Well--what a turn up for the book !!! I have great pleasure in telling everyone that will listen, that I  am the newest d j on radio "aston fm 89.1"...Yep,I now host the country music show that is on every Wednesday night on the forementioned channel.between 7 pm - 9 pm..it's SO easy to get via the internet,just type in the title,scroll down to "aston fm easystream"--and bang ! you are right there with me for 2 hours of solid country music ...But be aware,,I intend to bring you not only the best modern cuts,but I will be talking about-and playing- songs from WAYYYYY back when too...After all,if you just want wall to wall country music,then you play your own c d don't you ?..So I intend to listen too,play,and talk about country music - new and old -and you are MORE than welcome to join me. Send in your requests,call me at the studio on 0121 326 0060(it's located in the heart of Aston Villa's  football club) or e mail me while the show is on (e mail address "studio@aston fm)....Come on folks,CALL me, tell me the songs you want to hear,...suggest new artists,...tell me your club dates,...send me your songs especially if you are an unsigned act,and I WILL push 'em.... TALK to me about what YOU want on the show... Are you a midland act that needs airplay ?Are you not from around here at all but STILL need some exposure ?...well,I can't do a thing unless you LET ME KNOW about you can I ?.you won't go on air if you don't want too (well,not until I can figure out how to do it ..I still have my L plates on regarding the  equipment)..........

What can I say or do to convince you to tune in ?....The very least your'e gonna get is to hear plenty of  the kind of stuff you like...you might hear some suprising  songs..you might even learn a thing or two you hadn't realised you DIDN'T know.....in any case as far as I know,listening to the radio has never hurt a single soul !...................Relax.tune in,chill out and let it flow......hope that y'all enjoy it

best regards

tony 

P s...heard about the great barr cowboy "ghosts "?...I think I have the lowdown on that story !...and a pretty good idea WHO they are.....

Hello again everyone..I have had problems accessing and updating,but it's all sorted now ..Lots to tell you,but first I want to thank you for leaving messages-it's especially nice to get words of encouragement from the U.S.A  i.e starry skize,bender,and max ,who took the time and trouble to say a few words.Thank you people. Please ,feel free to write again.

Just so you know,I have struggled with a shoulder accident I had 18 months ago,and,despite repeated cortisone injections,physio, and generally trying to ignore it, the time has  come to admit defeat,and have an operation to fix this wing.A lot of sleep disturbed nights,pain killers and cusses will hopefully  cease after this (I'm told) relatively small op.  I wonder if it will make me a better guitar player ?hmmm jury is out on that one !

O K..First of all,gigs are tight.  With so much doom and gloom around economically,the clubs/venues are cutting down on what i think is the one thing that would help boost sales -live music !  Still,they know what they have in the kitty bank,and we can only hope that things get turned around ,and work picks up for everyone sooner rather than later. 

On the songwriting side,well..I'm here again ! Another set of 10 songs ready to go into the recording studios with,all fired up and keen to go ..Personally,I think that I am slowly improving with the sentiments/emotions and yes,a little bit of humour in there somewhere too. Of course,only those who get to hear the songs can really say for sure.-Hey,it would be nice to get some feedback on that folks !

Despite the little problems Iv'e mentioned,lots of good,positive things are happening too. It looks very much as if I shall be teaming up with Mike and Kate Newey ,who own and run the Neon studios in Burntwood.Staffs. -WOW ! --what a place ! Absolute state-of -the-art studios,rehearsal rooms,-it's even got a cafe so starving musicians can get  some grub as they slog away. It doesn't get much better. The idea is to invite other musicians to jam in and see if a band can be formed,with the intention of stating specifically to club / venue organisers that -Yes, we WILL do a number of "covers" but there will also be just as much new song content too. Everyone--me included--like to go and sit,relax,and listen to songs we know...but where the heck do new songs come from unless bands write 'em and sing 'em ?...unless of course they are signed up to a major lable and  on that production line,label approved conveyor belt...I won't go there right now.

On another tack,I was delighted to be invited to our local radio station"Aston FM" to be interviewed by Mr Darren Yates,who jocks the 2 hour country show between 7-9 pm on Wednesday nights..He flattered me by  playing about a dozen of my songs throughout the show,chatting along  in between songs etc..-and played me one of my all time favourite tracks by Hoyt Axton -"Della and the dealer"--great to hear that again,(and an odd coincidence,because I had only two days previously unearthed the album of his "A rusty old halo"and resolved to play it  through at the earliest opportunity....hmm) The radio station can be got via the internet of course,just type in "aston fm " and presto-your'e in !  I don't know what went wrong on this occasion though, as since then people have told me they tried to text in,and call on the phone too,asking for songs etc to be played,probably something awol with the system right then,but I'm sure that it is all o. k. now.

I shall be updating more regularly from now on folks,but please,feel free to write if you have a mind to,it's always a pleasure to hear from like-minded people.  Oh,I should say that if anyone wanted to get copies of the songs I do,then the advertised price of them is WRONG..I don't know how that happened,but...ah well,worse things happen at sea,so they say..just drop me a line,and I will be happy to arange delivery,-and a sensible price- of course.

I will stop for now folks.keep safe and happy Tony