NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Country Music Hall of Fame member, Songwriters Hall of Fame member and ACM and CMA-award-winning entertainment titan, Bill Anderson, will be honored with the 2024 Dr. David Godbold Lifetime Achievement Award by the South Carolina Entertainment and Music Hall of Fame. Anderson was inducted by the organization in 1994, and will be the first Lifetime Achievement Award honoree when the event is held April 25, 2024. Anderson was born in Columbia, South Carolina and lived there for the first 8 years of his life until moving to Georgia.
“My Carolina roots run deep. The first country music I ever heard was broadcast over radio station WIS in Columbia, and the first time I ever saw a country band perform in person was in their studios. My first musical heroes were local entertainers named Byron Parker and Snuffy Jenkins. I am truly humbled to be the first artist to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the South Carolina Entertainment and Music Hall of Fame, and I thank the Board of Directors for their unanimous vote. This is a tremendous honor. I hope to be there to accept it in person,” Bill Anderson shared.
The Dr. David Godbold Lifetime Achievement award carries the name of the founder of the South Carolina Entertainment and Music Hall of Fame and was created to recognize an artist who has previously been inducted and has achieved significant national success in the field of music and/or entertainment. The award is nominated and voted on by the board of directors to celebrate an individual or group who has achieved national prominence through their creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance that shines a positive light on the State of South Carolina.
“The South Carolina Entertainment and Music Hall of Fame voted unanimously to award Bill Anderson as the first artist recipient of the Dr. David Godbold Lifetime Achievement Award. We are thrilled to celebrate this award with Bill because of his lifetime contribution to the millions of country music fans around the world. He truly exemplifies the intent of this award through his work in country music as a singer, songwriter, television host and author. He is an extraordinary man with exceptional talent and has made a tremendous impact in South Carolina as well as so many people around the world,” said Roy Costner, Vice Chairman of the South Carolina Entertainment and Music Hall of Fame
Recently, Anderson was celebrated for his indelible 62 years as the longest-serving member in Grand Ole Opry history.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum currently features the life and illustrious career of Anderson in the exhibition, Bill Anderson: As Far as I Can See, which has been extended through Monday, September 25. The exhibit is an exploration of his life and musical legacy, from childhood through his contributions as one of the most decorated recording artists, songwriters, and entertainers in history.