You're probably asking how an English dude became a fan of the all-American music genre of country-western music. Growing up in England, I never imagined that one day I'd love country music so much that I'd be performing and recording it! I was born in Helensburgh, Scotland where there was little hope of hearing any American country music on the radio or telly. While still a toddler our family moved to Huddersfield, England. Huddersfield is a small farming town way north of London, in Yorkshire - land of Jane Eyre, misty moors and werewolves. About as far from Nashville as one can get.My teen years were spent much like a typical youth of the day, going to discos at night and collecting the records by English rockers like Slade, The Sweet, David Bowie, Kate Bush, Queen, Shawaddywaddy and Mud. The local discos, "The Starlite" and "Hi-Fi" were great places to also hear the newest mix of dance music that included Bonnie Tyler, The Osmonds, The Bee Gees, and all the latest imports from the U.S. But, alas, not a note of country music was to be heard throughout Yorkshire. Though on TV I did regularly view the American westerns such as "The High Chaparral" and "Bonanza" and became drawn to the romance and legends of the American west.One day when I was about 14, an older couple from the neighborhood announced their departure for an around the world cruise. Somehow, for some reason, this idea caught my imagination and became my obsession. By the time I was twenty-one, after living for a few years in London, this dream came true and I did travel the world and visited over seventy countries (and I'm still on a journey!) It was on that trip that I first visited America and had my first taste of country music. I was amazed at the variety of country artists that were Super-Stars in the USA that I had hardly heard about. Some of the first country artists that I fell in love with were Reba McEntire, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and Dan Seals.
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