From Day One, there've been miracles sur- rounding this record. I mean, first of all, it's selling. I don't even know how to act. I mean, I make 'em. I always get good reviews and so forth, but I never thought I'd live to see what's happening with this record. Chris and I are the record company. We've got a radio pro- moter and a publicist. But then things happen that money can't buy. I recently received a let- ter typed on this wild stationary with a graphic of a woman leaning up against a tree—like a cartoon from the '50's. She's wearing a jungle kind of bikini outfit with metal arm bands and she's holding a big knife. There's a black panther hanging down from the tree with his talons extended like he's about to tear her to shreds. Underneath, it says, "Gulla the Jungle Girl," with a P.O. Box address from La Connor, Washington. I'm thinking, This looks interesting. The letter says, (reads letter) "Dear Marshall, Your Blaze of Glory finally caught up with me. Your CD, not your condition. Or I caught up with it, and I feel cheated that it took me so long to listen. Your voice and your lyrics are ringing all the bells in my brain. Seriously, it's the best album I've heard in a long, long time, and that includes the latest from my friend Bonnie Raitt which is pretty damned good itself. Ranks and tanks and banks and shanks and Hanks—Mr. Williams would have dug it too—of thanks for thinking of me. This baby is a beauty and not a penny less, and if it were in my power, I would cancel the Grammys this year and just load all the awards into a wheelbarrow and dump them at the foot of your bed. Congratulations. Love, beauty, serenity, novelty, mystery, mischief and mirth," Then it was signed "Tom Robbins."
Well good Lord. That is cool. You know Robbins, right? Wrote Even Cow- girls Get the Blues and Jitterbug Perfume?
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Boy do I. I am a huge fan. Still Life with Woodpecker and Another Roadside At- traction. I read 'em all in college. He's one of my favorite writers. And he loves music. He used to write reviews for The Voice and Rolling Stone. That letter just came out of the blue. I mean, the thing is, we have been working our asses off. I probably haven't got- ten more than an hour or two night's sleep in four months. Then something like this hap- pens and you're ready to plow with blisters on your hands for another five years, you know what I mean?
No doubt. So other than Blaze of Glory and doing all of your shows, what's next? Well, I may do an album of all covers. Do my own little Stardust. And if I ever write an- other book it'll probably be fiction. Chris wants me to do a sequel to They Came to Nashville, because I had made a list in alpha- betical order of the songwriters I wanted to interview, and if you'll notice, the names stop at "N." Anybody past that I didn't get to. (Laughs) I don't know, I guess I prefer being interviewed to interviewing. But I may do it, who knows? I've never had a plan. I just wake up in the morning and sniff the air and take it from there.
One final question. You played The Grand ole Opry last week. What was that experience like? It was unreal. Something I never dreamed would happen. And everyone was just so nice and accommodating. Plus, I saw a lot of old friends. I played with the Opry band. As it turned out, I knew most of the guys. Knowing their rhythm section [bass and drums] knew what a backbeat was sure helped me relax! (laughs) •
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