Showing results for "Willie Nelson" in Biographies & Memoirs

"Unvarnished. Funny. Leaving no stone unturned"...So say the publishers about this audiobook I've written. What I say is that this is the story of my life, told as clear as a Texas sky and in the same rhythm that I lived it. It's a story of restlessness and the purity of the moment and living right. Of my childhood in Abbott, Texas, to the Pacific Northwest, from Nashville to Hawaii, and all the way back again. Of selling vacuum cleaners and encyclopedias while hosting radio shows and writing song after song, hoping to strike gold.

National icon Willie Nelson has evolved over the years from country music outlaw swimming against a whiskey river to a Zen-like figure of wisdom and contentment. In this autobiographical collection of life advice, The Tao of Willie, one of America's truest hearts reveals the spiritual and practical lessons learned from decades of hard knocks and good bounces.

From his earliest work in the 1950s to today, Willie looks back at the songs that have defined his career, from his days of earning $50 each to his biggest hits, from his less well-known songs (but incredibly meaningful to him) to his concept albums. Along the way, he also shares the stories of his guitar Trigger, his family and “family,” as well as the artists he collaborated with, including Patsy Cline, Waylon Jennings, Ray Charles, Merle Haggard, Ray Price, Dolly Parton, and many others.

Abandoned by their parents as toddlers, Willie and Bobbie Nelson found their love of music almost immediately through their grandparents, who raised them in a small Texas town. Their close relationship was the longest-lasting bond in both their lives. In alternating chapters, this heartfelt dual memoir weaves together both their stories as they experienced them side by side and apart.

Immortalized in Willie Nelson's road song "Me and Paul," Paul English was the towering figure who acted as Willie's drummer, bodyguard, accountant, partner in crime, and right-hand man for 70 years. Together, the two men roamed the country by putting on shows, getting into a few scrapes, and bringing the joy of their music to fans worldwide. Set against the backdrop of the exploding Americana music scene and told in Willie’s inimitable, colorful style, Me and Paul follows the two performers through their decades-long careers.

From his opening letter “Dear America” to his “Dear Willie” epilogue, Willie digs deep into his heart and soul—and his music catalog—to lift us up in difficult times, and to remind us of the endless promise and continuous obligations of all Americans—to themselves, to one another, and to their nation.

In Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die, Willie Nelson muses about his greatest influences and the things that are most important to him, and celebrates the family, friends, and colleagues who have blessed his remarkable journey. Willie riffs on everything, from music to poker, Texas to Nashville, and more. He shares the outlaw wisdom he has acquired over the course of eight decades, along with favorite jokes and insights from family, bandmates, and close friends.

"Willie Nelson Chronicles: Daily Stories from Music City"Journey through the rich tapestry of Willie Nelson's legendary career with veteran Nashville radio personality Big Jim Matthews. Each day unveils a new chapter in Willie's story, featuring carefully selected songs from his vast catalog spanning six decades of music history. From his early songwriting days in Nashville to his latest achievements, explore the stories, memories, and music that make Willie Nelson an American icon.Big Jim shares intimate stories from his forty-plus years in Nashville radio, bringing you behind-the-scenes ...

A wild and raw tale of Willy’s life—from his early career in stand-up comedy, to his successful and seminal TV show, to his work on the radio—but then beyond, to a world of alcoholism, chronic drug addiction, long standing bouts of depression and a major stroke suffered for good measure. But apart from those minor occurrences, it’s a pretty run of the mill story… if you’re illiterate.

By the time Willie Hughes Nelson was born in 1933, several of the genres he would later cover and dominate had already passed through an entire generation of pioneering artists. The tradition of authentic country music was handed down by such groups as the Carter family, and the boundaries of style and sound were well set by the time Nelson picked up his first guitar.

The Los Angeles Times affectionately referred to Freddy Powers as the "Ol Blue Eyes' of Country Music" and wrote that if you were to "ask country superstars Willie Nelson, George Jones or Merle Haggard (they'll)...tell you that he's one of country music's best-kept secrets". The Texas Country Music Hall of Fame inductee has been to the top of the charts as both a producer for Willie Nelson's Grammy-winning LP Over the Rainbow and a songwriter for many of country music legend Merle Haggard's number one hits.