https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/oct/26/john-anderson-obituary?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us
John Anderson, who has died aged 71, reinvigorated country music in the 1980s by returning the genre to its unvarnished roots.
... His adoption of what became known as “New Traditionalism” was so successful that he scored 40 hits on the Billboard country charts in the US, five of which made No 1 – and his work inspired a new generation of singers in Nashville, including George Strait, Randy Travis and Dwight Yoakam, all of whom followed his credo and went on to enjoy great success.
... His 1981 album, John Anderson 2, featured two Top 10 hits and inspired a number of commentators to compare him to Lefty Frizzell and George Jones, two of country’s finest male vocalists.
... His 1987 MCA album, Blue Skies Again, demonstrated what an expressive ballad singer he was ...
