Lynn Anderson, the country singer best known for her 1971 hit song “(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden,” died on Thursday at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. She was 67 years old. A publicist for the singer says her cause of death was cardiac arrest.
It was on The Lawrence Welk Show back in 1967 and 1969 that Lynn Anderson first gained national attention. The exposure helped her sign a deal with Columbia Records in Nashville.
“He was absolutely wholesome,” Lynn Anderson said of Lawrence Welk in a 1987 interview with The Associated Press. “He felt country music was coming into its own and deserved to be on national TV. At that time, I was the only one singing country music on national TV every week. He’s one of my heroes and always will be.”
“Rose Garden” was Lynn Anderson’s biggest hit ever.
Lynn Anderson has died. She was known for country hits "Rose Garden" and "Rocky Top." http://t.co/IvscImyZQa pic.twitter.com/1zMUJXKIX2
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) July 31, 2015
“It was popular because it touched on emotions,” she said in that 1987 interview. “It was perfectly timed. It was out just as we came out of the Vietnam years and a lot of people were trying to recover.”
“This song stated that you can make something out of nothing. You take it and go ahead. It fit me well and I’ll be proud to be connected to it until I die,” she added.
Sadly that day has come.
Lynn Anderson is survived by her father, her partner Mentor Williams, and her three children–Lisa Sutton, Melissa Hempel, and Gray Stream.
