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Nantahala National Forest, North Carolina, 1968
 A
fierce autumn wind blew across the valley as she stood at the window
of her small, unpainted wood cabin in the edge of the forest in
western North Carolina. The clear blue mountain lake was encircled
with a ruffle of seemingly endless mountains.
Anna Prince watched as the wind blew the dead
brown leaves off her father's corn stalks, remnants of the corn
that had long been eaten or preserved for winter.
She loved her Daddy; he was her hero. He was
a preacher whose life was spent spreading the Gospel while taking
care of Mama and the seven children. As Anna thought of the many
gardens he had planted and how their life was nearly spent, Anna
grabbed her pen and paper and began to write.
 The
song flowed from her pen as she put into words the love between
her Mom and Dad. When she was done, she grabbed her coat and ran
next door to her parents’ house.
"Mama, I have written a song for you and
I want to call it Della. May I use your name?" Mama was in
no mood to be bothered as she cooked dinner and she flatly replied,
"No! I don't want my name on no old song!" "Fine,
I'll use my own name,” Anna said sadly.
Nashville, TN 1969
Anna went to Nashville to see RCA recording artist
and Grand Ole' Opry Legend Hank Locklin,
playing for him the best songs she had written since her last visit.
Hank didn't much care for any of them until she sang "Anna".
"Sing it again", Hank said, so she did. "Sing
it again," he repeated, until she had sung it five more
times. Hank ran out of his office and returned with publishing mogul
Shelby Singleton. "Sing that ‘Anna’ song again."
Anna sang it for them and they both nodded in approval.
Nashville, TN 1970
 Hank
Locklin told the Opry audience, "I want to introduce you
to a little girl from North Carolina who is one of the finest songwriters
I have ever met." Anna's mouth flew open in surprise as
she walked onto the Opry stage, taking her place beside Hank to
the roar of applause.
“Anna's first two songs I recorded were Number
One Hits in England, and Top Ten in Ireland and Germany. I'll sing
you this song she wrote for her mother." The Opry Band
began playing and the audience grew quiet as Hank's beautiful Irish
tenor voice rang out, filling the Ryman Auditorium.
Anna Prince will record the song as a male/female
duet for KMA Records in Nashville and it will be on her upcoming
CD album called Anna Prince Sings and Writes..
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Hank Locklin 's voice was at its best when he recorded "Anna"
on RCA, complete with Danny Davis and his fifteen-piece Nashville
Brass orchestra.
International recording artist Rusty Greaves of New Zealand
soon made "Anna" another Number One Hit and his
signature song. Both artists recorded with an orchestra, maintaining
the big band sound.
Sean Gallagher of Ireland chose "Anna" as his all
time favorite, putting it on his Twenty Stars Of Ireland
album. It became a spin-off hit single.
Hank Locklin has recently recorded the song again, soon to
be released as a duet with Opry star Jan Howard.
Anna Prince will record the song as a male/female duet for
KMA Records in Nashville for her upcoming CD album, Anna
Prince Sings and Writes.
She would love to sing the song someday as a duet with Hank
Locklin.
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