Phil,
Think for a minute. If you had been in the business for about 40 years, had started out at 15-16 years old, graduated up through the ranks, gotten around the biggest writers in the world, became a hit artist, had at run at record company success, have a muti year career, became known as a writer yourself, write for yourself, probably formed and owned your own publishing/management company, sign other artists, write songs for them, and continue to tour, play casinos, do the "festival and fair circuit", play routinely at the Grand Ole Opry, do television, and become an "elder statesman" for the industry, (talking about the grand old age of early 40)
Why exactly would that person be needing songs from people who don't listen to the radio, barely write enough songs to qualify as songwriters, are far removed from audiences, real life, and have never gotten out of the living room.
Why exactly would that happen.
MAB