John Anderson: I Was ‘Very, Very Lucky’ to Record ‘Swingin”

When John Anderson released his self-titled debut album in 1980, the project produced five Top 40 hits, including "Your Lying Blue Eyes" and "1959." His subsequent albums continued to churn out even more hit songs, such as "Wild and Blue," "She Sure Got Away With My Heart," "Seminole Wind" and "Bend Until It Breaks" -- but his most famous song, and the one fans clamor for the most, is "Swingin'," from his fourth studio album, Wild & Blue.

Written by Anderson, along with Lionel Delmore, the 62-year-old says it's "Swingin'" that has helped him fill auditoriums and maintain a multi-generational fanbase after all these years.

"I knew then I was very, very lucky to have a song that big, especially to have written it as well as published it," Anderson told The Boot and other reporters at a media event. "And when it comes to songs like "Swingin'," I always give the good Lord credit for my music and the songs I’ve written, but I thank Him many, many times for "Swingin’."

""Swingin’" is one of those songs that kind of takes you back to where you were back then, for those of us that are old enough to remember," continues Anderson. "I do see a lot of young fans ... they know every word, so I guess their mom and dad taught it to them."

Anderson also credits his own tenacity, especially when he was young and inexperienced, for ultimately helping him remain relevant after more than 40 years in the industry.

"I’ve done things that would have ended a lot of people’s careers -- more than once," concedes Anderson. "And by that, I mean, for me, it was very hard to get together with the record labels and agree on the songs, largely because I was a young songwriter back then, and I really believed in my songs, but you have to know that, on the other side of the fence, there were people that the A&R guys were going to lunch with that had these songs, too, and they would rather you do those songs ...

"There was always a reason," he adds. "It seemed like we had to fight about the music to get any of it done the way we wanted. And again, I’m real lucky. I did my stuff. And actually, I’ve been producing pretty much all my stuff, or co-producing, since the second record."

Anderson's latest album, Goldmine, was released in 2015, and is available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon. He is currently recovering from an undisclosed illness, but a list of all of Anderson's upcoming shows is available on his website.