Contributor’s Note: Lisa Sutton, granddaughter/daughter of Liz and Lynn Anderson joins The Don’s Hit List with The Don & The Grizz for the 265th episode via FAB Radio International. In this episode, Lisa pays tribute to her famous musical family including the famous songs “Mother May I” and “If I Kiss You(Will You Go Away).” Lisa also discusses how Liz and Lynn Anderson performed “Mother May I” on the Lawrence Welk Show.
We start the show with “Mother, May I” with Liz and Lynn singing together.
“Mother, May I” is a song written and recorded by American country music artists Liz Anderson and Lynn Anderson. The song was recorded as a duet between mother and daughter. It was released as a single in 1968 via RCA Records.
“You happened to play one of my favorite songs and I am already crying” – Lisa Sutton
Liz and Lynn performed this song live on the Lawrence Welk show on Mother’s Day. This song is special because Lynn is about to marry Glenn Sutton so there is all of this going on in the Lawrence Welk show as Lynn is singing this with her mom Liz. We talk about the beautiful harmonies between mom and daughter
I asked if there were moments at home when they would sing together. Lisa recounts these moments.
“Lots of singing in the home” – Lisa Sutton
I asked if they ever tried to bring her (Lisa) into singing. Lisa responded.
“My passion is handling the legacy. I was always a hillbilly junk store girl.” – Lisa Sutton
“I never thought my mom would be gone so soon” – Lisa Sutton
I asked Lisa if there is a prized possession of the collection.
Lisa then shares a goosebump moment that leads to tears regarding one of Lynn’s outfits.
This is an emotional story involving Brenda Lee. I truly had goosebumps during this story.
‘Lynn, you look like an angel” – Brenda Lee to Lynn Anderson
The we play a clip of Lynn Anderson’s version of “Drift Away”
16:34 – “If I Kiss You Will You Go Away” written by Liz and performed by Lynn
Around this same time her only child, daughter Lynn, was rising as a country singer. Anderson wrote a number of her daughter’s early hits, including her 1967 debut single “Ride, Ride, Ride”, as well as her first big hit, the top 5 “If I Kiss You (Will You Go Away)” (also in 1967). Liz and Lynn had a top 25 duet with “Mother May I” in 1968, and appeared together on a Mother’s Day episode of the Lawrence Welk Show that May. Lynn would later have her biggest success in the 1970s, becoming one of country music’s most successful female vocalists. The beauty of country music is the double entendre. Liz was a master at this. Liz was one of the first “Chick songwriters” Lisa talked about how George Jones was shy on stage and Liz wrote songs for him that helped him with his performances.
LIZ ANDERSON NEEDS TO BE IN THE SONGWRITER HALL OF FAME. HOW IS SHE NOT IN THERE???
- “She had the passion for writing songs. When she was behind the typewriter working her secretary job she would type out her lyrics.” Her dad Glenn Sutton was writing songs at 9 years old.
23:37 – “Husband Hunting” this is so brilliantly written by Liz Anderson. The very first line is a double entendre. “Husband Hunting” #26 in 1970 “I’m Lonely and I’m Looking for a husband”
We start playing the song.
“He’s high and wide and handsome. He’s high and wide and handsome but mostly high”
“She had grandpa behind her 100%. She met a natural born salesman. He realized she could write songs so they went to California and then Nashville and the rest is history”.
27:35 – “It Don’t Do No Good To Be A Good Girl” This song alone should have Liz Anderson in the songwriter Hall of Fame. How is she not in yet???
“I sure took a long time knowin’ oughta keep my brains from showin’
That to play it smart you played it dumb” – Liz Anderson. On the actual music track, this lyrics is at 45 seconds in. 1971 reached #69.
This performance was done by Lynn Anderson.
Lisa talks about Lynn meeting Glenn Sutton for the first time. Lynn was 19 years old.
This song is about trying to break out from ‘good little girl’ songs to something more free.
Today we have the Carrie Underwoods and Taylor Swifts of the world coming from this musical cloth.
34:10 – We talk about the song “(I Never Promised You A)Rose Garden” and the tributes done for Lisa’s mom and talk about the Woodlawn cemetery.
37:29 – We dive into Lynn’s appearances on the Lawrence Welk show.
“Walkin’ On New Grass” – we dedicate this to Ed Early who shared this with Lisa Sutton.
This is not a family song. (Side note, I mix up Ed Sullivan with Lawrence Welk. I’m not perfect haha). I bring up how Lynn really knew how to play up to the camera.
“Mom was trained on how to be a song performer” – Lisa Sutton
42:14 – We talk about Lynn’s performance with Dean Martin and play a clip. Lisa asked her mom if she ever got nervous. “Of course I was nervous” – Lynn Anderson
48:25 – Lisa shares a story that her mom shared with her about her performance with Johnny Cash and the song “I’ve Been Everywhere”
“I was nervous as I was going to be on the Johnny Cash show. When he hit that chorus and walked across the stage to me, I thought I was going to faint. There was something about that moment that I knew I was never going to have again.” – Lynn Anderson
We then play a clip from the performance of Lynn and Johnny together.
“When I walked across the stage I said, ‘Holy man, that is the man in black” – Lynn Anderson
Go to YouTube and it is the “Lynn Anderson Rose Garden” which is a tribute page on YouTube put together by Lisa Sutton and J Buck Ford.
51:41 – We discuss the intimate relationship Glenn and Casey Anderson had with Merle Haggard.
