A steadfast force for traditionalism in country music, John Anderson made an enduring impact in country music with his down-home, instantly recognizable singing style and memorable recordings. Influenced by Merle Haggard, George Jones, Lefty Frizzell, and Levon Helm of the Band, the Florida native fashioned his own breathy, note-bending vocal approach, which put a distinctive stamp on hard-country ballads (“Wild and Blue”) and up-tempo numbers (“Seminole Wind”) alike. In 1983, he won the CMA’s H