For everything, there is a season, and for Abby Anderson, this is her time to finally live out her life’s calling. After finishing school, Anderson made the solo move to Nashville at the age of 17, where she immediately began writing, performing and networking in Music City.
Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, 20-year-old Abby Anderson is a charming combination of a lake loving, outdoorsy, big hair and rhinestone city girl, who loves to put on a show.
Growing up, Anderson was surrounded by music lovers and performers, namely her mother, father, and six siblings. She believes it was her family who instilled her passion for entertaining. “I can’t ever remember when I began singing; it was just something that I grew up doing. Listening to my mom and dad sing, all my siblings, that’s just what we did,” recalls Anderson.
From an early age, Anderson and her siblings were all in piano lessons. “My parents made all of us take piano lessons starting at age five, and we couldn’t quit until after graduating high school. That was one of the best things they ever did for me.”
Although Anderson’s mother would reward her with lollipops to practice Beethoven, Anderson had a love for the “boogie kind of song.” She would sit and play for anyone and everyone who would stop to listen. “That’s when I thought; I can make people smile doing this…this is fun. From that point on, I’ve always known this is what I was going to do.”
An early indication that Anderson was on the right path came when she attended James Madison Christian Academy. Anderson was asked to sing a patriotic song for the crowd at the senior class’s graduation. Wanting to make this a special moment, Anderson leaned into her songwriting skills and imagination to put her own touch on a classic.
“I was scrolling through the hymn book and it literally just opened itself to, ‘My Country Tis of Thee.’ I began reading the words and one line stuck out to me. ‘Let Freedom Ring, ’ so I thought, ‘That’s it, I’m going to redo ‘My Country Tis of Thee.’’ Within seven minutes it was done. It was not me, it was totally God. I put my hands on the keyboard, and it was the weirdest, coolest feeling ever to have that music come out.”
Unbeknownst to her, popular radio show host Glenn Beck was sitting in the front row at that graduation and Beck asked to have her on his show and “Let Freedom Ring” to date has raised over $100,000 for U.S. veterans through MercuryOne.org.
That isn’t the first time that Anderson’s strong faith has led her to her calling. “I remember when I was seven, I prayed and told God I wanted to quit piano. This overwhelming feeling came over me, and I felt the words, ‘Don’t quit. I want you to do something with this gift.’ From that moment, I’ve known I needed to be in front of people and that this wasn’t just a career, this is a calling. This is what I do.”
Since making the move to Nashville, Anderson is closer than ever to realizing her dreams. She spent two years setting up meetings, building relationships, and songwriting. One bond, in particular, is with songwriter/producer Jason Deere. Together they have written some of Anderson’s favorite songs.
“We kept writing for a year and a half, working and developing my sound and writing style,” says Anderson.
Inspired by musical heroes including, Ray Charles, Aretha, Etta, Dolly and Linda Ronstadt, Anderson is eager to share her music with the world. The influence of her father’s love for pop music and her mother’s Tex-Mex background, combined with years of piano training and that funky old-school soul that Anderson loves, she is creating a sound all her own.
In 2017, Anderson performed at a showcase for Black River Entertainment. Soon after, she received news that Black River’s CEO Gordon Kerr wanted to sign her and one night during a charity event in Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium, he did. All that Anderson was able to say was, “Thanks God. Here we go.”
Anderson is officially in her season, and country fans are sure to adore Black River Entertainment’s newest writer and recording artist. With a strong army of support already behind her, Anderson is excited for all that’s around the corner. Over the summer, she performed at CMA Music Fest and brought her country-soul sound to life. In September 2017, Abby released “This Feeling,” which is available now on Spotify and iTunes.
“As I look back over the past two years, I realize everything has happened for a reason. I’ve never felt more ready. I feel like a race horse in the chute, and somebody just opened the gate.”
