Country matters: the editor regrets...

We regret not having given the courtesy of a direct reply to the correspondent who wanted to contact Merle Haggard (left); and having done so on a snap judgment that this was not a serious request to a bluegrass news medium. However, not only has Merle Haggard recently recorded a bluegrass album; more importantly, his own music and his long-term love for and support of the older forms of country music are admired by many bluegrass enthusiasts, so his links with bluegrass can be seen as substantial.

Nonetheless, with regret, we can't help - except by suggesting that Roger Ryan of the Country Music Association of Ireland (e-mail) is far better equipped to handle any query about country music performers. For bluegrass and old-time music people, we'll be glad to help if possible; but we are very unlikely to have any better contact details for such artists than those already given on their own websites.