Writer Defends Disputed Guitar and a Pen

5/23/2008 Lisa Ann Schleipfer Country Music songwriter Bob DiPiero is featured in a recent publication, A Guitar and a Pen, a book of stories written by songwriters.  DiPiero's story, "Cheeseburger Boogie," is one of dozens of songwriter stories featured in the book, which contains both fiction and nonfiction pieces. The book is not without controversy. Earlier this month one of the books co-editors, best-selling author Robert Hicks, announced that he had written a story in the book that was a true account of Bluegrass and Country artist Bill Monroe. The story however, turned out to be false. In addition, Hicks had published the story under Hazel Smith's name. DiPiero recently told The Tennessean he hopes the controversy won't stop readers from picking up the book. "There are some great stories in there. I think there are some really unique things in there by people like Kris Kristofferson and Bobby Braddock and Bob McDill. I'm as proud of having a story published in it than any song I've had recorded." As for the controversy over the Bill Monroe story, DiPiero said, "My feeling is that I have no idea what the truth is," DiPiero said. "But I just don't want the rest of the book to be overlooked or lost by the very shrinking and small reading public that there is left because of that one story." DiPiero's hit reality show, Hitmen of Music Row, will return to GAC for a second season.