Florida Names John Anderson's 'Seminole Wind' the State's Official Anthem After Singer's Death

Florida has a new official anthem: "Seminole Wind," the 1992 song by country singer and songwriter John Anderson. Gov. Ron DeSantis made the designation through an executive order issued on Tuesday, days after Anderson's death.

Anderson, a Country Music Hall of Famer born in Apopka, Florida, died last week in Tennessee at the age of 71. The order names his signature song "Florida's Anthem," a distinction separate from the State Anthem, "Florida, Where the Sawgrass Meets the Sky," which was declared in 2008, and from the state song, "Old Folks At Home."

The order also calls for lasting tributes tied to Anderson's roots. DeSantis directed the Florida Secretary of State to install historical markers in Apopka, where the singer was born and raised. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the St. Johns River Water Management District were tasked with designating a wildlife drive and trail system as the John Anderson Wildlife Drive.

The order says "Seminole Wind" has served as the unofficial anthem of Florida since its debut in 1992. It credits the lyrics with honoring Floridians across the Peninsula, including the Seminole Tribe of Florida's Osceola, and the conservation-minded spirit of residents from Okeechobee to Micanopy. It adds that the song's sentiments have helped inspire a generational investment in protecting the state's heritage, natural environment and way of life, and that this has contributed to the expedited restoration of America's Everglades, the place Anderson sought to protect in the song. The order also notes his 2024 induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

According to his biography on the Country Music Hall of Fame website, Anderson was born on Dec. 13, 1954, in Apopka and graduated from Apopka High School. He later moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue a country music career. The biography says he began playing in garage bands in seventh grade and decided at age 12 that he wanted to work professionally in music.

Anderson was known for several songs, including "Straight Tequila Night" and "Swingin'." "Seminole Wind" was the title track of his twelfth album, released in February 1992, and the song came out as a single that August. Its chorus calls out: "So blow, blow Seminole wind / Blow like you're never gonna blow again," and goes on to name Okeechobee and Micanopy, as well as "the alligators and the gar."

Anderson's Facebook page said he loved the outdoors. Fans who wish to honor him were encouraged to donate to the Bass Pro Shops & Cabela's Outdoor Fund, which supports conservation efforts in North America.