Keith Anderson
Every song Keith sings sounds like a hit, and the proof was in his Top 10 debut single, "Pickin’ Wildflowers," and follow-up Top 10 hit, "Every Time I Hear Your Name," both off of his Arista Records debut Three Chord Country and American Rock & Roll, and both accompanied by #1 music videos.
Keith Anderson will perform Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. on the Dodge Real. Texas. Music. Stage during the Real. Texas. Festival. presented by Dodge.
Keith had proven himself as an ace songwriter with the Grammy-nominated "Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In?)," recorded as a duet by Garth Brooks and George Jones, and "The Bed," recorded by the multi-Platinum Gretchen Wilson as a vocal event with Big & Rich.
And, speaking of Big and Rich, Keith was a creative songwriting force behind their smash hit "Lost in This Moment."
His road to music stardom was laced with an engineering degree from Oklahoma State University, and even a look at professional baseball as the Kansas City Royals approached him. A shoulder injury ended his baseball career, but his commitment to physical fitness led to him placing second in the Mr. Oklahoma bodybuilding competition.
A top construction-engineering firm in Dallas hired him. The job paid quite well, but Keith quit it within a year and a half.
"I became obsessed with music. At that time, there were four major clubs in Dallas, and every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, there was somebody that I wanted to go see. I just started falling in love with music and began to try to write songs again. I went home at Christmas and asked my brother to teach me chords on the guitar."
He also performed as a regular at the Grapevine Opry, as well as Six Flags over Texas theme park and at the State Fair of Texas.
The lifestyle change to making music was financially difficult, but Keith Anderson was so happy doing what he loved that he didn’t care whether he had health insurance or a house. By day, he worked as a landscaper and became certified as a personal trainer. With an eye still on education, he took pre-med courses and was accepted for the rigorous Physical Therapy program at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
In 2002, Keith Anderson’s group won the Jim Beam Country Band Search. The company’s sponsorship led to opening a concert for Montgomery Gentry, other endorsements, and a host of nightclub opportunities. Within months, his high-octane performances and genuine love of people were drawing standing room only crowds.
7:30 p.m., Saturday, April 26, 2008 Dodge Real Texas Music stage.