Archive for April, 2014

Happy Birthday, Willie Nelson, from Legacy Records

Wednesday, April 30th, 2014

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From The Archives: We love Willie Nelson, and we’re thrilled to wish him a very happy 81st birthday today. Our birthday tributes are usually accompanied by a photo of outlaw Willie, with long hair and bandanna, so we thought we’d throw a change of pace and bring you this image of Willie from the era of his association with RCA Victor Records; namely, mid 1960s.

Legacy Records

Happy birthday, Willie Nelson

Tuesday, April 29th, 2014

Happy birthday, Willie Nelson

Tuesday, April 29th, 2014

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Tuesday, April 29th, 2014

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Happy Birthday, Willie

Tuesday, April 29th, 2014

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selfies with Willie Nelson

Tuesday, April 29th, 2014

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Proud parents took photos, and then when the first student took a selfie, they started a trend.

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Willie Nelson received his 5th level Black Belt last night, and he kindly posed for pictures with all the other students.

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Happy Birthday, Willie Nelson

Tuesday, April 29th, 2014

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Willie Nelson presented with fifth-degree black belt

Tuesday, April 29th, 2014

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photo:  Ralph Barrera

http://www.statesman.com

Austin music legend Willie Nelson celebrated his 81st birthday one day early by being presented with his fifth-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do by Master Um of Master Martial Arts in Austin, TX. Nelson watches a demonstration from some of the students during the presentation. Nelson has been studying for twenty years and finally reached the lofty status of Master, as he was presented in a ceremony Monday night April 28, 2014.

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Willie Nelson and Master Um

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See more of Ralph Barrera’s great photos at the Austin Statesman website.

Willie Nelson turns 81, receives 5th level Black Belt

Tuesday, April 29th, 2014

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www.espn.com

Espn reported on Willie Nelson receiving his fifth level black best in Austin yesterday.

Willie Nelson receives fifth-degree Black Belt in GongKwon Yusul

Tuesday, April 29th, 2014


www.kvue.com
by:  Shelton Green

AUSTIN — Willie Nelson has arguably accomplished a great deal in his 80 years; however, Monday night, one day before h is 81st birthday, the Red Headed Stranger added to that long list of accomplishments.

Willie Nelson received his fifth-degree black belt in a martial art called GongKwon Yusul, a discipline with Korean roots which Nelson says he’s practiced for 20 years.

“It’s just good for you physically. For your lungs. The more you’re breathing, exercising, the better you’re going to feel,” said Nelson from his tour bus in an exclusive interview with KVUE Monday night.

Willie Nelson was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame this past weekend.

Monday he received his fifth-degree black belt and on Tuesday, the father of eight celebrates his 81st birthday in a concert at the Backyard.

Nelson also has a new CD called “Band of Brothers” which comes out in June.

Willie Nelson and Wendy Davis

Tuesday, April 29th, 2014

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www.WendyDavisTexas.com

Willie Nelson family, friends and fans come to watch him receive his 5th level Black Belt

Tuesday, April 29th, 2014

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Willie Nelson’s family fans and friends came out to watch him receive his 5th level Black Belt tonight, at the Master Martial Arts in Austin, Monday.

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Micah Nelson and Gator

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Janis Tillerson, Rachel Fowler, and Bella

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Rachel Fowler and Bella arrive

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Janis Tillerosn makes Willie laugh.

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Billy Gibbons arrive at Master Martial Arts, in Austin, with Willie Nelson

Monday, April 28th, 2014

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Billy Gibbons stopped by to visit with Willie Nelson, when Willie received his 5th degree Black Belt, in Austin tonight.

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I don’t know who she is, but she was with Billy Gibbons.

Willie Nelson inducted in Austin City Limits Hall of Fame (April 26, 2014)

Monday, April 28th, 2014

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www.austin360.com
By Peter Blackstock

“Austin City Limits” creator Bill Arhos had the best line of the night at Saturday’s induction ceremony for the long-running TV show’s first-ever ACL Hall of Fame induction ceremony: “It’s a little intimidating to be in a class of the first inductees, and three of the four have bronze statues around town.”

Arhos may be the odd man out, but his role was the most crucial in the origin of “Austin City Limits,” which is celebrating its 40th season of filming with several special events. This one was maybe the biggest, with Willie Nelson, Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble and Darrell Royal joining Arhos in the show’s new Hall of Fame. Footage from the evening, which was filmed at ACL’s original home in Studio 6A on the University of Texas campus, will be included in an ACL 40th-anniversary special that will air in prime time on PBS this fall.

Both Nelson and Double Trouble performed as part of the festivities. Nelson kicked things off with an hourlong set in which he and his longtime harmonica player Mickey Raphael were backed by an abbreviated version of Lyle Lovett’s Large Band.

Lovett himself joined in to duet with Nelson on “Funny How Time Slips Away,” and singer Emmylou Harris came aboard to take the lead vocal on “Crazy.” All three performed together on a few numbers, most notably a touching cover of Townes Van Zandt’s “Pancho & Lefty,” which Nelson introduced as being “one of the best songs ever written.”

The set concluded with the formal inductions of Nelson, Arhos and Royal (whose wife Edith accepted on the late coach’s behalf). Doing the induction honors were actor Matthew McConaughey for Nelson, ACL executive producer Terry Lickona for Arhos, and former UT football coach Mack Brown for Royal. An intermission followed, along with a brief art-auction fundraiser of two paintings commissioned for the occasion.

Next came the induction of Vaughn & Double Trouble, accepted by the legendary guitarist’s surviving bandmates Chris Layton, Tommy Shannon and Reese Wynans. “Stevie is still here,” Layton told the crowd as he gazed around the studio, where Vaughan and the band delivered two indelible performances in the early and late 1980s. “He’s here in this building.”

The band then proceeded to summon Vaughan’s spirit with a slew of special guests. Guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd and singer Mike Farris got the house rockin’ with, appropriately, “The House Is Rockin’” before blazing through “Look at Little Sister” and “Crossfire” with the help of the three-piece Grooveline Horns. Doyle Bramhall II followed with a soulful three-song set highlighted by “Change It,” a song his late father wrote for Vaughan.

Bramhall stuck around to accompany charismatic steel guitarist Robert Randolph, who confessed that “a girl once actually left me on a date because I kept playing Stevie Ray Vaughan in my car.” He proceeed to deliver the night’s most rousing number, a celebratory “Pride and Joy,” with Wynans applauding from behind his keyboard at the song’s end.

The only guy who could follow that was Buddy Guy. The legendary Chicago blues guitarist drove the show home with “Let Me Love You Baby” and “Mary Had a Little Lamb” before a mass cast assembled for the “Texas Flood” finale. From stage left, the front line consisted of Shepherd, Bramhall, Randolph, Nelson, Guy, Willie’s son Lukas Nelson and Lovett, with Layton, Shannon, Wynans and harp player Raphael backing them. It was a defining “Austin City Limits” moment.

The crew also announced a few details for a June 26 concert that will be held at the downtown ACL Live venue to be filmed for inclusion in the fall prime time special. Actor Jeff Bridges will host the event, which will include performances by Gary Clark Jr., Kris Kristofferson, Sheryl Crow and Jimmie Vaughan, with others to be announced.

Willie Nelson PSA for water conservation in Texas

Monday, April 28th, 2014