He was one of the reasons I started loving country music. My dad had already introduced me to country music at a very young age, but my interest started blossoming when I first heard the Swedish country artist Mats Rådberg sing his version of "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys". And now he is gone and it's hard to believe. The fond memories are many, because Rådberg was the biggest name in Swedish country music ever since he had his breakthrough, and he also was the emcee at the country's biggest country music festival for several years. That very festival had a talent show and someway, somehow I was entered. One day in my fourteenth year of living here on Earth, the phone rang, and my mom answered. After just a few seconds she called on me saying in a very puzzled voice: "There's a man on the line and he wants to talk to you". After taking the handset and curiously saying "Hello?", the voice on the other end said "Hi, this is Mats Rådberg ... ". I wish I remember the rest, but what I do remember is that I sat down and listened, not believing my ears. He called to say I had been selected to sing at the talent show! Since I was under age, my mom took over from there. To meet my hero and to sing in his presence was extremely exciting to say the least. It did happen, but not at the talent show, because my mom thought it was on the Sunday of the festival weekend, but it actually was on Saturday. So, when we arrived, the talent show had already taken place. The producers - including Rådberg - of the show were kind enough to let me sing anyway in between sets that day, and it still is a special memory that I hold dear in my heart.
Thank you for the music Mats Rådberg! R.I.P.
