The country music community is mourning the passing of John Anderson at the age of 71 after an undisclosed lengthy illness.

His family shared the sad news in a post on his Facebook page. "It is with heaviest of hearts that we share the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather and best friend....We are completely heartbroken. His music will live on, but for us, his greatest legacy will always be the love he gave his family and the memories we will carry with us forever. Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers as we grieve this unimaginable loss," they wrote.

John's music career started in the late 19070's, but it wasn't until 1982 that he scored his first number-one with "Wild and Blue". His second number-one hit later that year, "Swingin'," became his signature hit. By the 1990s, he was back on top with songs like "Straight Tequila Night" and "Money In the Bank" and the fan favorite "Seminole Wind," which peaked at number-two.

In 1982, John was named the Horizon Award winner at the CMA Awards and in 1983, "Swingin'" won the CMA Song of the Year. In 1994, he was presented the ACM's Career Achievement Award. In 2024, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

John is survived by his wife of 43 years, Jamie, two daughters, Alexa and Brionna, along with grandchildren.