‘I always carry a surfboard under my arm in case a wave comes in my direction’

There are very few people who can claim to have sat in Tammy Wynette’s bath and sung ‘Stand By Your Man’ and met Johnny Cash, admired the Picasso in Andy Williams’ toilet, rode pillion with legendary cowboy Roy Rogers on his Honda 750cc, arranged the band for Bono’s wedding, led the Patrick’s Day parade in Erin, Tennessee, appeared in Carnegie Hall on their first night in New York, ate deep-fried scorpions in Beijing with the Head of Propaganda, been Head of Sales for a company that produced Dixie Dude Dog Food, played for Ed Koch in Gracie Mansions, had Billy Connolly sing one of your songs on Michael Parkinson …

Shay Healy can …