Country singer Bill Anderson marks 65 years as Grand Ole Opry's longest-serving member
The gist
Country singer-songwriter Bill Anderson marked 65 years as a Grand Ole Opry member in July 2026.
The record tenure caps a six-decade career writing and singing country hits.
How it unfolded
- 1957At age 19, Anderson wrote "City Lights," which became a hit for Ray Price and spent 13 straight weeks atop the U.S. country charts.
- 1961Anderson joined the Grand Ole Opry.
- 1960 -1978He logged 37 Top 10 country hits, including duets with Jan Howard and Mary Lou Turner.