TABLE FOR ONE : Happy Birthday Willie
Posted on Wednesday, May 7, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/Editorial/64910/
It’s hard to believe Willie Nelson celebrated his 75 th birthday a few days ago. It’s even harder to believe that Willie became the biggest name in music over 30 years ago, with hits like “ Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain, ” “ Georgia on My Mind” and “ Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys. ” And he’s still going strong. In fact, Willie’s epic life is highlighted in a new biography written by Joe Nick Patoski titled “ Willie Nelson: An Epic Life. ”
Don Tyson, who has known the Texas legend for over 35 years, located Willie in Norway and sent birthday flowers. Tyson got an e-mail from Poodie, Willie’s trusty roadie, that read, “ Willie got the flowers, but he was already drunk. ”
My first glimpse of Willie was way back in 1962. I didn’t know who he was nor who he would someday become, but right there on black-and-white television was a strange sounding guy in a dark suit, white shirt and tie. That was part of the Nashville scene in those days. Ray Price, Faron Young and others performed in suits and ties looking like insurance salesmen. I wasn’t particularly into country music, but I happened to notice the strange phrasing and piercing voice of this guy singing a song called “ One in a Row. ” It was Willie during his Nashville phase.
Willie may be one of the great songwriters of all time. He began writing songs in his hometown of Abbott, Texas when he was just a boy. His first performance, however, was not as singer but a poem he recited at the age of 6. During high school he played guitar for bands in the area and became known locally as a fine performer.
During his Nashville years he wrote hit songs like “ Crazy, ” which Patsy Cline rendered so beautifully. We still hear it today on radio and jukeboxes. While trying to think of a theme for a song for Faron Young he leaned back in his chair, looked at the bare walls, and said, “ Hello Walls, ” which eventually became a No. 1 hit for Young.
After his years in Nashville Willie moved back to Texas, where he would become an outlaw. The hippie movement of the ’ 60 s was still in full flower and had settled in around Austin, Texas, and the huge student population at the University of Texas. Hippies and cowboys were like oil and water in most parts of the country, but for some reason they got along well in Austin. The hippies introduced the cowboys to marijuana, and the cowboys introduced the hippies to Lone Star beer and country music.
Willie shed his suit and tie and pulled on some ragged blue jeans, tennis shoes, a denim shirt and added the famous red bandana. He used the same guitar he’d had since high school — a Martin that had worn through just below the strings. It was a distinctive look and a unique sound.
In 1975 he went into a small studio and produced a concept album called “ The Red Headed Stranger. ” The songs — about a preacher who murdered his wife and rides from town to town leading her horse behind him — are dark and foreboding. It’s not my favorite Nelson album, but it had a single that made Willie Nelson a household name, ‘ Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain. ”
During the next five years he had as many as a half dozen songs on the charts in both the country and pop categories.
His “ Outlaw” album with Waylon Jennings was voted album of the year. Songs like “ Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys ” became No. 1 hit tunes.
Willie could write songs right off the top of his head while driving or playing cards. On one occasion he was playing poker with Waylon. “ Willie, ” said Waylon, “ I’ve got a song about a good-hearted woman in love with a good-timing man. I need another line for it. ” Waylon went to the bathroom. When he came back Willie said, “ I’ve got it. ”
“ Got what ?”
“ A line for your song. ‘ Through tear drops and laughter we’ll walk through this world hand in hand. ”
“ Perfect, ” said Waylon, “ I’ll give you half the song credits. ”
Willie became so rich and famous he’s lost more money than most of us ever make. He visited the White House and climbed up on the roof to smoke pot with Jimmy Carter’s son.
While riding horses in Utah with Robert Redford he was asked, “ Willie, have you ever thought about acting ?”
He had. And he soon appeared with Redford and Jane Fonda in “ The Electric Horseman. ” He starred in another movie about a country singer drifting through life picking and singing songs, not unlike his own life and career, “ Honeysuckle Rose. ” While on a private jet to New York, producer Sydney Pollack said, “ Willie, why don’t you write a song for the movie ?”
“ What do you want the song to say ?”
“ Oh, maybe something about being on the road all the time. ”
“ I can’t wait to get on the road again. I love making music with friends. I just can’t wait to get on the road again. ”
The song became his biggest hit ever, and remains one of the most popular hit tunes of all time.
There are a couple of things I really admire about Willie Nelson. One, he knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life as a small boy. He never wavered from his goal. People are fortunate if they know for certain what they want to do with their life and stick with it forever. Two, he pioneered a new style of music because he stuck with how he wanted to do it. Nashville-style music was not his. He wrote songs and sang songs in his own unique way and carved out an entirely new sound in country music.
Happy birthday to Willie Nelson, and we hope many more.
Grady Jim Robinson lives in Fayetteville. His column appears on Wednesdays.