Bill Anderson: A Half Century on the Charts

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Even today, Anderson prides himself on his ability to recognize a hit. He claims he's turned down only one song that went on to become a big single for another artist – Willie Nelson's "Funny How Time Slips Away," a country hit for Billy Walker in 1961 and a pop/R&B crossover smash for Joe Hinton in 1964.

"I thought it sounded too much like 'Hello, Walls,' that Willie had written for Faron Young," Anderson says. "I didn't realize back then that everything Willie wrote sounded alike when Willie sang it."

One other song slipped through Anderson's grasp, a victim of bad timing.

"I had a song that was written for me," he says. "The writer wrote me a letter, and I've still got it. I had just gotten married in 1970, and Ben Peters said, "I wrote this for you and Becky. I know you just got married.' He said, 'I'll hold it as long as you need me to hold it. I really think it's a hit for you.

"It was called 'Kiss an Angel Good Morning.' I didn't turn it down, I just wasn't going in the studio. I had just finished recording.

"Then one day, Ben called and said, 'Oh, by the way, Charley Pride just cut that. It's going to be the B-side of his record. It's not even going to be the A-side. I'm still holding it for you.' Next thing I knew, Charley was up winning awards for his version.

"I didn't turn that one down. That one turned me down."