Her first major single, “If I Kiss You (Will You Go Away)” was released the following year and hit number 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles. Multiple charting singles followed, including one of many collaborations with her mother, “Mother May I.” She even regularly performed on The Lawrence Welk Show. Anderson’s career was up and running, and by 1970, she moved over to Columbia Records.
Perhaps the biggest song of her career was her first single with Columbia, “(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden.” The Joe South song was produced by her husband at the time, Glenn Sutton, but Anderson really had to push to be able to record the song. Sutton felt like the song should be recorded by a man, but luckily her label had her back and knew she could make it a hit. They were right.
The song was an incredible pop crossover success, hitting number one on the country charts, number 3 on the pop charts, and in the top 5 in various international countries. The song secured Anderson ACM’s Top Female Vocalist Award, CMA’s Female Vocalist of the Year Award, and a Grammy Award. Take that Glenn Sutton!
Two number-one hit singles followed with “You’re My Man,” “How Can I Unlove You,” and “Keep Me In Mind” in 1973, proving that Anderson was on top of the world in the ’70s. She made appearances on multiple TV shows, including a role in Starsky & Hutch and Bobe Hope TV specials. She was even the first female country star to appear on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Not too shabby.
