Willie Nelson ....Then!

[rbertalotto]

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=W1bXdXWEKaE


That man has been hard on his body!

[RIHMFIRE]

Crazy.......aint he...

[FWiedner]

Before he went outlaw, obviously.

[Pitchy]

Face was different but the voice the same.
Sure glad he became cool later.

[Grizz]

Ah, the pre-DOPE Willie. Willie, I hardly knew ya.

[mikld]

Yep, rode hard and put away wet...

BTW, he ain't had a haircut since then.

[JohndeFresno]

Amazing - that great phrasing and trademark Willie Nelson voice with a city boy haircut - before he masqueraded as Pitchy!

[Rusty]

And he ain't wearin tennis shoes either.

[Grizz]

Not just the phrasing but his timing is impeccable. He can wander all over the place without missing a beat, if that's possible.

I love the way he plays guitar.

One of my favorite duets:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6wBxQVBozI

There's a couple of harmonies and Shania might have perfect pitch cause she's got the perfect line with Willie's guitar, and Willie has the perfect bass and perfect harmony, well, pretty perfect, with Twain. Know what I mean?

I would have liked to see him sing with Linda Ronstadt. Nothing on utube, did they ever sing together?

Grizz

[Pisgah]

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=W1bXdXWEKaE


That man has been hard on his body!

Heck, man. Dude'll soon be 80 years old! I think he's doing just fine.

[JohndeFresno]

Heck, man. Dude'll soon be 80 years old! I think he's doing just fine.

Yeah, he still tours and keeps a schedule that would wear me out; and I'm 14 years his junior. Mebbe I should have smoked those left-handed cigarettes, too!

[Pisgah]

Heck, man. Dude'll soon be 80 years old! I think he's doing just fine.

Yeah, he still tours and keeps a schedule that would wear me out; and I'm 14 years his junior. Mebbe I should have smoked those left-handed cigarettes, too!

Never too late to start, John!

[mack]

Willie has only gotten better with age! How can you not love a man that can p... off the IRS like he can!

[FWiedner]

The folks at the IRS love Willie.

He goes out and busts his azz to make a living and evey couple of years they pull him over and take everything he owns.

It's a great deal for them.

[mack]

FW... You're right, but still got to luv him!
Put him with Waylon with a Telecaster, and toss in John C. and it sounded like life's best to me.

[adirondakjack]

Willie is, of course an American icon. Just as much of the country evolved through the last half of the 20th century, so did Willie, and the music he best represents. Love his politics or hate it, love his philandering or not, his drug use and drinking, or not, his representation of what was going on with much of America, his LIVING as an icon of us all, is remarkable.

Yeah, I am a HUGE fan of the man and his genius, though some of his foul-ups make me cringe. I only saw him in concert once, stood close enough during the standing ovation at his entrance to make eye contact with those perpetually stoned eyes, he's Willie, he IS us. "Crazy" (which he wrote and his first wife sold to a producer for $25 for grocery money, and Willie later bought back the rights to "for a whole lot more" as he says), not only MADE Patsy Cline, but is one of his best tunes. It is the ring tone on my phone.

Remember this, he has made and lost several fortunes, worked his way out of debt with the IRS, put a MILLION miles on the first "Honeysuckle Rose" in the process (they are on about the fifth one now), but he has always remained the red-headed stepchild of us all, that rough little kid from Abbott Texas who is perpetually a simple boy genius/timeless sage playing his guitar and making us smile.

None of us can ask, nor should we, for saintly perfection from our icons, but Willie is US, he is, like Woody Guthrie or Johnny Cash, a reflection of America, warts and all.

Cue up "Seven Spanish Angels" as sung with Ray Charles, "Me and Paul", or "Highwayman" with the boys, and if Willie can't make ya FEEL something, I don't know who can.

[willygene]

Love his music and have met him several times, the first was in the travis county jail while I was there picking one up on a bench warrant, worked security for him and David Allen coe when they did a concert together, but he is an outspoken Obama supporter and I can't support him for that, and i won't buy his music anymore. You can hear it for free here in Texas on fm radio.

[JohndeFresno]

Adirondakjack,

Reading between the lines, I sense that there is a lot of poet in your soul.

[adirondakjack]

In his book, "The Tao of Willie" he tells a story about when he was a young bar room musician. He'd "gone out" after work with one of a long string of willing "partners in crime" arriving home about 9AM, drunk, and smelling like, well, something sure to infuriate any wife. He passed out on the bed, and awoke a short time later, tied to the bed, while being beaten severely with a skillet by Mrs. Nelson. "I deserved it" he said. That's Willie. He lived "The Night Life" even while knowing it was "no good life", but did it anyway.

[adirondakjack]

Adirondakjack,

Reading between the lines, I sense that there is a lot of poet in your soul.

Thank you John. I see Willie as a kindred spirit. Though I am not blessed with his perfect pitch or genius for writing songs, I "get him" and his view of the world as a place filled with love, pain, and much, much irony. I don't care for all of his politics, and frankly think he misses the real point on his "Farm Aid" ideas (soft on farmers, fails to note it was "farm-friendly" legislation that created the quasi-socialist system of subsidies that screwed it up in the first place, but yes, I share his poet's soul, and a love for living fully, passionately, compassionately, and with a healthy disrespect for nonsensical rules.

Would that I could, I'd spark a bowl or share a jar of "gods free whiskey" and sing "Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain" with him any time.

[FNORD]

Haven't we all....


That man has been hard on his body![/quote]

[JohndeFresno]

Haven't we all....


That man has been hard on his body!

[/quote]
FNOrd,

Welcome to this forum with your first post. I trust that you will enjoy it here!

[FNORD]

Haven't we all....


That man has been hard on his body!

FNOrd,

Welcome to this forum with your first post. I trust that you will enjoy it here![/quote]



Thank you kindly.

[winchester1886]

Willie you ain't a cowboy, your just a long haired hippi pretending to be a cowboy. Patsy Montana.

[FWiedner]

Willie's never claimed or even pretended to be a cowboy, just a country boy who likes bein' his own self and singin' songs about life.

[Pitchy]

Willie's never claimed or even pretended to be a cowboy, just a country boy who likes bein' his own self and singin' songs about life.

That would be me in the saddle.

[Booger Bill]

I seen him tell about writeing some song like "Nothing worse can happen to me now" after the irs etc cleaned him out, and he said the next night his house burnt down!

[FWiedner]

Willie's never claimed or even pretended to be a cowboy, just a country boy who likes bein' his own self and singin' songs about life.

That would be me in the saddle.

In hindsight, there may be a half-dozen or so movies as evidence of my error

[octagon]

In about 1983, I built a Rodeo arena for a rancher out of drilling pipe. A few weeks later Willie was to play a benefit show there for a local lady who needed a new kidney. He did not know the lady, who was a friend of a friend. About 15000 people showed up with tickets, and right before the show started, a downpour started that canceled the show, leaving 600 cars stuck in a plowed field. Four weeks later Willie showed up again with 3 buses and 2 semi trucks full of gear, and played for about 15-20 thousands, most of whom bought tickets again for the second show. All monies were donated to the sick lady, who got her kidney. Despite what some folks think about his politics or personal smoking habits, he is a fine neighbor to help a stranger out like that. I think he is a genuine Texas treasure!

[El Chivo]

how's the guitar holding up?

[walks with gun]

I just pickrd up a copy of Willie's first fictional western novel at the library, it's called A tale out of luck. Since it's so danged wet this weekend hopefully I'll get a chance to read it. I dropped it of at my parents place yesterday and dad's about halfway done with it and say's it's not to bad.

[JohndeFresno]

I just picked up a copy of Willie's first fictional western novel at the library, it's called A tale out of luck. Since it's so danged wet this weekend hopefully I'll get a chance to read it....

I looked it up on Amazon.com and read some reviews, then looked inside the book at Chapter 9. It looks pretty good. It has mixed but generally positive reviews. It is available for Kindle, so I grabbed an electronic copy.

[Old Savage]

Liked Willie better then - he is too darn liberal for me. I don't bother with him anymore.

[Griff]

Love the man's music, as for politics... sometimes I think he gets what he deserves from the gov't... and like a lot of "stars", gets shafted most often by those entrusted to take care of their money.

Seen him in concert the night of the CMA Awards many, many years ago... show lasted till about 11pm local time. Then... one by one... all those big stars that had attended the CMA and either presenting or receiving awards stopped by the theater where Willie was... and came on stage to sing with him. How long ago was it? Well, his front band was the Judds. Anyway, finally a little after 2am the theater forced him off-stage... It was the best money I ever spent.

Gotta agree with Jack.

[JohndeFresno]

Liked Willie better then - he is too darn liberal for me...

No doubt about it; but then so are the vast majority of gifted artists... I could get on a tirade why; but that's for another forum. His voice and style and "art" are truly historic. When he overdoses or his organs fail or whatever, there will never be another one like him. At the least, he is interesting. I just would not have let my daughters near him when they were growing up.