A family's quest to find the right home for dad's 8,000 country music records

Amanda Jackson's dad might have gotten carried away.

What began as a Nova Scotia teenager's modest library of20 or so country music records grew over the next six decadesto roughly 8,000.

The family of the late Murray Deal wasleft with one question: what to do with their dad's impressive collection?

"It was his life. It was his passion," Jackson told CBC's Mainstreet. "What our goal is, is just to find somebody that maybe doesn't have an equal passion for it like he did, but would certainly appreciate the collection and use it and listen to it."

It wasn'teasy to decide tosellthe eclectic collection, which contains music from as early as the '40sright up to the 2000s, Jackson said, noting her dad's favourite artist was Hank Williams. The collection alsoincludes artists such as Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash.

Jackson is asking for $5,000 for the entire collection andisn't willing to see it torn apart.

Deal, who grew up in Fairview, N.S.,started playing music when he was a kid. By the time Jackson was born, her dad could most often be found in his music room, where he jammed with friends or recorded songs and interviews on cassette.

He hardly ever missed a chance to singfolk and gospel songs at church on Sunday.

"He taught himself how to play the guitar at a young age, and his love for the music carried right through his entire life, and basically every facet of what he did his entire life," Jackson said.

Deal died in the summer of 2018.

Jackson, who used to sing in one of her dad's bands, wouldn'tcall herself a musician or even a country music fan, for that matter.

"I think I rebelled a little bit away from the country music, but I love all music, so I think that comes from my dad," she said.

Deal's love affair with country musiccouldn't be contained.

Back when he was a teenbuying up records, his mom,who grew up in the Depression, advised him that he probably had enough.

Jackson is glad her dad didn't listen.

"To us, it's priceless, really,"she said. "The most important thing is that it goes to somebody that will love it and appreciate it."

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