I quickly ascertained that virtually all of the stock was by black artists. I asked the chap if he had any country music. "Country music!" he said, that's dog sh*t music! Ah've got black soul, black r&b, black bebop, black blues, black jazz, black reggae, black rock and roll and black gospel. Ah don't do no country music sh*t!"
Quick as a flash I said "Have you got any western swing?" He looked up at me almost apoplectic and shouted "Black soul, black r&b............etc. Now get yo' white ass outta here!" I headed out of the door, but as I opened it I said "Have you got any black bluegrass?" He slung a few 'Fs' my way, and flung a metal ashtray my way. I ducked and it hit the glass panel in the door and cracked it. I said "I take that as a no then" and scurried out to my hire car and drove off.
I was in Bobbe Seymour's store in Nashville a few years later, and told him the story as I thought it was funny. "WHAT!" he said. "A ni
er spoke to you like that?? Where was this - what was the name of the store?" Whoa I thought - for one second I envisaged Bobbe arranging for a burning cross outside the guy's store. It took me a good 15 minutes before Mr Seymour calmed down long enough for me to get him to see the funny side of my story. Certainly the sense of humour between Brits and Americans is a very wide gulf. 
