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I will occasionally listen to Country music, and nobody knows it except, now, you. It’s a sickness. I tried for so long to hate Country music because it just wasn’t what I favored. Give me the Ramones or Nirvana any day. But my roots, they lie in the stylings of Golden Oldies and early Country. I remember sitting on the floor in my grandparent’s home in Iowa watching the Grand Ole Opry showing artists like Loretta Lynn and Kenny Rogers.

I guess I never actually hated Country, I just hated the stigma attached to it. The Nascar-loving-turnip-eatin’-pick-up-drivin’-farmer-tanned-Cowboy-hat-and-boot-wearing-redneck stigma. Fans get such a bad rep and it’s unfair. I’d go so far as to say there is actually a larger fan base for Country music than any other genre. It is, for the most part, wholesome music. All about family and God and good times, except when it’s about cheatin’ boyfriends/girlfriends/wives/husbands and depressing events.

Dougie was online tonight, so an impromptu interview was staged in order to take up space in this update:

windy: Meeeester doog, do you listen to Country music?
Dougie: Well, yes. I can’t stand people who respond to a question about what sort of music they listen to with, “Anything but Country!” Are they completely serious? If I gave them a recording of my gran gargling to the theme of the Pink Panther, would they rather listen to that than some Country music?
windy: But I use that answer frequently, does that mean you can’t stand moi??
Dougie: It doesn’t mean that at all, because you’ve been (untill now) a closet country music fan. I can’t stand the closed-minded people who won’t listen to it. Especially the hypocritical girls who will tell you they don’t listen to Country, then jump onto the dance floor at the first bar of 9-5.
windy: To answer your question above, I’d have to say let me hear your gran. She might sing pretty well.
Dougie: Why are you answering my questions, I thought you were interviewing me.
windy: I am, but you know how well I pay attention. What was your reaction when I told you my BIG secret?
Dougie: I was super pleased that my good friend was cool enough to admit to listening to Country music. I still love her, no matter what, and I support her 100%
windy: You are too kind Dougie. My biggest supporter, after my bra. Is there a big fan base for Country music(usa style) over in Scotland? I always imagined that our country music was, well, mostly limited to the USA
Dougie: I think so, just not with people our age (that’s a big range). A few months ago I went to see Willie Nelson live in concert, which was pretty much sold out.
windy: Willie is pretty awesome in my book. How was the concert?
Dougie: It was great, it was a pretty big venue but it was all acoustic like so seemed really small and intimate, his guitar has a hole worn in it where his hand rests when he plays it.
windy: That’s a pretty interesting tidbit that I bet most people would overlook! I’ve always been a bigger fan of the old-school country stars, having been subjected to hours of the Grand Ole Opry when I was a kid. The gentle twang of a guitar and harsh, honest lyrics made the music worth listening to. Nowadays it all seems to be about flashy videos and an electric entourage of band members. I don’t enjoy the music of, say, 1995 to now as much as I enjoy listening to the classics. If you had to choose, which would you prefer: old school or new school Country music?
Dougie: heehee, you said twang. I think I prefer old school Country.
windy: Good choice!
Dougie: But then again, there’s no honky-tonk badonkadonk in old school.
windy: There used to be some variety show on tv, and it was so corny, but usually had Country stars on it. Know what I’m talking about?
Dougie: Nope, no such thing in UKland.
windy: It was called Hee-Haw.
Dougie: heehee, sadly I’ve never heard of it
windy: This has to be on youtube somewhere. I’m going to look.
Dougie: Okay, so this part of the interview will be all silent, yeah?
windy: Yes, hum to yourself

windy: Not much out there in the way of episodes, but I’ve found the lovely intro. So, I need one last question for my interview that I had literally no time to think up questions for. What image(s) comes to mind when you think of Country music?
Dougie: The Blues Brothers performing Rawhide and Stand By Your Man at Bob’s Country Bunker behind the chicken wire, with the flying bottles.
windy: I just think of pick-up trucks, guitars and good looking guys in tight jeans and silly cowboy hats
Dougie: Is that whether someone mentions Country music or just your general thoughts of a day?
windy: Both really, but I’m not including that in the update.

Thanks Dougie for another fine interview. This concludes my update on Country music. Now enjoy a smoking giraffe.