Bill Anderson cancels Grand Ole Opry show after ‘freak accident’

Bill Anderson is recovering after a “freak accident” forced him to abruptly cancel his performance at the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday, Aug. 16.

The country crooner, 87, who earned the nickname “Whispering Bill” for his soft-spoken tone, opened up about the incident on his personal website on Monday, Aug. 18.

“I appreciate your concern, but I’m here to let you know I’m doing fine. It was a freak accident where I simply twisted or tore some ligaments or muscles or something in the back of my left leg trying to climb into bed, and I fell to the floor unable to walk,” Anderson explained.

Telling his fans he was “in excruciating pain,” the legendary singer revealed it wasn’t just his Opry show that he missed out on due to his injury.

“[I] had to cancel a songwriting appointment with T. Graham Brown on Friday, the Opry on Saturday, and an appearance at the State Fair for WSM on Sunday,” he added. “If you know me, you know how much it bothers me to go back on any commitment I may have made.”

The Country Music Hall of Famer said he’s on the mend, “thanks to a bunch of ice packs and pain pills.”

“I’m feeling much better today, and hopefully this will all be behind me shortly. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers and most of all for caring,” he concluded.

Anderson was supposed to appear alongside Brown, Jordan Davis, Wyatt Ellis, Kylie Morgan, Don Schlitz, Monte Warden and the Opry Square Dancers over the weekend at the famed Nashville venue.

The “Still” singer recently became the longest-serving member of the Grand Ole Opry, celebrating 64 years as part of the iconic venue.

Anderson is considered a pioneer of the country subgenre of talk-singing.

The singer-songwriter was a fixture in the country TV scene from the 60s to 80s, hosting various shows while remaining a staple on the radio.

In September 2024, Anderson released his EP, “Forevermore.”

On song, in particular, “The Last One I’ll Forget,” has lyrics about a man who’s living out his final years and reflecting on the love of his life.

“I wrote the lyric by visualizing myself as a man in his final years making sure he clearly communicated his everlasting and undying love for the woman who had been, ‘the best part of my years,’” he told People at the time.

Anderson was married twice during his lifetime.

He wed his first wife, Bette, in 1959, but they divorced 10 years later, with the country star revealing she never understood the music business. Bette died in 2010.

Anderson’s second wife was named Becky, whom he married in the ’70s. She suffered permanent brain damage in 1984 after a drunk driver smashed into her vehicle.

In 1986, Anderson and Becky were awarded $1.2 million in damages after taking the drunk driver to court. The pair divorced around 1997.

The singer later moved on to his guitar player’s ex-wife, Vickie Salas. She passed away in 2019 at age 66 after losing her battle with cancer.

Anderson opened up about their 12-year relationship after her death, calling their time together “very short” and “very wonderful.”

“We never married, we never lived together, but she became my everything from that moment forward,” he said.

“It wasn’t supposed to be this way. She was 15 years younger than me. The roles were supposed to have been reversed. She was supposed to be sitting at the side of MY bed feeding ME soup and ice cream, not the other way around,” Anderson continued.

“I have a lot of faith and I believe God’s hand is in everything that happens in this old world, BUT … The first thing I’m going to do when I get to Heaven is ask Him to explain this one to me. Because right now, I just don’t understand.”