“People ask why it is I always appear to slag him. The answer is quite straight forward. He just annoys me from morning to dusk. If he's not chasing me with that damn camera, he's booting me out the door or abandoning me as he swanks off on yet another holiday. He even had the cheek to say that all I ever do is eat, sleep, get fussed over and disappear when I'm bored. If that's the case I learned it all from him. How that poor woman puts up with him I don't know. It can't be easy. This month he's been ranting about Rascal Flatts being made members of the Grand Old Opry. I genuinely thought he was going to have a coronary when he heard that news. He says the Opry should only be for country singers not second-rate pop artists. If that's so, he's probably right. Rascal Flatts wouldn't know a country music song from a symphony. They might be good at what they do, but it sure ain't country music. He really does get annoyed as to what they now try to pass off as country music. The Country Music Association, every month send him two compilations CDs of the latest singles from Nashville, and he maintains that 90% of that is utter dross and totally unplayable on a country show. He's right you know. Can you believe that artists like Gene Watson, Amber Digby, Ronnie Mislap, Randy Travis and even Dolly can't get their latest music played on American country music radio stations. That's fact and it's idiotic. He blames the County Music Association for all of this. This is a professional industry body whose main aim is “to promote and advance country music and to recognise excellence in country music”. This is an organisation who regularly falls over it's self in the rush to give awards to artists such as Taylor Swift and Rascal Flatts, two acts that simply are not and never have been country. There are loads more examples, but space is limited.

He recently received an official ballot form for the election of a new Director for the CMA in their International Category. There were three names put forward for election. One from Canada, one from Australia and one British. The Canadian and Australian candidates had excellent country music pedigrees. The British candidate had, according to the bio supplied, absolutely no connection with country music.. His main claim to fame was having worked in sport in both radio and television and also with Paul O'Grady, Alan Carr and Chris Evans. Even I know these guys aren't big on the British country scene! It's just another example of how remote the CMA is from both country music and the people involved in it. He gets in a rage about the CMA. They are meant to promote country music, but he wonders if any of their leading officials knows anything about the music. They certainly aren't promoting it. They promote and reward acts, who get further and further away from country music each day. It's criminal.

Thankfully, there has been some rewarding days for him recently. He interviewed two stars steeped in country music on his shows. They were Rodney Crowell and John Jorgenson, formerly from the Desert Rose Band.

He had his work cut out for him with Rodney. He simply does not like to talk about himself and his own personal achievements. He regards himself as having an average voice and being a good songwriter. He's actually got a great voice and is a wonderful songwriter. However, he's much more forthcoming about his connection with people like Vince Gill, who he rates as one of the finest people on the planet. He also spoke highly of Chely Wright and Emmy Lou Harris among a list of other stars. Rodney and Emmlou are currently recording an album of duets which should be available early next year.

John Yorgeson is an amazing musician and who plays about a dozen different instruments. After leaving the Desert Rose band he toured with Elton John's band for six years. He plays loads of different types of music, but country is his first love. He was named the Academy of Country Music's “guitarist of the year” for three consecutive years. He's played with and recorded with people such as Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Hank Jnr, Patty Loveless and even Luciano Pavarotti! That's some line-up. He's also one of the nicest people you could hope to meet. Just like Rodney and so many others he's met over the years. He's never come across one star yet, that he didn't like. Maybe some day I'll tell you about him and Garth Brooks. They got on like a house on fire! I'm just surprised that they understand a word he says with that teuchter accent of his.

Well, that's it for the moment.