PART 9 YTN-And how do you feel about the fact that you've become, for lack of a better word, almost an icon, of sorts, to those involved in the Neo-Nazi Skinhead movement, White Power movement, and so forth?...I mean, to some of these guys...you're the man...Ian Stuart from Skrewdriver, and such...they cover your songs...they think you're the shit. What does that make you feel like to know that you've become almost a figurehead in that movement? JR-(Starts laughing. Clearly too humble to be comfortable with that idea.) Well I...it's hard to say,I...I don't know, I...(still laughing.) I would've never dreamed anything like this would be the case,you know? I don't know. I really don't. YTN-Just don't know what to think about all of it, huh? (Laughing, as well, at his perplexity with the whole phenomenon.) Didn't have any intention of becoming a celebrity,huh? JR-No. It all just kind of knocks me out, you know? YTN-And I don't know how much you know about that movement...but does it bother you to be affiliated, even indirectly, with those that hold to those political beliefs? JR-No. It doesn't bother me at all. I guess they've got their own agenda, you know? (Spoken with a mischevious gleam in his eye.) But it doesn't bother me at all. I'm just an old fella that stays around here, you know? I don't even know who Ian Stuart is. I don't know what the deal is, really. YTN-Well, I don't know a great deal about him, myself, but as I understand it...Ian Stuart's nickname was Skrewdriver, and he started a band several years back by that name...I believe they made about 13 records, then he started up this project called Ian and the Klansmen, kind of in homage to you...he looked at you as the 'father' of the type of music he played, and enjoyed, I guess...and, apparently, he died in 1993, in a 'car accident'...now, the general consensus is that he didn't actually die in a wreck...'accidentally'...many believe that he was killed...because of his work as an agitator, I guess...this seems to be what some folks believe...because of his role in the Neo-Nazi Movement in Europe...they believe he was killed... JR-How old was he? YTN-(Not sure. Taking a guess.) He wasn't an older guy. Maybe in his 30's? He started putting out his records pretty young. He had a 'file', there's no doubt about that, I'm sure...he was seen as an agitator by some, I'm sure...he had quite a reputation, nonetheless, and the general consensus is that he was killed. Which, you know, may just be people romanticizing his death...sounds better than dying in a car wreck...but who knows?...there's no more way to find out for sure, than to find out who really killed J.F.K....but that seems to be the story on the guy. JR-I'd like to get a hold of some of his stuff, you know it? YTN-Yeah. Oh yeah. It's coming right now. I've spoken to a guy over in Europe about it, and he's sending some of his stuff over for you to listen to. Me, personally, I'd like to read up on just exactly what did happen. I'm just kind of interested, and curious, to hear what the whole story there is. Okay, and this is just totally unrelated...but do you think of yourself more as a singer/songwriter, or songwriter/singer? JR-Songwriter first. YTN-That's kind of the impression I got. JR-I enjoy singing...but I don't enjoy being before a crowd. I love to songwrite, though. I love to write songs. YTN-When you played live with PeeWee Whitewing and the Countryboys, were you the vocalist? JR-HmmMmm. Yeah. I was the vocalist. But not a showman, at all. All I did was sing. Somebody else had to do the emcee'ing...this and that...I can't do it. I just...it's hard to believe. When I want to sing, I can get up to a microphone and just sing away. And I'm not bothered. And I'm comfortable doing that. But when I have to start talking...when I've got to talk...it blows my mind. Can't think of anything to say, you know? YTN-Sure. A lot of folks that are singers can't uh, hell...look at Mel Tillis?! Can't get a word out...but he sings! JR-And he knows how to use that to his advantage. (Starts stuttering in imitation of Mel Tillis.) YTN-I understand. I just didn't know if you were the frontman with PeeWee and the Countryboys (this is the same band that did the Johnny Rebel recordings.)...and I didn't know if the reason you'd never performed any of the Johnny Rebel stuff live was because of the material, or...I just didn't know if you,or PeeWee Whitewing, was considered the frontman, and if the role changed when you went into the studio to record the Johnny Rebel recordings. JR-No. With PeeWee Whitewing, he was the frontman, even though I was the singer...and even when I had my own band, somebody else always did the emcee'ing, and such. YTN-And did you also play the guitar, or just sing? JR- No, I played the guitar. The acoustic guitar. And sang. YTN-But you just preferred not to be in the spotlight? JR-Right. Just let me sing.            Part 10