Following a fantastic set at Visionland Theme Park in Alabama, John Arthur sat down with Angry Country to answer a few questions for us:

Christie:  John Arthur, Angry Country spent a great deal of time talking to
             artists at Fan Fair who were minorities... they were telling us of
             how they have found it difficult to obtain a record deal or even find
             work in local Nashville clubs. Have you found this to be true in your
             own career?

John Arthur:  Well, there is always going to be folks who make your life a
                   little bit tough. I have always managed to avoid those people
                   and have had plenty of work. Now with the publicity of Nashville
                   Star, we are starting to get more and more work. There have been a
                   few times, however, when I've played a club where they have
                   refused to put my last name up on the billboard; but I have never
                   had a problem with anyone shutting us out of a club.

Christie:  At the International Fan Club Organization event, during Fan Fair, you
             told your fans not to worry about you because you had new management
             and a deal pending. Have you, as yet, been signed to a record label
             and is there a deal pending?

John Arthur:  We do have something that is being negotiated right now, but it is
                  not a done deal. In other words, at this point, we are still exploring
                  several other options. We are trying to find a situation that would
                  enable me to be a singer/songwriter and let me be who I am and
                  do the material that we perform live... as opposed to the
                  typical Nashville deal where they say 'Now that we've signed you,
                  we're going to change the way you look, we want you to record
                  these songs by these writers, and we want you to use his producer.
                  I'm trying to avoid that kind of situation.

Christie:  Many new artists begin by introducing themselves to country radio
             stations and their listeners across the country; will you be planning
             a radio station tour?

John Arthur:  As soon as we have the release, it would be adventitious for us to
                  do a radio station tour. I do that on a small scale already; everywhere
                  we play, I go visit radio... last week we were in San Antonio and I
                  visited radio there KK97.

Christie:  Do you have a single prepared for release?

John Arthur:  When Nashville Star was winding down, they did four singles because
                   they were not sure who was going to win and they wanted to be ready.
                   They did a single with Clint Black of my song A Home Made Of
                   Stone; had I won, that would have been my single. Most likely that
                   will wind up in the can forever; and whenever I get a new album, I'll
                   probably have to re-record that song.

Christie:  And of course, we have our signature question at Angry Country that we
             ask all artists... What is the one thing that your fans would be most
             surprised to know about you?

John Arthur:  They would probably be surprised to know that I was the Saint Mary's
                   Catholic Church disco dance champion... that should certainly
                   surprise them!

     Our thanks to John Arthur Martinez for taking the time to talk to us. For more information on John Arthur, visit his official website: www.johnarthurmartinez.net  

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