John Anderson An Acoustic Evening With..Niswonger Performing Arts Center

As a child growing up in Apopka, Florida, John Anderson remembers humming along to the tone of his father’s boat motor, possibly igniting a spark that led to the start of his music career. Anderson performed solo around Florida before moving to Nashville where he worked in construction. Ironically, he was on the roofing crew for the new Grand Ole Opry House before landing a contract with Warner Bros. Records.

John started cranking out memorable hits such as “I’m Just an Old Chunk of Coal (But I’m Gonna Be a Diamond Someday),” “Wild and Blue,” “I Just Came Home to Count the Memories,” “1959,” “Black Sheep,” and, of course, his signature hit “Swingin’.” His career cooled off but saw a resurgence when he signed with BNA in 1991 and scored a comeback hit with chart-topping “Straight Tequila Night” from his acclaimed Seminole Wind album. In 1993, Anderson was awarded the Academy of Country Music Career Achievement award. That momentum carried him into the 2000s, giving him 60 charting country singles in four consecutive decades.