But it seems now, that it was only yesterday
Gee, ain't it funny, how time slips away"
Happy belated birthday Willie Nelson! Willie turned 87 on 4/29 and before the lock down was still touring strong around the country and promoting a new album. Growing up I didn't know much about Willie's story or his massive music catalog. I feel in the 80's I just heard about his problems with the IRS, Farm Aid and On the Road Again. Flash forward to present day and I've read his books, seen his movies (Honeysuckle Rose is my favorite and worth a watch if you can track it done) , named our first dog after him, own over 20 of his albums and caught him live around the country I believe 7 times? He's also become my favorite voice and guitar player in music.
This is a poster hung proudly in our basement bar. (I also spy a Paul Stanley bobble head and the wrestler Nikolai Volkoff) I grabbed this souvenir from a show that Willie was kind enough to play on my birthday in Athens, Georgia.
I started paying attention to Willie when I was in college. VH1 used to have a great show called VH1 Storytellers (I Suppose VH1's answer to MTV Unplugged) Anyway, one I happened to catch featured Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash. These two just shot the breeze and traded off some of their biggest hits. I was instantly drawn to the tales, the chemistry, and the genuineness of these two men. Like most cable television networks the special played many times throughout the weeks and every time I happened upon it I would sit and watch. After a few viewings I found out there was a CD. I wore that thing out and as usual when you discover a new band you start going down the rabbit hole. For me I started with a three-disc boxset, Revolutions of Time. If a song stuck out I found out what album it came from and before I knew it I had quite a few Willie CD's in my arsenal. If you're just dipping your toe into the world of Willie I recommend VH1 Storytellers, Red Headed Stranger ,Willie and Family Live, and Spirit. That would be a great start. The special also gave me a new appreciation for Johnny Cash but that account will have to wait for a later post. Hope everyone has a good week.
