I've never been accused of being the most in-touch person. I don't always pay attention to what's going on around me -- I think it's part of  my charm.

Maybe that's why I had no idea that Pat Green, my favorite singer/songwriter, has had an ongoing struggle with alcohol. Or maybe it's because he's been keeping his personal battle, well, personal. Whatever the case his battle took center-stage when he opened up to roughly 100 peers during The Best in Texas "I've Made a Record ... Now What?" seminar in Houston recently.

It's safe to say Pat Green's music has had as much and probably more affect on my life than anyone's. I play Texas Music on the radio for a living now, and without Pat I just might've found a different path.

Not long after I moved to Texas "Carry On" was the first Texas song I ever heard. A Pat Green concert at The Athens Rodeo Arena some 11 or 12 years ago was the first Texas concert I ever went to. To this day, a dark red "PG" hat is the only Texas musician's hat I've ever bought (I'm not much into merchandise).

In 2003, I was in the Army and was shocked to find his then new album "Wave on Wave" for sale at a tiny PX in Baghdad. Ocourse, I bought it, this was before iTunes. In the Army his music was what I used to introduce my friends to Texas Music, it was a gateway to guys like Ragweed, Boland and Morrow -- and many of them didn't just like it, they loved it

And as if it were necessary, or not (and it shouldn't be) I've always been very quick to defend him. I just can't let anyone get away with calling him a "sellout," not without a word or two from me. And not without explaining themselves.

So, it goes without saying I was sad to read in the latest issue of Best in Texas that Green has apparently been battling an alcohol problem for a while even admitting that he had been in a 12 step program to help him along. Click here to read the entire article, which I suggest doing.

His new album "Songs We Wished We Written II" is due out May 8 and I can't wait for it to drop. The first release from the album "All Just to get to You" topped the Texas charts earlier this year.

Best of luck, Pat! Like always, I'm pulling for ya.

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