Keith
Anderson is riding high these days. His debut CD, THREE
CHORD COUNTRY AND AMERICAN ROCK & ROLL went Gold in sales last
month, and single song releases off the album, “Pickin’ Wild Flowers”
and ”Everytime I Hear Your Name” have both been hits on the country
radio charts. The video of the latter song was recently voted # 1
on Great American Country (GAC) and has been in the top 20 videos
of GAC for 12 weeks. Not bad for an ex-engineer, construction worker,
model, waiter, club performer, jingle singer and entrepreneur, all
occupations on the road to becoming a major recording artist. Keith
Anderson is a lesson in perseverance, networking and talent.
Anderson
came into town with a truckload of experience as a singer in l998,
but in Nashville you start all over. The saying is, “You may have
been a big fish in a little pond back home, but in Nashville you are
a little fish in a big pond.” Keith Anderson began performing
in Music City clubs after moving here in l998. In a past issue,
NMG reviewed his show and recognized him as one of the most talented
singer / songwriter in Music City. He contemplated about his road
to success, “I never gave up because I believed in myself and set
for myself short term and long term goals. I was achieving my short
term goals and felt my career was progressing from having co-written
on the tune, ‘Beer Run’, which was cut by Garth Brooks, to writing
with some of the biggest writers in town. Also, performing in the
clubs was invaluable for me, for I learned how to maintain the high
level of energy I have in my shows today.”
His advice to artists trying
to make it, “You have to be real and honest with yourself. You got
to have the talent. If you do, then believe in yourself, and no matter
what, don’t give up. Too many really talented people leave town too
early.”
THE ALBUM
There is not a “B” cut on Anderson’s debut
album with Arista records. Keith proves his songwriting ability by
having co-written on 11 cuts on the CD. It’s got a little of everything
for everyone from the country rocker “Double XL” to the melodically
swaying current hit “Everytime I Hear Your Name”. “Pickin’ Wild Flowers”
has several flavors in the tune, from bluegrass to pop to rock and
has proved itself by being the album’s debut hit single.
The quality
of the album is not surprising for Keith waited a whole year before
recording the album. Waiting for what ? According to country DJ Su-Anna
of FM 95.5, The Wolf … “Keith could have cut an album before
now, but he wanted Jeffrey Steele to be a producer on the album and
also wanted to write a couple of tunes with Jeffrey.” Good move on
Anderson’s part for his patience paid off. Jeffrey Steele produced
a majority of the cuts on the disc and co-wrote 4 songs on the album.
John Rich, another hit writer and the straight guy of the Big &
Rich duo, also teamed up with Anderson to write the title song, "Three
Chord Country and American Rock & Roll."
Ask music industry insiders,
having Steele and Rich on the project these days almost insures
you that will be signed to a record deal and have a successful album.
FUTURE PROJECTS
Coming off his successful debut album, Anderson will
be going back into the studio in October and November to record
his 2nd LP. On this LP, a bonus track should be the song "Three
Chord Country and American Rock & Roll," featuring Aerosmith’s
Steve Tyler on vocals. The song was remixed by noted producer Mark
Hudson (Aerosmith, Ringo Starr, Ozzy Osbourne) earlier this year.
In Addition Anderson will have a holiday song on this year’s Sony/BMG
Christmas compilation album.
THE EARLY YEARS
Keith can be described
as a journeyman of sorts, but his guiding force has always been music.
Keith earned his engineering degree at Oklahoma State, graduating
first in his class with a 3.9 GPA and playing baseball well enough
to be approached by the Kansas City Royals. A shoulder injury ended
his baseball career, but his commitment to physical fitness led to
him placing second in the Mr. Oklahoma bodybuilding competition. All
the while, he was tinkering with songwriting.
He was hired by a top
construction-engineering firm in Dallas. The job paid quite well,
but Keith quit it within a year and a half. “I became obsessed with
music. At that time, there were four major clubs in Dallas, and every
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, there was somebody that I wanted to
go see. I just started falling in love with music and began to try
to write songs again. I went home at Christmas and asked my brother
to teach me chords on the guitar.”
Back in Dallas, he auditioned for
the Grapevine Opry, a show that had been a springboard for LeAnn Rimes
and others. After three years as a regular there, Keith earned a performing
slot at the Six Flags Over Texas park. He also entertained at the
Texas State Fair.
By day, he worked as a landscaper and became certified
as a personal trainer. With an eye still on education, he took pre-med
courses and was accepted for the rigorous physical therapy program
at the University of Texas. He also did a little modeling appearing
in commercials for J.C. Penney’s and Dr. Pepper; but Nashville was
calling.
The NASHVILLE MOVE
Keith Anderson arrived in Nashville
in the spring of 1998 with a terminally ill car and $2,000 he’d saved.
He took a job as a waiter at a restaurant on Music Row. “I was a terrible
waiter. I never figured out the computer system. I was messing up
every day. But fortunately, they liked me enough to keep me on. I
met a lot of music industry people there just by trying to be a fun
waiter and making them laugh. And I always had my demo CD ready if
somebody asked for it.”
He and songwriter Geroge Ducas played softball
together in the summer of ’98, became friends, and began co-writing
in the fall. That gave the newcomer an entry into the Nashville songwriting
community. If he was good enough for George, he was good enough for
Jeffrey Steele, John Rich, Kim Williams, Craig Wiseman, Victoria Shaw,
Bob DiPiero, and the rest of his top-tier collaborators.
“I was able
to say, ‘I write with so-and-so,’ and that would make other people
want to hear your stuff. It makes you legitimate. And you can go from
there. It just kinda snowballed. Pretty soon, I had a good little
catalog, and I didn’t even have a [song publishing] deal.” He was
also appearing at nightclub songwriter shows with his better-known
co-writers.
“The Nashville audiences would know them, but they didn’t
know me. But that’s how I started building a following. I built up
a big e-mail base to invite people to my shows. Then, in 2000, I put
together a band.”
In 2002, Keith Anderson’s group won the Jim Beam
Country Band Search. The company’s sponsorship led to opening a concert
for Montgomery Gentry, other endorsements, and a host of nightclub
opportunities. Within months, his high-octane performances and genuine
love of people were drawing standing room only crowds. That enthusiasm
led to his Arista contract.
“The fans are great, and I try to treat
them right. Look around you at the CMA Music Festival. That’s my family.
Those are the people I come from. I am one of them.”
Hey, this writer’s
a fan, and I may just be bold enough to say, “Could there be a new
g man in town ?” Www.keithanderson.com
