Good question, Mike!

Mine is real simple. Anyone familiar with traditional country music will know who I am talking about.

In 1973 I was stationed in Germany while in the US Army. I was playing lead guitar in a very popular country band. We were the band who backed up the Nashville stars who didn't bring their own bands with them when they toured the US bases in Europe.

Ernest Tubb and hHis Texas Troubadors were playing at the US Air Force base in Ramstein, Germnay. We opened for them all week. No big deal. We had opened for quite a few country stars. The "awe factor" wears off pretty quickly. But, on a Thursady night, well actually about 1:00 AM on Friday, Junior Pacheco, Ernest Tubbs bass player at the time, hung around with us back stage a little longer than usual. As I was putting my guitar in the case, he asked if he could talk to me for a few minutes. I had no idea what to expect. He went out to my car with me as I was carrying out my guitar and amp. As soon as I put them in the car he told me what was on his mind. "Ernest and I were talking last night and the rest of the band agrees. We'd like to offer you a job playing lead guitar. We really like the way you play, particularly Western Swing." I was flabergasted, to say the least!

For those of you not familiar with traditional country music and the stars back then, that would be equivalent to a rock group such as Pink Floyd or Lynyrd Skynyrd offering you a job. Ernest Tubb is a mega-star among traditional country music performers. It's a once in a lifetime offer for 99% of country musicians. Leon Rhodes, Ernest Tubb's legendary guitar player for many years, had left the band some time back and Ernest had cycled through several lead players since then. I had grown up completely idolizing Leon Rhodes and now I was being offered his old job! I was stunned! Ernest spoke with me personally for quite a while and said he really liked my style and. For the first time in a long time, I was once again awed by a Nashville star!

However, I had to turn him down. You don't know how emotionally and professionally painful that was! I had just reenlisted in the Army for 6 years earlier that year. There was no way of getting out of that. I even offered to pay bakc the $14,000.00 reenlistment bonus they had given me. They (the Army) emphatically said "no!!!!". I'm 62 years old now and sometimes still wonder "What if....."!

Alan