Country Music Heaven Explained

Country Music Heaven
Type:	studio
Artist:	Bill Anderson
Cover:	Bill Anderson--Country Music Heaven.jpg
Studio:	Bradley's Barn, Mount Juliet, Tennessee Hilltop, Nashville, Tennessee
Label:	Curb
Producer:	Mike Johnson
Prev Title:	A Place in the Country
Prev Year:	1986
Next Title:	Greatest Songs
Next Year:	1996

Country Music Heaven is a studio album by American country singer-songwriter Bill Anderson. It was released in February 1993 on Curb Records and was produced by Mike Johnson. His 34th studio album, the project also marked Anderson's second release for the Curb label. The album was a collection of gospel recordings, which totaled to 12 tracks.

Background, content and release

Country Music Heaven was recorded in two separate locations: the Hilltop Studio (located in Nashville, Tennessee) and Bradley's Barn (located in Mount Juliet, Tennessee). The sessions were produced by Mike Johnson, Anderson's band leader in his touring band. Johnson had produced some of Anderson's previous album releases. Country Music Heaven was Anderson's second album for the Curb label, with his first being a compilation set issued in 1991. The project was a collection of 12 gospel music recordings.^[1]

It was Anderson's second album of gospel recordings. He was inspired to record the cut because his grandfather was a Methodist preacher. Anderson often performed many of the songs featured on the collection in church gatherings. Two of the album's track were new compositions by Anderson himself: "Footprints in the Sand" and "Serenity Prayer". Additional tracks were cover versions of traditional gospel and inspirational songs. Country Music Heaven was released in February 1993 on Curb Records, becoming his 34th studio recording. The project was issued as a cassette and compact disc.^[2] The album's title track was released as a single in 1992, receiving a review from Billboard, which compared the song to that of Garth Brooks.^[3] The album itself was reviewed by Allmusic, who only gave the release 2.5 out of 3 possible stars.^[1]

Track listing

Cassette version

Personnel

All credits are adapted from the liner notes of Country Music Heaven.

Musical personnel

• Bill Anderson – lead vocals
• Kelly Black – guitar
• Gene Chrisman – drums
• Greg Dotson – drums
• Glen Duncan – fiddle, mandolin
• Lee Hilliard – background vocals
• Dirk Johnson – keyboards, piano
• Kirk Johnson – harmonica
• Mike Johnson – dobro, steel guitar
• Roger Morris – piano
• Larry Paxton – electric bass, upright bass
• Michael Severs – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
• Lester Earl Singer – acoustic guitar, dobro

Technical personnel

• Bill Anderson – arrangement
• Dennis Carney – photography
• Mike Johnson – producer
• Don Ovens – liner notes

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label	Ref.
United States	February 1993	Cassette	Curb Records
		Compact disc

Notes and References

1. Web site: Country Music Heaven: Bill Anderson: Songs, Reviews, Credits . . May 5, 2020.
2. Web site: Bill Anderson – Country Music Heaven (1993, CD) . . May 5, 2020.
3. Web site: Billboard Single Reviews: 1992 . American Radio History . May 5, 2020.