I remember seeing this picture or one very similar to it as an album cover back in the 1960s. I can remember my dad telling me that was Willie Nelson, a decent songwriter, but he'll never amount to anything because he can't sing for shit.
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Willie was playing bass for Ray Price around then. Yeah, his voice sucks, but his phrasing is great. And you can't fault his songs.
ReplyDeleteLookit that possum grin ...
ReplyDeleteRemember seeing him on the Ed Sullivan show in suit and tie. Real clean cut.
ReplyDeleteThat's kind of an analog to early days of George Carlin on Carson ... The Almighty took Carlin way too soon ...
DeleteMy Initial thought was the Oh, the Dr. from Lost In Space.
ReplyDelete🤣🤣🤣🤣
DeleteYour dad was right, almost.
ReplyDeleteTalent has little to do with entertainment success, though it is an element. Success is linearly related to marketing and showmanship; once in a great while talent rises to the top in popular culture but those are outliers.
I heard a great insult once: "I'd rather use Willie Nelson's hair brush!"
ReplyDeleteNever could stand him. That nasal voice, the jazz inflected phrasing and jazz guitar on country songs ending up with neither. My dad was a Jimmie Rodgers fan (putting it mildly). I feel the same about Willy as I feel about Rodgers: they wrote some great songs as long as somebody else sang them. I still can't listen to Jimmie Rodgers. My estate will have a collection of his 78's though.
ReplyDeleteI can go one way or another with Willie. Some of his stuff is fantastic, some of it sucks.
DeleteReminds me of Keith Richards...just won't go away.
ReplyDeleteProbably the cover of "Here's Willie Nelson", on it he's wearing a suit and tie. My dad had the same album.
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