Last year Tracy Byrd released his latest album, a Greatest Hits album and now we are meeting him here to talk with him about the recent developments in his career.

Tracy, please introduce yourself to our German Country Music fans first, as not all of them may know you.

Tracy: That is hard to believe – anyway – My name is Tracy Byrd. I have been doing music here in the States for 20 years now – cutting records, having radio releases and doing everything else that the business involves. Originally I come from Beaumont in southeast Texas, close to Houston. I do still live in Beaumont. I will always remain Texan and try to do good Texan music.

Christian: So people could really call you a country boy. What was 2006 like for you so far and what has happened to date?

Tracy: 2006 has been great. We worked on a new deal and basically started our own record label and have cut, what I believe, is the best record that I have ever cut. We did things a little different on this project and cut the record in a smaller studio a bit out of town, Studio West. We had some different pickers on this record and the collection of songs on this record is the best that we ever had. I am very excited about this. I have been in this business for a long time, but I still get excited when I am going to the studio, especially when the songs are so great.

Christian: Can you already give us some more details about the songs that will be on your next album?

Tracy: Yes, the first single release has already been decided. It is a song titled "The Cheapest Motel in Town". It is a sad song about cheating telling the story of a man who cheats, gets caught and has to realise that this cheap motel and his cheating has cost him everything. It is a real traditional sounding song in both the lyrics and the sound. The whole album is very traditional as most of my albums have been. Of course, today ‘traditional’ has a different meaning as it may have had 30 or 40 years ago, but I am still an artist doing more traditional Country Music than a lot of other artists. There is a swing tune on the album called "Biggest Thing in Texas" and several ballads as well as some fun country up-tempo songs.

Christian: Did you write the song of this upcoming single?

Tracy: No, the song was written by a new artist on Sony Records, Cole Deggs. He wrote it together with Trey Matthews and my co-producer Mike Geiger. I almost did not get this song and had to fight pretty hard for it. I felt it was a hit and that it fit me real well, so I did fight to get it. I wrote two of the songs on the album, "She Was Smart" and "Hot Night in the Country".

Christian: What inspired you to those songs?

Tracy: "She Was Smart" was inspired by a line a guy said to my co-writer one day. One night he met this really rich man at a dinner who told him that he had once met a girl who would have been the perfect one for him, but he could not settle down long enough at that time. The girl realised that and he admitted that she was just to smart to marry him then.

Christian: Tracy you are known to be someone who has a special relationship with his fans and that gives everything for them. What does that mean exactly, can you explain it a bit better for our European readers?

Tracy: When I was growing up I was a fan of Alabama and saw them become a real big band. Alabama was a band that has always given everything to the fans and gave them all the credit that they deserved. I believe it is a natural thing to do – if you look at anybodies career you realise that without the fans buying the records, listening to the music and going to the shows, the artist would not have a career. So I think it is something I owe the fans – to take time to meet them, listen to them, get to know them as they know me and so on. We have a fan meet and greet before every show for example. All of this takes time, but it is very rewarding – you find out about your fans, about what they think about your music and you hear some great stories.

Christian: Tracy, you are on the road for a long time every year and live on the tour bus. Can you tell us a bit more about what it is like to live on a bus and on the road?

Tracy: From time to time it can get a bit stressful as the space on the bus is limited and every one of us, me and 10 other guys, has a their own character. Luckily I have worked together with the same people for many years and we know each other well. We know what upsets the other and we try not to do that. I am proud to say that during these 15 years on the tour bus we have never had a fight on the bus. The key for me to keep healthy on these long tours is to get off the bus whenever I can – I enjoy playing golf for example.

Christian: Tracy, do you have a special message for your European fans?