Al Anderson Tapped For CMHoF’s Poets And Prophets Series

Al Anderson, award-winning songwriter and former longtime member of eclectic roots-rock band NRBQ, will share stories and songs in the songwriter series Poets and Prophets, at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on Saturday, Feb. 6, at 1:30 p.m.

Hosted by museum editor Michael Gray, the interview will be illustrated with rare recordings, photos and vintage film clips from Anderson’s career. Anderson will offer a brief performance.

Poets and Prophets is included with museum admission and free to museum members. Seating is limited, and passes are required for admittance. Museum members can reserve their program passes in advance by phone (615-416-2050) or via reservations@countrymusichalloffame.org.

This program takes place in the Museum’s Ford Theater and will also be streamed live at countrymusichalloffame.org/streaming. The live stream is powered by NewTek TriCaster. Anderson will sign a commemorative Hatch Show Print poster, available for purchase in the Museum Store following the program.

A native of Windsor, Connecticut, Anderson formed the Wildweeds in his late teens and achieved his first songwriting success with the rock & roll band’s 1967 single “No Good to Cry.” After joining NRBQ in 1971, Anderson played guitar, sang, and wrote band favorites such as “Ridin’ in My Car” and “It Comes to Me Naturally.” “Big Al” left NRBQ in the early 1990s and began writing hit songs for country acts, including “Every Little Thing” (Carlene Carter); “All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down” (Mavericks); “Unbelievable” (Diamond Rio); “The Cowboy in Me” (Tim McGraw); and “Love’s Gonna Make It Alright” (George Strait). Most recently, Anderson penned Zac Brown Band’s “Loving You Easy” and Strait’s “Cold Beer Conversation.”

Anderson has written dozens of songs with Chris Stapleton; an audio sample of some of their unreleased demo recordings will be played during the Poets and Prophets program. Anderson now splits his time between Nashville and Santa Fe, New Mexico, and plays with the World Famous Headliners. In 1993, Musician magazine recognized him as one of the 20th century’s Top 100 guitarists, and in 2000 he was BMI’s Country Songwriter of the Year.

The Poets and Prophets series honors songwriters who have made significant contributions to country music history. Previous subjects include Bill Anderson, Matraca Berg, Bobby Braddock, Wayne Carson, Buzz Cason, Jerry Chesnut, Hank Cochran, Roger Cook, Sonny Curtis, Dean Dillon, Bob DiPiero, Tom Douglas, Kye Fleming, Jerry Foster, Dallas Frazier, Red Lane, Dickey Lee, John D. Loudermilk, Bob McDill, Roger Murrah, Dan Penn, Gretchen Peters, Curly Putman, Allen Reynolds, Mark D. Sanders, Don Schlitz, Whitey Shafer, Red Simpson, Jeffrey Steele, Sonny Throckmorton, Billy Edd Wheeler, Norro Wilson and Craig Wiseman.