You could get away with tuning into today’s country radio once a month and be lucky to hear 20% new material, but in those days there was constantly someone else hitting the airwaves with new material. Radio’s job was to keep you listening, and the philosophy of the time was that with a wealth of artists turning in new songs there was no excuse for spinning the same songs over and over again from a handful of artists. My, how times have changed!

I bought his Fried Green Tomatoes album (can it really have been a decade ago?!) and was struck by how strong his voice was when allowed to come through naturally. The material on that album was mostly average, so I can’t advise rushing out and buying it, but if you come across a copy at a price you’re willing to pay you might just find a new appreciation for the guy’s talent.

Otherwise, as much as I despise recommending hits collections in lieu of actual albums, his Greatest Hits Plus is pretty much all the casual RVS fan needs. I’m not sure offhand what differences exist between that and his volume in the 16 Biggest Hits series, but that may be a better way to go, depending on the remastering of those old cuts.

RVS has a great, rich voice. I love a few of his songs, but can’t say that they’ve all grabbed me, because most of them lack something for me’.

I’m surprised your bio omits the infamous incident at the awards show when he got into it with the show producer over his song performance. The house band that was backing everyone was performing not just in a different key than he had performed the song, but in a key outside his vocal range! I’m told that cost him quite a lot amongst the label head pals of the show producer, as he was instantly branded a troublemaker.