John Anderson, country music star whose hits included 'Wild and Blue,' dies at 71

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — John Anderson, whose high, yearning vocals on hits such as “Swingin,” “Wild and Blue" and “Black Sheep” helped earn him a spot in the Country Music Hall of Fame, has died at age 71.

Anderson's family announced his death Wednesday on his social media accounts. It didn't provide details, including the cause of death.

“To the world, he was a gifted country music singer whose voice and songs touched countless lives,” the family wrote. “To us, he was so much more. He was the heart of our family, the one who made us laugh, loved us fiercely, and made every ordinary moment feel special.”

Anderson's death came just days after he attended the latest Country Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony, in Nashville, Tennessee, with new members including Tim McGraw, Paul Overstreet and the Stanley Brothers. On Thursday, McGraw wrote on Instagram that he was “completely shook” about Anderson's death, adding that the singer “was in such good spirits” at the event.

“We talked, we laughed, we sang his songs that I loved so much together, just goofing off,” recalled McGraw, who posted a picture of himself with Anderson.

A native of Apopka, Florida, Anderson moved to Nashville after graduating high school. Before breaking through commercially in 1977 with “I’ve Got a Feelin’ (Somebody’s Been Stealin’)," he worked odd jobs, including helping put the roof on the new Grand Ole Opry House.

Anderson went on to release more than 20 albums and dozens of singles. Along with such peers as George Strait and Ricky Skaggs, he was often identified as a “New Traditionalist,” with a gift for bending notes. His other notable songs included “Straight Tequila Night,” “Seminole Wind” and “I Wish I Could Have Been There.”

Anderson was voted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2014 and into the Country Music Hall a decade later. His other honors included two awards from the Country Music Association: single of the year in 1983 for “Swingin,” and album of the year in 1994 as one of the performers on the Eagles tribute “Common Thread.” (Anderson covered “Heartache Tonight.”)

FILE - John Anderson appears at the 42nd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas on May 15, 2007. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

FILE - John Anderson, left, and Keith Urban shake hands at "ACM Presents: Superstar Duets" in Arlington, Texas, on April 18, 2015. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - John Anderson performs at the ceremony for the 2013 inductions into the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tenn., on Oct. 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski, File)

FILE - John Anderson appears at the 42nd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas on May 15, 2007. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

FILE - John Anderson performs at the ceremony for the 2013 inductions into the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tenn., on Oct. 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski, File)

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has denounced a controversial ad featuring the estranged mother of Dr. Amy Acton, taking sides with the Democratic candidate for governor and former member of his Cabinet over her Republican rival, Vivek Ramaswamy.

At a gathering with reporters at the Ohio Statehouse, DeWine called the ad “deeply, deeply troubling.”

“It's wrong to run this ad,” he said. “I would urge Ramaswamy's campaign to take this down.”

The Ramaswamy campaign did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

The term-limited DeWine’s remarks place him at odds with Ramaswamy, who he's endorsed to succeed him. The biotech entrepreneur and 2024 presidential candidate has taken responsibility for the 60-second video and is spending $4 million to broadcast it online and on TV.

With his remarks, DeWine has entered the fray of a growing rift among Ohio Republicans over the advertisement — as both the governor's race and a race for U.S. Senate appear far tighter than expected in a state Donald Trump won handily three times. The video features Acton’s birth mother, Donna Arthur, calling her “a liar” and insinuating she has mental health issues.

Acton, Ohio’s COVID-era health director, has made no secret of facing homelessness and abuse as a child. Arthur lost custody of her children after their stepfather was indicted for raping Acton. Acton's campaign on Tuesday posted a video of her brother who supported her backstory about living in a tent and being abused.

Republican Vice President JD Vance, an Ohio native son, expressed disgust during an Ohio campaign swing Wednesday with Republicans “whining” about the ad as low and in poor taste. But Republican U.S. Sen. Jon Husted — in a tight retention race against Democrat Sherrod Brown — has said he would not have run the ad, as has Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who is running for state auditor.

Another influential Ohio Republican, former U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci, posted a lengthy essay on X overnight, suggesting that “the floor may have just fallen out from under the Republican campaign for Ohio Governor” and urging every Republican to distance themselves from it.

Nikki Haley, who sparred with Ramaswamy during the 2024 Republican presidential primary over the personal nature of his attacks, called him “a bad guy” in a social media post Tuesday. “It’s a shame he continues to get away with it,” she wrote.

Amid the turmoil, Ohio Republican Party Chairman Alex Triantafilou posted what sounded like a warning, or a threat.

“The final days of a tough campaign are always the best time to find out who is really with you and who just posts and pretends,” he wrote. “Yes—we are keeping score.” The quote was followed by a winking-eye emoji.

Media Matters for America, a left-leaning media watchdog group, has reported that many within the national conservative media are promoting and praising the ad. Ramaswamy's campaign manager, Jonathan Ewing, has characterized it as “a campaign-ending moment for Amy Acton.”

Wayne Allyn Root, of Gateway Pundit, called it “absolutely hilarious” and Daily Wire host Michael Knowles described it as “brilliant.”

Police and court records show Cledith Arthur was arrested and charged with the rape of his stepdaughter, then 12, in July 1978, after Acton’s biological father reported him to authorities. The abuse allegedly happened from December 1976 to April 1978. Cledith Arthur, who has since died, failed to show for a court appearance and became a fugitive.

President Donald Trump listens as gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks at a campaign rally at the Covelli Centre, in Youngstown, Ohio, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)