Throughout Blake Shelton’s career, the country star toured the world, shared his passion with fans, and worked alongside the voices that defined the genre. One of them was John Anderson. A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Anderson left behind a discography that stretched generations. But with the legendary singer sadly passing away at 71, Shelton shared a touching tribute, revealing the last thing he said to Anderson.
On Wednesday, Anderson’s family announced that he had passed away. Coming as a shock to many within country music, the singer made one of his last public appearances over the weekend at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Although the evening centered around the induction of Tim McGraw, Paul Overstreet, and The Stanley Brothers, Shelton had the opportunity to spend a little time with Anderson.
Sharing a picture of them on Instagram, Shelton wrote in the caption, “There is too much for me to say about John Anderson in just a statement. I am sick and I am stunned. But I am a very lucky man. I got the opportunity to find out that my hero wasn’t just the guy I hoped he’d be. He was so much more than that. John was my friend.”
The Last Words Blake Shelton Told John Anderson
Recalling their last conversation on Sunday, Shelton revealed his final words to Anderson. “I got to see him last Sunday and I don’t even know why but I told him I loved him. That is what fills my heart in this moment. My love and prayers go out to John’s family. This one really hurts.”
Aside from Shelton being a fan of Anderson, he also got the chance to collaborate with the hitmaker. Back in 2020, Anderson released what would become his last album with Years. With all tracks written by Dan Auerbach and Anderson, the song “Tuesday I’ll Be Gone” was the only song that featured Shelton. For somebody who once looked at Anderson as one of his heroes, getting to put their voices together on the same record made their friendship come full circle.
But it didn’t stop there. Just last year, Shelton released his latest album, For Recreational Use Only. Including collaborations with Craig Morgan and Gwen Stefani, Shelton closed the album with a special recording of “Years” that featured Anderson.
For Shelton, getting to record with Anderson was something his younger self probably never imagined. But after losing his hero and friend, those songs now carried a little more weight.
(Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for ACM)
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