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-WiscoDave
*****
This is a pretty good read.
Even if you disagree with Willie's political views, there's no doubt he's one of the greatest influences on what Country Music used to be before it turned into pop music with southern accents.
I've been listening to him my whole life, matter of fact I can remember my dad having one of his first albums with the picture of him with short hair, clean shaven and wearing a fucking white turtleneck sweater, I shit you not. Willie's ugly as hell.
I can also remember listening to that album and Pop's telling me that Willie was a great songwriter but he'll never make it big as a singer because "Willie Nelson can't sing for shit".
I didn't really get into his music until the mid-70s when he teamed up with Waylon, Jessi Colter and Tompall Glaser for the "Wanted: The Outlaws" album.
I still listen to him today, matter of fact I've got his "Redheaded Stranger" CD in my truck right now.
I saw him live in Stockton with my ex 15 or 20 years ago - probably the worst concert I've ever been to. The music was waaay too loud for that venue, they played every song about twice as fast as they should've and there was no break in between songs - it was basically a two hour medley. He acted like he couldn't wait to get the fuck out of there, but it being Stockton I can't say that I blamed him.
But at least I can say I saw Willie live.
About 25 years ago, Willie was scheduled to appear at Aquafest in Austin, TX. We were there, and I had always wanted to see Willie perform. So we went over and grabbed a spot. After about 2 songs, we left and went to hear some unknown act at another stage.
ReplyDeleteLike this said, Willie is one of the greatest song writers in country music history. But listening to him sing was physically painful!!! I honestly would have thought it was a joke if I didn't see Willie actually standing on the stage with a big stoned-out grin on his face.
If we hadn't left in about 10 minutes, I'm afraid our hearing might have been damaged for life!!!
Not a Willie story, but an Outlaw story: Things aren’t always what they look like.
ReplyDelete1977 my wife and I were driving from Grand Prairie, Texas, to Lake Grapevine for a Labor Day picnic with some other n’er do well newspaper people. We topped a hill, and down at the stop sign at an intersection is this red, two-door, hardtop, white-vinyl-roof Cadillac, with a man in a straw cowboy hat behind the wheel and a blonde sitting real close to him. I said to my wife, “Look at that goat roper in the Cadillac.” We got closer, and I saw the license plate: D.A. Coe. “Y’all just go ahead on, now,” I said.
Can't say I'm a fan, only have a 'Greatest Hits'-type cd.
ReplyDeleteCall me picky, but I've seen him on the tube doing what I call 'talk-singing', where he speaks the lyrics while playing the guitar & occasionally will sing a line or two in the song. Can't stand that. People are paying you good money to hear you SING, not talk the lyrics. Give the people their money's worth.
Sorry, can't stand him. I grew up with the previous generation of Country singers, Jimmie Rodgers, Hank an the like and can't get over it.
ReplyDeleteI live down the highway from Willie outside Moscow on the Lower Colorado, er, I mean Austin. Willie had a birthday concert at the Backyard in Bee Cave, a few years ago. He did not show up till way after midnight. It wasn't his birthday anymore at that point. Good ol' Willie.
ReplyDeleteWaylon & Willie were scheduled for a show in Phoenix, late eighties, Willie was a no-show. Waylon said "Damn lil' redhead broke his thumb... he coulda done it fallin' off a horse or a woman, but nooo, he fell off a damn bicycle..."
ReplyDeleteOutdoorjohn
I'm not a fan, my mom used to say she could listen to him as long as he didn't have to look at him I met him, shook his hand, in Hattiesburg, Ms. years ago, he was playing there and we ended up staying in the same motel. Seemed like a nice enough guy, short little fucker.
ReplyDeleteJD
A star spouting off about politics is kind of like someone poisoning a water well-never a good idea. Why piss off a big chunk of your following, even if you are at the point where you think you have it made? Go out with class and pray you are one of the few whose legacy will stand the test of time.
ReplyDeleteI've been listening to him all my life too, Compadre. My dad had Willie's first album "Here's Willie Nelson". Clean-shaven and short-haired as on your dad's but wearing a suit and tie. I've never seen him live.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever seen the movie "Honeysuckle Rose"? It ain't art but I enjoyed him and Slim Pickens grabassing throughout it.
ReplyDeleteOne hell of a party! to go see Willie, ya gotta go see him here.
I wrangled backstage passes from a family member & got to meet the little guy in person.
https://www.liveatfloores.com/
CC
Wife can’t, and won’t, listen to him, and she likes country. He was supposed to play the Illinois state fair in Duquoin. Showed up so drunk he couldn’t stand up, much less play and give the people their money’s worth.
ReplyDeleteBuddha
He was supposed to play Sturgis this year. He cancelled. Can't blame him. I went anyways.
ReplyDeleteWillie Nelson's Fourth of July Picnic, 1983, Atlanta International Raceway.
ReplyDeleteWillie Nelson, Waylon & Jessie, Linda Ronstadt, David Allan Coe and Stray Cats.
Was there. Linda Ronstadt was wearing next to nothing. The bands played there songs. then the other bands would join in together, except for Willie. Willie came on stage one time to sing a song with Waylon. Never saw him again until around 11pm. Hate to say it but the Stray cats was the best of the day. Did I mention that Linda Ronstadt was wearing tube top and hot pants
Saw him the white Water Amphitheater in New Braunfels,TX, in 2012.His voice is getting that old man waver, but I saw Willie!
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