country singer in her own right. In 1967, she scored a Top 5 hit called "Mama Spank". She is also one of Country Music's most respected songwriters, writing the Merle Haggard hits "All My Friends Are Gonna Be Strangers" and "The Fugitive". In addition, she has also wrote many other Country hit songs.
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[edit] Rise to Fame
Although Liz Anderson is best remembered in the Country Music books as the mother of legendary Country singer, Lynn Anderson, she was also a successful singer and songwriter in her own right.
Born Elizabeth Jane Haaby in Roseau, Minnesota, to a poor, but religous family. At the age of 8, the family had a mandolin, which Anderson played, and she also sung in the local church. At age 13, the family moved west to Grand Forks, North Dakota. At the age of 16, Liz was married to Casey Anderson and then had her daughter Lynn a year later. Casey was involved in the Navy, and he returned in 1951. They moved to California, where Casey was to attened Jet Engine school. When they arrived to California, the family was very short of money, so Casey helped his family out by selling cars as a car salesman. Liz studied at the Redwood City Business College in Redwood City, California, and worked as a secretary.
In 1957, the family moved out toSacremento, California, and Liz started to write songs, due to her husband's encouragement. Casey was a member of the Sherrif's Posse, which was going to take part in the National centennial Pony Express Celebration. Casey convinced his wife to write a song in honor of the Pony Express. The song was named the official song, and gave Liz the Medal of Honor. One of his co-workers, Jack McFadden was trying to make a name for himself in the music business. He pitched successfully Anderson's song "I Watched You Walking" to Country singer Del Reeves. Reeves recorded many other songs by Anderson, including "Be Quiet Mind" and "I Don't Wonder".
[edit] The Height of Her Career
Liz Anderson then wrote another song called "Pick of the Week", which was recorded by Roy Drusky in 1964. The song became a Top 15 Country hit for him. In 1965, Merle Haggard recorded her song "All My Friends Are Gonna Be Strangers", and then Anderson became one of Country Music's most successful and most remembred songwriters. She won a BMI award for writing the song. Anderson became one of the most prolific country songwriters, publishing over 260 songs during her career and earning five BMI awards. Virtually every major country artist of the 1960s recorded at least one of her songs on their albums, Charley Pride, Tammy Wynette, Ernest Tubb, Loretta Lynn, George Jones, Skeeter Davis, Waylon Jennings,Kitty Wells, Connie Smith, and Bill Anderson among them.
Anderson soon was noticed by RCA producer Chet Atkins. He liked the way Anderson sang, and he signed her in 1966. This was around the same time her daughter Lynn was getting signed to Chart Records. Her two intial singles fared well, but it was her third, which was with Bobby Bare and Norma Jean called "The Game of Triangles", that became a big hit. The song was a Top 5 hit. In April 1967, Anderson finally made it big as a solo star with the Top 5 Country hit called "Mama Spank", which got her noticed more as a singer. Liz Anderson's own top 40 hit list as a singer includes "Go Now Pay Later" (1966), "The Wife of the Party" (1967), "Thanks A Lot For Tryin' Anyway" (1968), and "Husband Hunting" (1970).
Around this same time, her daughter Lynn Anderson was rising as a Country singer. Liz wrote some of Lynn's early hits, including her debut 1967 single "Ride, Ride, Ride", and then her first big hit, the Top 5 "If I Kiss You (Will You Go Away)", also in 1967. She had a Top 25 duet with her daughter called "Mother May I" in 1968. Lynn Anderson would later have her biggest success in the 1970s, best known for her Grammy-winning Country-Pop smash "(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden". Her daughter became one of Country Music's most successful female vocalists of all time.
[edit] Later Career & Life Today
Liz Anderson's own chart success began to fade from view by the star of the 70s. In 1971, she moved to Epic Records, where she had very little chart success. She charted four singles under Epic, that went no higher then the Country Top 60. However, most of her songs had been awarded with prestigous awards, including BMI awards. Liz Anderson also served as Vice President of the Nasville Songwriters Association International. In the 1990s, she started her very own record company called Showboat Records'. The following year, she produced an album from her record company called The Cowgirl Way. In 2006, her daughter, Lynn Anderson, released an album called Cowgirl, which were all songs penned by her mother.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Charted Singles
| Year | Single | U.S. Country Singles | Album | |
| 1966 | "The Game of Triangles" (with Bobby Bare and Norma Jean) | #5 | The Game of Triangles | |
| 1967 | "Mama Spank" | #5 | Liz Anderson Sings | |
| 1968 | "Mother May I" (with Lynn Anderson) | #21 | single only | |
| 1968 | "Cry, Cry Again" | #58 | Like a Merry Go Round | |
| 1970 | "All Day Sucker" | #64 | ||
| 1970 | "Husband Hunting" | #26 | Husband Hunting | |
| 1971 | "It Don't Do No Good to Be a Good Girl" | #69 | single only | |
| 1972 | "Astrology" | #67 | Classic Country Vol. 5 |
[edit] Albums
| Year | Album | U.S. Country Albums |
| 1967 | Cookin' Up Hits | #18 |
| 1967 | The Game of Triangles (with Bobby Bare and Norma Jean) | #18 |
| 1967 | Liz Anderson Sings | #20 |
| 1968 | Like a Merry Go-Round | #22 |
| 1968 | Liz Anderson Sings Her Favorites | #16 |
| 1970 | Husband Hunting | #36 |
| 1998 | The Cowgirl Way | - |
[edit] Billboard Top Country 40 Hits Written By Liz Anderson
- "All My Friends are Gonna Be Strangers" a hit in two versions, one by Merle Haggard, one by Roy Drusky
- "Be Quiet Mind" a hit in two versions, one by Del Reeves, one by Ott Stephens
- "Big Girls Don't Cry" recorded by Lynn Anderson
- "Flattery Will Get You Everywhere" recorded by Lynn Anderson
- "Go Now Pay Later" recorded by Liz Anderson
- "Guess My Eyes Were Bigger Than My Heart" recorded by Conway Twitty
- "Husband Hunting" recorded by Liz Anderson
- "I Cried All the Way to the Bank" recorded by Norma Jean (singer)
- "(I'm a Lonesome) Fugitive" recorded by Merle Haggard
- "If I Kiss You" recorded by Lynn Anderson
- "Just Between the Two of Us" recorded by Merle Haggard and Bonnie Owens
- "Mama Spank" recorded by Liz Anderson
- "Mother May I" recorded by Liz & Lynn Anderson
- "Pick of the Week" recorded by Roy Drusky
- "Promises, Promises" recorded by Lynn Anderson
- "Ride Ride Ride" a hit in two versions, one by Lynn Anderson, pop hit for Brenda Lee
- "The Wife of the Party" recorded by Liz Anderson
- "Tiny Tears" recorded by Liz Anderson
