If you have a country music query please send it to us at music@nucountry.com.au and we will give it our best shot.

We'll find CD prizes for the best question each week of the series
Our 'Guru' is the legendary Dave Dawson, the only gonzo journalist left in Australia. When we asked Dave to write a little something about himself, this amazing roll call of the Country Hall of Fame was the result.

He hasn't listed the Australian artists he's interviewed because he's pretty much done them all. He has promised a list of the rock acts he's interviewed too, some time in the future.

WHO IS DAWSON

Nu Country TV researcher David Dawson has spent most of his 56 years gathering useless information about music, football, farming and crime. Now, after 37 years in journalism and 20 years plus in radio, he has been impaled on the crass cross of knowledge. The Shipwreck Coast dairy farmer, in exile, will try to answer trivia questions for viewers of Nu Country TV and readers of our web page.

David Dawson is a failed footballer who blazed a trail as first player to wear shoulder length hair in Hampden Football League as centre half back for Warrnambool Under 18 team in 1965.

He won votes from the umpires and laughs from team-mates and wrote poetry after footy training.

The son of a son of a dairy farmer ventured overseas to Van Diemens Land where he did his cadetship on the Launceston Examiner. Dawson has been a feature writer, columnist and reviewer for the Melbourne Herald Sun, Albury Border Mail, TV Week, Listener-In Scene, Australasian Post, People, Sydney Daily Telegraph and defunct Sydney Daily Mirror and Truth.

He has also fought, mostly without payment, for country music in specialist country music and street magazines for three decades. Juke, Spunky, Across Country, Tom Thumb, Total Country, Country Music Update, Country Music Round-Up, Country Music Australia, Beat, Mixdown, Drum Media, In Press and Capital News.

Dawson has been a published songwriter for 21 years and ARIA Awards and CMA judge for 15 years.

Dawson has interviewed a swag of international country artist on three working holidays in the U.S. and toils in Australia. We have listed many of the interviewees below in segments of a trivia data base. The Australian interviewees are not listed - you will see some on Nu Country TV.

We resisted the temptation to list such categories as -

ARTISTS INTERVIEWED WHO WED THE SAME SPOUSE TWICE -
Steve Earle and Billy Joe Shaver.

ARTISTS INTERVIEWED WHO SPRINTED TO THE ALTAR THREE TIMES OR MORE
David Allan Coe, Willie Nelson, John Anderson, Lee Roy Parnell, Dale Watson, Kris Kristofferson, Merle Haggard, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Vern Gosdin, Emmylou Harris, Michael Martin Murphey, and the late Conway Twitty, Waylon Jennings and Tammy Wynette.

INTERVIEWEES
Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Kinky Friedman, Merle Haggard, Leon Russell, Jimmy Buffett, Elvis Costello, Randy Travis, Ricky Skaggs, Bonnie Raitt, Reba McEntire, Shawn Colvin, Leann Rimes, Lee Ann Womack, Charley Pride, Michael Martin Murphey & Emmylou Harris.

THE OTHER WOMEN
Other women - Dixie Chicks Natalie Maines & Emily Robison, Alison Krauss, Pam Tillis, Sherrie Austin, Trisha Yearwood, Lucinda Williams, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Jo Dee Messina, Anne Murray, Shania Twain, Martina McBride, Faith Hill, Victoria Shaw, Beth Neilsen Chapman, Lynne Anderson, Sara Evans, Patty Loveless, Kathy Mattea, Terri Gibbs, Lacy J Dalton, Kacey Jones, Kim Richey, Iris De Ment, Rosie Flores, Gretchen Peters, Kimmie Rhodes, Kate Campbell, Gail Davies, Jeannie C Riley, Queen Ida, Kate Webster & Louise Mandrell.

THE OTHER MEN
Billy Joe Shaver, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Tony Joe White, Ricky Van Shelton, Jerry Jeff Walker, Lee Roy Parnell, Earl Thomas Conley, Dwight Yoakam, Moe Bandy, Red Steagall, Hal Ketchum, Vince Gill, Guy Clark, Buddy Miller, Jim Lauderdale, Ronny Elliott, Max Stalling, Todd Snider, Freddy Fender, Cowboy Jack Clement, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock, Arlo Guthrie, Lee Clayton, Gary Stewart, Mike Reid, Dean Dillon, Frank Dycus, Dale Watson, Vern Gosdin, Darden Smith, Wayne Hancock, Tracy Byrd, Stacy Dean Campbell, Rambin' Jack Elliott, Kieran Kane, Robbie Fulks, Richard Buckner, Chris Smither, Albert Lee, Hank Wangford, Gene Watson, Dan Seals, Delbert McClinton, Jesse Winchester, Sleepy LaBeef, Neal McCoy, Lee Greenwood, Collin Raye, Eddy Raven, Mel McDaniel, Flaco Jiminez, Russ Taff, Lousiana Red, Elliot Murphy and Larry Gatlin.

DECEASED ARTISTS
Waylon Jennings, Tammy Wynette, Johnny Russell, Townes Van Zandt, Chet Atkins, Ricky Nelson, Conway Twitty, Marty Robbins, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Nicolette Larsen, Mickey Newbury and Rick Danko (The Band).

BROTHERS, SIBLINGS AND FAMILIES
The Wilkinsons, The Warrens, Hugh and Katy Moffatt, Loretta Lynn and Crystal Gayle, Tim and Mollie O'Brien, Garth Brooks and Bettsy Smittle, The Bellamy, Burrito, Everly, Geezinslaw and LeRoi Brothers.

HUSBAND AND WIVES - THEN AND MAYBE NOW
Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis, Rodney Crowell & Rosanne Cash, Michael & Dyann Woody, Nathan Bell & Susan Shore, Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge, Ed and Patsy Bruce.

BANDS
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Amazing Rhythm Aces, Asleep At The Wheel, Austin Lounge Lizards, America, Blasters, Los Lobos, Southern Pacific, BR5-49, Mavericks, Blood Sweat & Tears, Jason & The Scorchers, Eagles, Oak Ridge Boys, Commander Cody, Rolling Stones, Little Texas, Steeleye Span, Fairport Convention, Fureys, Status Quo, Black Sabbath, Ultravox, Wylie & Wild West Show, Air Supply, LRB, Peter, Paul & Mary, Police.

BILLYS
Joe Shaver and Swan

BOBBYS
Bare, Braddock and Bridger

CHARLIES
Daniels, Landsborough and Musselwhite.

DAVIDS
Allan Coe, Lee Murphy, Wilkins and Bowie.

DONS
Williams, King and Bowman.

EARLS
Thomas Conley and Poole Ball

GARYS
Stewart, Puckett and P Nunn

GEORGES
Strait, Hamilton V and Thorogood.

JOES
Cocker, Ely, Strummer and Sun.

JOHNS AND JOHNNYS
Cash, Anderson, Berry, Conlee, Hiatt, Lydon, Mayall and Prine.

KEVINS
Deal and Welch.

MARKS
David Manders and Germino.

MICHAELS
Martin Murphey and Woody.

RICKYS
Nelson and Skaggs.

STEVES
Earle, Fromholz, Young and Ripley of The Tractors.

TOMS
Pacheco, Russell and T Hall.

MORE TRIVIA
Dawson has also been chauffeur for singing Texan crime novelist Kinky Friedman and had a small cameo role in 'Musical Chairs' - one of the Kinkster's 18 books.

He also had bit parts in video clips for Steve Hoy, Dave Warner and others.

The bearded bachelor, now working on romance with the character in one of his twice recorded songs 'Jodie' has written liner notes for Raven Records compilation discs by Willie Nelson, Dave Loggins and Steve Fromholz.

Now, the former programmer of Nu Country FM and host of High In The Saddle on public broadcasters RRR and PBS for 16 years bares his soul for you while working on a couple of novels including 'Murder On Beer Can Hill.'

Send your questions to 'Ask The Guru' at music@nucountry.com.au