great. I am completely shook,  McGraw added.

Parker McCollum echoed a smiliar sentiment, meeting Anderson at the annual event for the first time.

 I literally just met him on Sunday night,  McCollum said.  Cannot believe this. An absolute legend and one of the greatest to ever do it. Beyond grateful to have had the chance to shake his hand. 

5 Mel Gibson and Anderson prepare for a video shoot for  Amazing Grace,  featured on the 1994 film  Maverick  soundtrack. Getty Images

Reba McEntire called Anderson  one of my favorite people in this business. 

Born Dec. 13, 1954 and raised in Apopka, Fla., Anderson signed with Warner Bros. Records in 1976 and built a career blending traditional country and folk influences.

In 1980, country legend Merle Haggard invited Anderson to open a series of his concerts, and Willie Nelson later gave him slots on his national tours, helping the rising singer reach wider audiences.

5 Anderson was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2024. John Anderson / Instagram

His breakthrough came in 1983, when  Swingin'  sold more than a million copies and earned him the Country Music Association's Horizon Award and Single of the Year.

He later scored major hits in the 1990s, including  Straight Tequila Night  and  Seminole Wind. 

Anderson received the Academy of Country Music's Career Achievement Award in 1993 and entered the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2014.

In 2024, Anderson was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame alongside Toby Keith and guitarist James Burton.

 This is an institution that preserves greatness. That I get the chance to be amongst this kind of greatness, words can't explain,  Anderson said during his induction.

Anderson is survived by his wife, Jamie, daughters Alexa and Brionna, and their families.