Liz Anderson

Elizabeth Jane Anderson (née Haaby; January 13, 1927

Anderson received two Grammy Award nominations in 1967, one for "Best Female Country Vocal Performance" for her self-penned, top-five hit "Mama Spank", and the other for "Best Country Vocal Group" for the top-five hit "The Game of Triangles", with Bobby Bare and Norma Jean. As a songwriter, she scored 26 top-50 hits in the 1960s, more than any other female songwriter that decade in the country music industry.

Anderson also wrote many of the early hits for her daughter, Lynn Anderson, whose recording career began less than a year after her mother's. She wrote several hits for other notable artists, including Merle Haggard. Haggard had his first top-10 and number-one hits, respectively, with "(My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers" and "I'm a Lonesome Fugitive", both penned by Anderson. He named his band "The Strangers", after the hit "(My Friends Are Gonna Be) Strangers".

Biography Born Elizabeth Jane Haaby in Roseau, Minnesota, or March 13, 1930,

Early career In 1957, the family moved to Sacramento, California. The limited popularity at the time of country music in California led Anderson to start writing songs. Casey was a member of the sheriff's posse, which was going to take part in the National Centennial Pony Express Celebration. Casey convinced his wife to write a song in honor of the Pony Express. The song was named the official song.

Anderson began publishing her songs and made friends within the burgeoning country music community in Bakersfield during the early 1960s. Some of the first hits from her pen were "Be Quiet Mind" by Del Reeves and "Pick of the Week", which was recorded by Roy Drusky in 1964. She won a BMI award for the song. Anderson published over 260 songs during her career and earned five BMI awards. Anderson also wrote Conway Twitty's first country hit, "Guess My Eyes Were Bigger Than My Heart".

Her lone 1980s recording was the album My Last Rose for Tudor Records, which contained original material and covers of well-known songs. In the mid-1990s, Anderson started her own record company, Showboat Records. The Cowgirl Way was her first album in over a decade. She also recorded an album of Christmas songs and another one of children's songs, most of them written by her. In 2006, Lynn Anderson released an album for the label entitled Cowgirl, composed entirely of songs penned by her mother.

Anderson died aged 84 years in Nashville on October 31, 2011.

Discography

The Game of Triangles (1967) Liz Anderson Sings (1967) Cookin' up Hits (1967) Liz Anderson Sings Her Favorites (1968)

Major country hits written by Liz Anderson Anderson enjoyed her greatest success as a songwriter, receiving many awards for her work, including several BMI awards. She also served as vice president of the Nashville Songwriters Association International. The following is a list of her songs which made the top 50 on Billboard's country chart (with chart rankings). In 1966 and 1967, Anderson had six top-50 hits as a songwriter each year, likely a record still to this date among female country music songwriters.

Year Title Artist(s) Billboard1961"Be Quiet Mind"Del Reeves 9 1963 "Robert E. Lee" Ott Stephens 15 "The Way it Feels to Die" Vernon Stewart 171964 "Just Between The Two of Us"Merle Haggard and Bonnie Owens 28"Pick of the Week"Roy Drusky 13 "Be Quiet Mind" Ott Stephens 231965"All My Friends Are Gonna Be Strangers"Merle Haggard 10"I Cried All The Way To The Bank" Norma Jean 21 "I Keep Forgettin' That I Forgot About You " Wynn Stewart 43"(From Now on All) My Friends Are Gonna Be Strangers" Roy Drusky 61966 "Go Now Pay Later" Liz Anderson 23 "Guess My Eyes Were Bigger Than My Heart" Conway Twitty 18 "So Much for Me, So Much for You" Liz Anderson 45 "Ride Ride Ride" Lynn Anderson 36 "Ride Ride Ride" (pop Billboard Hot 100 cover) Brenda Lee 37 "The Wife of The Party" Liz Anderson 221967 "I'm a Lonesome Fugitive" Merle Haggard 1 "If I Kiss You" Lynn Anderson 5 "Mama Spank" Liz Anderson 5 "Tiny Tears" Liz Anderson 24 "Keeping Up Appearances" Lynn Anderson and Jerry Lane 49 "The Words I'm Gonna Have To Eat" Bill Phillips 101968"Big Girls Don't Cry" Lynn Anderson 12 "Like A Merry Go Round" Liz Anderson 43 "Mother May I" Liz & Lynn Anderson 21 "Here's To You and Me" Tex Williams 451969 "Flattery Will Get You Everywhere" Lynn Anderson 11 1970 "Husband Hunting" Liz Anderson 26 1977"Crutches"Faron Young 25

Awards and nominations Year Award program Award Result 1967 Grammy Awards Best Female Country Vocal Performance for "Mama Spank" Nominated 1967 Grammy Awards Best Country Duo/Group Vocal Performance for "The Game of Triangles" (with Bobby Bare and Norma Jean) Nominated