Honoring his friend – and hunting buddy.
The legendary country singer John Anderson passed away last week on October 21 at the age of 71, just days after his final public appearance at the Country Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony the previous Sunday.
With iconic hits like “Straight Tequila Night,” “Seminole Wind,” “Money In the Bank” and “Swingin’,” it’s hard to find a more distinctive voice in country music. Anderson somehow only notched five #1 hits during his career, which is insane to me, but he’s still rightly recognized as one of the legends of the ’80s and ’90s, and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2024.
His legacy, though, goes far beyond his music career.
Anderson was an avid outdoorsman and conservationist, something that was especially evident from one of his biggest hits “Seminole Wind,” a lament on the destruction of the Florida Everglades in the name of “progress.”
“Ever since the days of old
Men would search for wealth untold
They’d dig for silver and for gold
And leave the empty holes
And way down south in the EvergladesWhere the black water rolls and the saw grass wavesThe eagles fly and the otters play in the land of the Seminole”
After his passing, one of those who paid tribute to Anderson was legendary fisherman Bill Dance, who remembered the country music legend as a fishing buddy and friend:
And after his death, country music superstar Chris Janson also penned a poignant tribute to not only a country music but to his hunting buddy and fishing friend.
As Janson shared in an Instagram post:
“I would have never imagined singing a song for one of my heroes at his funeral. The night we found out about his passing, I stepped onto the back porch and wrote him a song. His family asked that I sing it at his funeral. That will forever be engrained in my heart, as one of the most highly regarded, most humbling honors in my life.
I would ask that everyone out there, give some extra prayer directed toward John’s family. They’re wonderful people. Do me a favor and go turn on some John Anderson.”
Janson performed the powerful song, “Hunting Buddy, Fishing Friend,” at Anderson’s funeral, recalling the memories they made together, not just with music but in time spent taking his son hunting and hitting the lake together:
“Here’s a letter to you brother
Where do I begin
To say the things I should have said to you
Time and time again
Man I love you, and I miss you
May your story never end
Can’t wait to see you up in heaven
Hunting buddy, fishing friend”
Beautiful.
After performing the song, Janson tearfully recalled a memory that Anderson gave to his young son:
“Before I left my house today, my 12 year old who I wrote into this song is JJ. Your daddy took my son hunting this past turkey season. He said, ‘Mr. John called in a big turkey.’ He said, ‘You go ahead and shoot it.’ I said, ‘No you go ahead and shoot it.’ So he shot. And missed.”
What a special memory for JJ.
Of course Chris is an avid outdoorsman and conservationist himself, and has a longstanding partnership with Bass Pro Shops. Janson even has a Bass Pro Shops hat, with the proceeds going to Tennessee-based nonprofit organizations committed to protecting wildlife habitat and helping those in need in the Volunteer State.
And after his death, Anderson’s family issued a statement asking those who wanted to send flowers to instead donate to Bass Pro Shops to support their conservation efforts:
“In loving memory of John Anderson, we invite friends and family to honor his life by supporting something that reflects his love and appreciation for the outdoors.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made through [Bass Pro Shops] to support conservation efforts and help protect the wildlife, lands, and waters that John cared about.
Your donation is a meaningful way to celebrate John’s life and keep his love for the outdoors alive.”
What a way to honor someone who was a “Hunting Buddy, Fishing Friend” to so many.