Archive for December, 2009

It’s New Year’s Eve! Let’s not let the year end without watching Willie Nelson’s ‘ShoeShine Man’ Video one more time

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

Honk if you love Willie

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

This is one of the classic designs of Texas graphic artist Steve Brooks
www.sbrooksgraphics.com .

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

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Photograph by Ian Gittler / Used With Permission
www.iangittler.com 

Willie Nelson Pop Art

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

Vote for Willie Nelson and LeeAnn Womack, ‘Mendocino County Line’ Video

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

Here is Willie Nelson and LeeAnn Womack performing ‘Mendocino County Line.”

CMT is asking fans to help them select the 50 best videos of the decade, and you can vote on your favorite at www.CMT.com.

The music video for Mendocino County Line, with Willie Nelson and LeeAnn Womack, is nominated.  It was filmed in Austin, in black and white,  and you can see the  actual video and vote for it at:
http://www.cmt.com/videos/willie-nelson/26584/mendocino-county-line.jhtml

Results will be announced in January.

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

Country Music Today

Welcome to Willie’s Place

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

There is a Peaceful Solution, by Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

13 States have legalized medical marijuana use

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

www.normal.org

 

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

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Photo via Kevin Smith’s Flickr account:
  Click here to check it out!

Sirius/XM Satellite radio to re-broadcast Willie Nelson & Friends show at Carl’s Corner on New Year’s Eve

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

Good news!    In a world of not enough good news!

If you weren’t able to be in Texas on 12/16/09 for the Willie Nelson and Family Show at Carl’s Corner, Sirius/XM radio is giving you a chance to hear it rebroadcast on New Year’s Eve.  

Willie’s Place, on Sirius/XM will re-broadcast the show recorded LIVE from Willie’s Place, at Carl’s Corner, Texas on 12/16/09 beginning at 8:00 p.m., Colorado time on New Year’s Eve.  

And if you were lucky enough to be there now you can hear it again.

The satellite radio will broadcast three hours of the concert, featuring the Ron Blackwood and the Blackwood Quartet, Ray Price, the Box Masters, and Willie Nelson and Family, including sons Lukas Nelson and Micah Nelson.    One of the suprises of the show, Willie invites Bill Mack (who has been the master of ceremony for the evening) on stage to sing “Drinking Champagne.”    The show will be the perfect soundtrack for your new year’s eve festivitites.

Treat yourelf to a subscription.  I know I talk a lot about Sirius/XM, but for a Willie Nelson fan, it really gives you a lot of bang for your buck.  You get to hear Willie call in every Wednesday and talk to Bill Mack and take calls from fans, swap dirty jokes with Bill.   And you can call in and talk with him.    Someone told me Willie mentioned this blog on Bill Mack’s show, and then the next week I called in and I got to talk with him.  It’s so nice that he makes himself available to fans like that.   That’s worth the price of admission right there; $13.00 a month, I think.  They have a free 30-day trial right now, too.

For more information:  www.XMradio.com.
Willie’s Place | SIRIUS 64; XM 13

Jerry Garcia and Lukas Nelson, at the Filmore, San Francisco (Jan 2009)

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

Willie Nelson: His success just keeps growing

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009


Willie Nelson, with wife Connie and daughters Amy and Paula Carlene, in Colorado.

Look Magazine
April 1989

In the old days in Austin, you could catch Willie Nelson just about every afternoon at his daddy’s pool hall, sinking a few balls and dodging the blistering Texas sun.  In the evenings, when the heat dropped below the boiling point, he’d climb into his battered station wagon and head for the honkytonks, where he’s play all night — as long as there was somebody there to listen.

People are still listening, but the crowds have spilled out of Texas to become something of a national Willie Nelson cult.  “I never expected it to get this big,” Willie says.  “I knew I’d be successful, but I never expected this.”

His success keeps growing.  Willie has just finished acting in his first movie, Electric Horseman, with Jane Fonda and his close friend Robert Redford.  And Universal has just accepted the script for a film based on Willie’s platinum album, ‘Red Headed Stranger’.

“I met Bob Redford at Billy Sherrill’s house in Nashville, where he was trying to get some country singers to do a benefit for his Citizens’ Action Committee, as I think he calls it.  That was the first time I met Redford, anyway, and he and I hit it off pretty good,” says Willie.  “So we flew out to California together, and Redford asked if I’d like to get in the movies.  I said sure, I thought I could probably do it.  OF course, I didn’t know what was involved, either.”

In Electric Horseman, Willie plays the part of Redford’s manager, an old rodeo buddy who hangs around to make sure he doesn’t get too drunk.  It wasn’t a hard part.”  In fact, Willie says, it was almost easier than being onstage in front of an audience, “except, instead of memorizing songs, you’re memorizing lines, and the songs are usually longer.”

Yet a third movie, tentatively titled Honeysuckle Rose, is scheduled to begin shooting this June in Texas with Sidney Pollack producing and Willie as the star.  The million-selling Stardust album, which features Willie singing his favorite songs, including “Georgia On My Mind” and “Blue Skies” (and which record-company insiders figured was simply a waste of everybody’s time), is still selling.  And then there are his concerts at the White House, where Rosalyn and Jimmy Carter are numbered among his biggest fans.  ”

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

Willie Nelson sings on Gail Swanson’s Album, ‘Simple Truth’

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009


photo by Ron Dahlquist
http://www.gailswanson.com

Thanks to Maui musician Tom Conway for sending me a link to Gail Swanson’s music.  I listened to one of the songs on the album that Willie Nelson sang with her on: ‘The One That Got Away.”  It’s a beautiful heart-breaker; the kind of song you love to hear Willie sing as a duet.

You can listen to samples of Gail’s music and purchase the album from her website at:
www.gailswanson.com

Gail wrote:

“Thank you so much for helping me spread the word about my new CD and this duet! I wrote the song with Cris Sommer Simmons and we are so happy Willie liked it enough to sing on it – he’s the best!”

Peace and aloha, Gail


www.gailswanson.com

“Gail Swanson’s 6th release is a mixture of genres; ten new songs from this Maui based singer/songwriter. Tracks include a new duet with Willie Nelson… a duet with Michael McDonald (Mike is playing ukulele!)…two new rock tunes produced by Doobie Brother Pat Simmons… there is something for everyone on this CD. Musical friends who joined Gail on this project: Willie Nelson, Pat Simmons, Michael McDonald, James (Hutch) Hutchinson, John Cruz, John McFee and more… A-list players, interesting songs and thoughtful lyrics.”

www.gailswanson.com

You can learn more about Tom Conway, and his schedule, at his myspace account:
www.myspace.com/tonconwayguitar