Country rockers

My first 150 albums were all country rock. I couldn't even listen to Nashville music, but that changed through the years. But I still appreciate everything with 70's links. Some of my heroes died, like Gram Parsons and Rick Nelson, but some are alive and kickin'.

The New Riders of the Purple Sage have always been my favourite country rock band, mainly because Buddy Cage's steel guitar playing. There's a long interview with Buddy Cage on this website (click here). The guy on the right is my friend for twenty years, and we share a lot of musical adventures, and he does all the artwork for my website, because I can't. His name is

Ad van Hoof. Best partner I ever had.

I've always been a Byrds-maniac and a Chris Hillman fan throughout his career. At this year's alt. country festival "Blue Highways" I finally met the ex-Byrd, ex-Flying Burrito, along with Herb Pedersen.

First met John Beland in '83 with the Burrito's in Holland. I remember Gib Guilbeau telling me that American beer was piss compared to Heineken. He played lead for a.o. Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, Bobby Bare, Kris Kristofferson and the Bellamy Brothers, and most of all, he was bandleader of Rick Nelson's Stone Canyon Band in '78 when Rick recorded "The Memphis Sessions".

He exclusively told me the story about "The Memphis Sesions"; the raping of the album when it came out after Rick's untimely death.

John Beland joined The Flying Burrito Brothers, leaving Rick Nelson with a lot of pain in his heart, thinking that he could write hits for the Burrito's, and he did, along with Gib Guilbeau.

These b&w pictures were taken during the last show the Burrito Brothers ever did, in Schelluinen Holland. Not only the Burrito's had a lot of fun, the show was terrific.

John Beland's studio inspired my own music room, and it also has the Flying Burrito poster behind us. John has always been a very dear friend but unfortunately he moved back to California, so he's a little out of sight.

One of the two easy to recognize steel guitar players, by sound and style is Sneaky Pete (the other one is Buddy Cage). Picture taken during a Flying Burrito gig in Holland.

The average American is a nice guy. I was glad Sneaky Pete was an average American, so he didn't mind standing next to me for a moment, allowing my friend Ad to take this shot. Beland smiling in the back.

It was KRO Radio that invited the Flying Burrito Brothers for another gig in Holland. It was a real pleasure to meet and talk to Skip Battin for an interview about Byrds, New Riders and Burrito's. It took us so long that I missed the entire show Lacy J. Dalton did.

In 1978 I saw my first country (rock) show ever. It was a couple of years before I started my radio show. Emmy didn't turn me on. She didn't have to. This picture is taken a few years later in Frankfurt, Germany, and you may say that we're both a little older now. I've seen her with different line-ups of her famous Hot Band and in all shapes, even during her shopping, and she always remained a true artist and a fine person.

I've never seen Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen, but Bill Kirchen made up for that during "Blue Highways" festival with his Twangbangers. Not pictured is Jeff "Stick" Davis, of the Amazing Rhythm Aces, who I also met. So "Blue Highways" to me was a country rock thing, and my show of the year.