Photo: bizzlefishpharm.wordpress.com
Known for his “hippie”’ look and usual red bandanna, Willie continues to use song as the vehicle to entertain and enlighten concert crowds ranging in age from 18-90 and all points in between. With his sons Micah and Lukas on guitars and “little sister” Bobbie (85 yrs. old) on piano, he picks up “Trigger” (a Martin N-20 classical guitar he’s had for going-on 47 years), and belts out the hits tantamount to the soundtrack of a country music fan’s life.
From “Georgia On My Mind” to “On the Road Again” and on down through “Whiskey River”, the excitement of a Willie Nelson concert is palpable, almost like it could be reached out and touched, and each fan is awe-struck at the mere fact that they’re lucky enough to possess a ticket and be in his musical presence.
Photo: www.willienelson.com
With the faded autographs of such famous country crooners as Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings in his possession, it’s apparent that fame hasn’t gone to Willie’s head. He too has his heroes and never fails to give respect he feels due. In fact he is well known for recognizing such strength of character in not only songs such as ‘Me and Paul’, written and performed in tribute of Paul English, Willie’s longtime drummer (since 1966), but also the champions that he himself saw in the average farmer in the United States, struggling to make ends meet in the mid-‘80s when he worked with John Mellencamp and Neil Young to start “Farm Aid”.
Photo: www.rollingstone.com
His modern-day musical sets consist of performing more than 90 minutes, singing songs that range from a time when he first started out to today’s poignant ballads that the average man, woman or even angst-ridden teen can identify with and almost use as anthems. He has sung, acted, and done his part in social media campaigns, and public service announcements. He jumped on board the satellite radio waves at an early stage, has full creative control over all of his music, and is still in the process of creating new sounds and new releases, some of which are in partnership with industry equals such as Merle Haggard and others with artists at varying stages of their career and sometimes varying genres.
Throughout all of this, he remains pragmatic which is why his fans continue to support him in a time when it’s difficult to define just what exactly country music is, and mainstream commercializes its sound for the sake of greater sales. When big industry gets involved and some artists flounder, trying to find their way, Willie comes out smelling like a “Honeysuckle Rose.”
