It All Begins with a Song: The Story of the Nashville Songwriter

Music Row: Nashville's Most Famous Neighborhood

Loretta Lynn: Still a Mountain Girl

Country: Portraits of an American Sound

Country's Family Reunion: Simply Bluegrass - Volumes One & Two

Country's Family Reunion: God Bless America Again (Vol. 3)

Country's Family Reunion Christmas (Vol. 1)

Country's Family Reunion Gospel: Volume One

Country's Family Reunion: Gospel Volume Two

Tammy Wynette: Legendary Performances

Opry Video Classics: Hall of Fame

Opry Video Classics: Duets

Opry Video Classics: Love Songs

Grand Ole Opry at Carnegie Hall

Alias Smith and Jones

From Nashville With Music

Too Many Thieves

The Gold Guitar

Las Vegas Hillbillys

Country Music on Broadway

Forty Acre Feud

Money in My Pocket

The Half Pint

Forbidden Island

The Local Stigmatic

Stranger on the Run

James William Anderson III (born November 1, 1937) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and television host. His soft-spoken singing voice was given the nickname "Whispering Bill" by music critics and writers. As a songwriter, his compositions have been covered by various music artists since the late 1950s, including Ray Price and George Strait.
Anderson was raised in Decatur, Georgia, and began composing songs while in high school. While enrolled in college, he wrote the song "City Lights", which later became a major hit for Ray Price in 1958. His songwriting led to his first recording contract with Decca Records the same year. Anderson began having major hits shortly thereafter. In 1963, he had released his most successful single in his recording career, "Still". The song became a major country pop crossover hit and was followed by a series of top ten hits. These songs included "I Love You Drops", "I Get the Fever" and  "Wild Week-End". His songs were being notably recorded by other artists. In 1964, Connie Smith had her first major hit with his composition "Once a Day". In 1971, Cal Smith had a number one single with Anderson's "The Lord Knows I'm Drinking".
In the 1970s, Anderson continued having major hits as a recording artist as well. Songs including "Love Is a Sometimes Thing", "All the Lonely Women in the World" and "World of Make Believe" became major hits. As the decade progressed his style moved towards the polished countrypolitan genre of country music, with songs such as "I Can't Wait Any Longer". He was dropped from his record label in the early 1980s and began a brief career in television which included hosting the game shows The Better Sex and Fandango. Anderson began writing songs again in the early 1990s for the next generation of country performers. Collaborating with other writers, he wrote material that went on to become hits for Vince Gill, George Strait, Kenny Chesney, and Steve Wariner in the next two decades.
Anderson also continued recording into the 1990s. In 1998, he released his first major label album in over a decade, entitled Fine Wine. He continued releasing music through his own TWI record label. This included projects of gospel and bluegrass material. His most recent studio album was released in 2020. In his career as both a writer and performer, he has received awards from the Academy of Country Music, Country Music Association, Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.



Bill Anderson