NASHVILLE WAS DUST..A HUE OF STAGNATION HAD SETTLED OVER THE LAND..AT THE END OF THE PATSY CLINE ERA, AND FAST FORWARD A FEW YEARS, OWEN BRADLEY,BUDDY KILLEN, JERRY KENNEDY, BILLY SHERRIL, GLEN SUTTEN, CHET ATKINS,FELTON JARVIS AND FRED FOSTER WERE TOP DOGS ON THE BLOCK AS FAR AS PRODUCING HIT SONGS, ALL LOOKING FOR THAT ARTIST THAT WOULD BREAK THE BONDS OF ALL THE MAJOR MARKETS..THE MOST INNOVATIVE OF ALL THESE GENTLEMEN WAS FRED FOSTER WHO STARTED AND OWNED THE FAMOUS , MONUMENT RECORDS, A LABEL I HAD THE PLEASURE OF BEING ON FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS IN THOSE EARLY DAYS. BUT IN 1963, EXCEPT FOR RAY STEVENS WONDERFUL COMEDY SONGS, IT WAS DOG DEAD..WAIT!!!!WHATS THAT???LOOK !!!....SCREAMIN DOWN BELMONT BOULEVARD IN AN OLD ANTIQUE CAR, IS A BUNCH OF CRAZY LONG HAIRED DUDES WHOOPIN AND A HOLLERIN. THEY LIVE IN A BOILER ROOM BASEMENT UP NEAR CHRIST THE KING CHURCH..THEY MAKE HOME MADE BEER..THEY BEAT ON BANJO'S, MANDOLYNS, GUITARS, AND A BIG UP RIGHT BASS PAINTED ALL COLORS OF THE RAINBOW...THEY NEVER SLEEP...GIRLS ARE ALWAYS GOING IN AND OUT.. THEY MAKE NOISE AND STEAL THEIR FOOD OUT OF GROCERY STORES..THEY WRITE SONGS DAY AND NIGHT AND PLAY THEIR INSTUMENTS TILL THEIR FINGERS BLEED...THEY WRITE ABOUT VILLAINS AND THIEVES, HITCHHIKING LOVERS THAT STEAL YOUR MONEY THAT WEAR SPANISH BOOTS AND BANDANA'S THAT CONCEAL MYSTERIOUS THINGS,,,THEIR RAGGEDY CLOTHES AND VIKING HAIR SCARE THE MOTHERS OF DAUGHTERS WHO FIND THESE ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES ATTRACTIVE AND EXCITING...THESE WERE THE GYPSIES I LIVED AND RAN WITH BACK THEN..JOHN SHERMAN, FRED QUAN, RICK BROWN,A COUPLE OTHERS AND ME.WE WERE THE PROTOTYPES THAT SPEARHEADED WHAT WOULD ONE DAY BE DUBBED, THE OUTLAW MOVEMENT..KRIS, EDDIE RABBIT, JOHN HARTFORD, SHEL SILVERSTEIN,BUCKY WILKIN, WERE A COUPLE YEARS AWAY FROM COMING ON THE SCENE, BUT WHEN THEY ARRIVED, THEM PLUS MYSELF WOULD NOT ONLY CHANGE NASHVILLE'S MUSIC SCENE, BUT WOULD ULTIMATELY IMPACT THE MUSIC IN AMERICA.