Willie Nelson

Yes, This Is A Corn Maze Shaped Like Willie Nelson

Corn maze + Willie's braids and guitar = pure Texas.

Here Is A Whole Bunch Of Unsanctioned “Don’t Mess With Texas” Merchandise

TXDOT, which holds the trademark to the circa-1985 antilittering slogan, has issued over 100 cease-and-desist letters to companies using the slogan since 2000. Somehow, all of these slipped through the cracks.

Happy 80th Birthday, Willie!

We recorded well wishes from a few of your friends.

Willie Nelson to Hold Benefit Concert For West, Texas

He repurposed his upcoming show at the Backyard, in Austin, to be a fundraiser for the town recently devastated by a fertilizer plant explosion.

EXCLUSIVE: Willie Nelson on same-sex marriage

"I'd never marry a guy I didn't like," says the man who once covered “Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other."

Willie Faces the Music

Willie Nelson is set to release a new album in April, just two weeks shy of his eightieth birthday.

Santa Claus Busted at Sierra Blanca

Or so says the new Christmas song by singer-songwriter Kevin Fowler, who talks about his new holiday track, "Santa Got Busted by the Border Patrol."

DKR Honored by Willie, Mack Brown

Texas and the University of Texas said goodbye to Longhorns coaching legend Darrell K. Royal at a public memorial service at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin.

Outlaw Country Radio Returns to Austin

A reboot of KOKE-FM, Austin's pioneering 1970s progressive country station, began broadcasting on Sunday, with longtime KVET personality Bob Cole as co-owner and morning DJ.

The Five Coolest Things about the Willie Nelson Statue

A crowd gathered on 4/20 on Willie Nelson Boulevard, in Austin, to watch the unveiling of an eight-foot, one-ton bronze rendering of the Red Headed Stranger. 

The Red Hooded Stranger

Is Willie Nelson Santa Claus? We asked him that, and a few other things—like what it's like to get busted and get along with Pat Robertson and Snoop Dogg.

Trigger: The Life of Willie Nelson’s Guitar

Most guitars don’t have names. This one has a voice and a personality, and bears a striking resemblance to his owner.

Eight Great Trigger Performances

From "I'm a Memory" to "Here We Go Again," listen to eight performances that highlight the capabilities of Willie Nelson's treasured guitar.

Heroes

A new album by Willie Nelson.

That ’70s Show

Forty years ago, Willie, Waylon, Jerry Jeff, and a whole host of Texas misfits grew their hair long, snubbed Nashville, and brought the hippies and rednecks together. The birth of outlaw country changed country music forever.

A Q&A With John Spong

The senior editor on writing about outlaw country, hearing Jerry Jeff Walker tell stories, and listening to good music.

My Last Meal

We asked a few famous Texans what their last Texas meal would be.

Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles

A tribute album by Willie Nelson, Wynton Marsalis, and Norah Jones.

“Willie’s God! Willie’s God! We Love Willie!”

In this extraordinary oral history, Willie Nelson’s friends, kin, and collaborators (Jimmy Carter, Emmylou Harris, Robert Redford, Merle Haggard, and many more big names) tell their favorite stories about the Red Headed Stranger.

Norah Jones

Grapevine

126–150

From Buzz Bissinger arriving in Odessa—with a notepad—to Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen writing songs in College Station

The 100 Best Texas Songs

Two are by Willie. Which songs, exactly? And what about the remaining 98? You’ll have to check our list to find out.

The Coming of Redneck Hip

Rock and Country music met in Austin. That friendship may make the state.

Lyle Lovett

The Full Nelson

April 30, 1933Born in Abbott. His mother leaves six months later; his father leaves a few years after that. Willie and his older sister, Bobbie, are raised by their grandparents, Daddy and Mama.1939Gets his first guitar, a Sears Stella.1942Lands his first paying job, playing with the John Rejcek Bohemian Polka

The Ballad of Billy Joe Shaver

If the Corsicana native is the best songwriter in Texas, perhaps it's because he knows his material. Hardscrabble upbringing. Sinful behavior. Redemption. Personal tragedy. Profound sorrow. And, finally, more redemption.

In Honor of Texas Chicken Fried Steak Day: Three Delicious Chicken Fried Steaks in Houston, Dallas, and Austin

Yesterday, I revealed that I would feature three unique chicken fried steaks on the blog in celebration of Texas Chicken Fried Steak Day. So, who are the lucky honorees? Congratulations to Olivia in Austin, Beaver’s in Houston, and Bone Daddy’s in Dallas.

Willie Nelson Statue, Austin

Washington, D.C., has Abraham Lincoln, Salt Lake City has Brigham Young, Philadelphia has Rocky Balboa. And now Austin has Willie. The massive bronze sculpture, which was commissioned by a local group called Capital Area Statues, rests downtown at the corner of Willie Nelson Boulevard (formerly Second Street) and Lavaca outside the new studios of Austin City

Like Father, Like Son

Andy Langer talks with Willie Nelson and his youngest son, Lukas, about "The Family," Willie's new album (Heroes), and passing the torch.

Norah Jones’s Country Music Playlist

To celebrate For the Good Times, the new album by the Little Willies, Norah Jones's country cover band, the singer shares five of her favorite tracks by Texas songwriters.

Merry Christmas! Twelve Gifts for Twelve Texans

What we'd like to get Rick Perry, Warren Jeffs, Willie Nelson, and other prominent Texans for Christmas.

A Conversation With Billy Joe Shaver

The outlaw-country legend on his recent acquittal, his songs, and his friendship with Willie Nelson.

Cook Like a Texan: More Last Meals

Our April “Home Plates” package included “Last Meals” from Jim Lehrer (“no dessert or coffee” – with good reason), Willie Nelson, Jason Moran (who takes up for mac-and-cheese as a vegetable), Charles Butt, Karen Hughes and Governor Rick Perry (bing-cherry congealed salad with cream cheese and pecan topping –

The Trials of Billy Joe Shaver

Is the legendary Texas singer-songwriter a honky-tonk hero or a honky-tonk bully?

Memories of a Guitar Picker

Willie Nelson called him a show off, Charley Pride and Jim Cullen both asked him to join their bands, and Hank Williams Sr. was a close friend.

Mad to Play

Famed Texas-based guitarist Stephen Bruton was a man who knew how to count his blessings.

Last Call at Poodie’s Bar

Poodie Locke, longtime stage manager for Willie Nelson, died Wednesday at the age of 60.

Say Hey Willie

To the famously short list of things that are certain in life—death and taxes—you can confidently add another: Willie Nelson sells copies of Texas Monthly. The iconic singer, golfer, actor, bus rider, weed smoker, and all-around good guy has been on our cover more times than anyone else (seven, this

One Hell of a Ride

Not bad for 75 years. It would take most artists two lifetimes to catch up to the output of wildly prolific Willie Nelson, and even then it’s inconceivable that anyone would leave a greater legacy. At first glance, the aptly titled box set One Hell of a Ride

Willie Nelson: An Epic Life

The first time nine-year-old Booger Red got drunk on beer, he decided, “I had already fucked up more ways than God was going to put up with . . . so I had in mind, the sky’s the limit from here on, I mean I can’t go to hell twice.”

Moment of Forever

Though he’d likely prefer a live afternoon session with his Family Band, Willie Nelson, to his credit, occasionally loosens his laissez-faire hegemony enough to let a producer take charge in the studio. The results, a far cry from his more casual recordings, are sometimes real successes (1993’s Across the

Big State Festival

Here comes another all-the-decibels-you-can-handle musical gathering. The Big State Festival, which spans a weekend this month (and has a moniker only a Texan could love), is aiming to do for country music what the Austin City Limits Music Festival does for rock and roll: that is, lure in thousands

It Ain’t No Picnic

Willie’s picnic goes AWOL.

Body of Work

For twenty years, the Southwestern Writers Collection, on the campus of Texas State University, in San Marcos, has gathered up manuscripts, personal papers, photos, and other mementos from various icons and at least one outlaw. Want to have a look-see?

Willie Nelson

“I always thought that if I was having fun doing what I was doing and making a living doing it, then I was already successful.”

Punchline Willie

We knew he could sing, of course. What we didn't know was that he had such a great sense of humor. Here are some of Willie Nelson's favorite jokes from his just-published memoir, The Facts of Life and Other Dirty Jokes.

Outlaw Country

Rick Sikes and the Rhythm Rebels could have been bigger than Willie Nelson—if only bank robbery hadn't been on the playlist.

Acting the Part

Rules for movies about music.

Entertainer of the Century—Willie Nelson

“Willie Nelson doesn’t fit the stereotype of a 66-year-old veteran of a profession that eats its young. The goofy grin he flashes conveys the vibe that he really and truly likes what he’s doing. We like it too.”

CD and Book Reviews

CDs by Doctors’ Mob and the American Analog Set, plus a tribute to Bob Wills; booksby James Lee Burke and Louise Redd.