Hannah Harper Pens Heartfelt Tribute To John Anderson, Whose Song “Swingin'” Was A Staple Of Her Shows
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“I’m about to cry during a John Anderson song,” declared Hannah Harper as she closed out her show on Oct. 16 in Little Rock, Arkansas.
While those tears were out of joy for a wonderful concert, they took on a different meaning just five days later when it was announced that country artist John Anderson had died.
His death at the age of 71 was sudden, with Johnson having attended the Country Music Hall of Fame Medallion Ceremony for Tim McGraw just a few days earlier.
For Hannah Harper, the Season 24 winner of American Idol, this was a particularly moving loss, as Anderson’s “Swingin'” was her go-to song closing song on her String Cheese Tour.
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Watch Hannah Harper Perform An Energetic Bluegrass Rendition Of John Anderson’s “Swingin'”
“We’ve ended nearly every show on the String Cheese Tour with a little “Swingin’,” and our hearts are heavy hearing of the passing of Mr. John Anderson,” wrote Hannah Harper on her social media on Oct. 22.
Just one day prior, John Anderson passed away.
Continuing, Hannah wrote, “This song went all the way to No. 1 for him, and what a gift it is that his music will continue to bring folks together for generations to come.”
What’s particularly great about choosing to play a song like John Anderson’s 1982 “Swingin'” at the end of a show is that it shows off the talents of everyone onstage.
In the case of Hannah Harper and her band, it’s her older brother, Dalton, on the guitar; and her other brother, Dillon, on the bass.
“I’m constantly amazed by the talent of these boys I get to share the stage with,” Hannah wrote. “This whole thing is a family affair, and there’s just something special about getting to make music with the people you love.”
Honoring John Anderson, she then wrote:
“Songs like this remind us why we fell in love with pickin’ and singin’ in the first place.”
She concluded her post, writing, “Thankful Mr. Anderson gave us songs we’ll never get tired of playing.”
Early on, Hannah can be heard changing the song’s gendered lyrics, replacing the name “Charlotte” with “Charlie,” as well as supporting pronouns from “his” to “her.”
This change is actually in keeping with LeAnn Rimes’ rendition of “Swingin’,” which she recorded as the opening track for her 2011 album Lady & Gentlemen.
Watch Hannah Harper perform John Anderson’s “Swingin’,” and see her brother Dalton’s expert guitar picking on full display, here:
Watch John Anderson perform his song “Swingin'” at the second Farm Aid in 1986, featuring an appearance by Willie Nelson onstage, here:
Watch the music video for LeAnn Rimes’ Grammy nominated version of “Swingin’,” here:
RELATED: John Foster Remembers The Late John Anderson, Singing “Seminole Wind” In His Honor
