John Anderson, country music star whose hits included ‘Wild and Blue,’ dies at 71

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — John Anderson, whose high, yearning vocals on hits such as “Swingin,” “Wild and Blue and “Black Sheep” helped earn him a spot in the Country Music Hall of Fame, has died at age 71. Anderson s family announced his death Wednesday on his social media accounts. It didn t provide details, including the cause of death. “To the world, he was a gifted country music singer whose voice and songs touched countless lives,” the family wrote. “To us, he was so much more. He was the heart of our family, the one who made us laugh, loved us fiercely, and made every ordinary moment feel special.” A native of Apopka, Florida, Anderson moved to Nashville after graduating high school. Before breaking through commercially in 1977 with “I’ve Got a Feelin’ (Somebody’s Been Stealin’), he worked odd jobs, including helping put the roof on the new Grand Ole Opry House. Along with such peers as George Strait and Ricky Skaggs, he was often identified as a “New Traditionalist,” with a gif