Ray Stevens: CabaRay Nashville on YouTube E-9, S-2

In this episode of Ray Stevens CabaRay Nashville the special guest happens to be Bill Anderson. This is one of the episodes featuring a contemporary of Ray...usually the guests are from a generation or two below Ray...but in Bill Anderson we have a performer with as much longevity in the music business as Ray Stevens. Ray opens the show singing "I'll Be Walking the Dog", one of the most upbeat songs detailing a failed relationship that you're probably likely to ever hear. It's from his 2015 comedy album, Here We Go Again!. Ray plays the part of a spouse on the other end of an argument but rather than waste time bickering he simply says he'll be out walking the dog. 

Ray introduces Bill Anderson and they speak about their upbringing in Georgia. Ray was born in Clarkdale, Georgia and his family eventually moved to Albany, Georgia. Bill happened to have been born in Columbia, South Carolina but was raised in Georgia...and throughout his life he's identified Georgia as his adopted home state...and he's known as a performer from Georgia in spite of his birth being elsewhere. Ray and Bill are both members of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. The two are also members of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame as well as the Country Music Hall of Fame. Like Ray, Bill was also on local radio prior to his success in the music industry. Bill was born November 1, 1937 whereas Ray was born January 24, 1939. Bill's nickname is Whispering Bill due to his soft-spoken voice and the abundance of narration in a lot of his songs...delivered his hushed, whispered tones. Bill brings up Ray's 1957 love ballad, "Silver Bracelet", and how it was a monster hit...but Ray quickly interjects that it was only a hit in Atlanta and nowhere else. Bill teases Ray about the clamoring of excited screaming girls at each concert stop exclaiming "woooo-weee... Ray Stevens!! Ray Stevens!!". 

Bill mentions that he's read Ray's memoir and it took him 3 days to read it. Ray remarks that Bill must be a slow reader...a reference to the fact that Ray's memoir has universally been referred to by fans in online book reviews as a fast read. Ray's memoir is titled Ray Stevens' Nashville. 

Not mentioned in the episode is Bill's telegenic presence, something of which Ray also possesses, a natural talent that enables a person to look like they're a natural for television. Throughout the early and into the middle part of his career Bill was a fixture on television. He hosted his own syndicated television series, The Bill Anderson Show, for 9 years (1966-1975) and in the next decade he hosted the cable television game show, Fandango, on The Nashville Network for 6 years (1983-1989). In between those two programs was a game show called "The Better Sex" which aired on ABC from July 1977 until January 1978. Bill was a co-host with Sarah Purcell. In this time period he also made appearances as a panelist on other nationally aired game shows. Bill was also a fixture on the various Grand Ole Opry backstage episodes as a rotating host. Bill sings one of his signature songs, "Still". Bill joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1961 and he remains one of the most popular Opry members to this day...regularly appearing as a performer/emcee of various half hour segments.  

Bill's second song of the episode is "Old Army Hat". Bill discusses with Ray how a Grammer guitar of his (designed by singer/guitarist, Billy Grammer) had been lost for 50 years until one day it was discovered in a pawn shop and returned to him. In 2018 Bill was inducted into the National Songwriters Hall of Fame. That particular Hall isn't genre-specific...songwriters from all types of music have been recognized/honored by that organization.  

Ray closes the show singing "The Higher Education of Ole Blue", a song from his 1993 comedy album, Classic Ray Stevens.