www.stillisstillmoving.com

Saturday Conversation: The Timeless Willie Nelson On Positive Thinking
www.forbes.com
by: Steve Balton

The great B.B King once said to me, when he was 71, “Any day you don’t learn something is a day wasted.” At 92, nobody embodies that profound philosophy better than fellow legend Willie Nelson.

In the first half of 2025 alone Nelson has performed on his “Outlaw Music Festival” tour with Bob Dylan, he has a duet out with Steve Perry, he has an album of Rodney Crowell covers out, Oh What A Beautiful World, and his new THC drink, Willie’s Remedy is one of the top products, top five to be specific, in the booming THC drink business.

I spoke with Nelson about how staying positive keeps him young at heart.

Steve Baltin: Where are you on the tour today?

Willie Nelson: We’re in Maui.

Baltin: Is the tour done or are you just there on the tour?

Nelson: We’re a few days off and we’ve come over here for a while.

Baltin: I know you’ve been playing with Dylan a little bit on the shows. Do you ever tease him about not being the oldest guy on the tour this time? You beat him by about eight years.

Baltin: Is the tour done or are you just there on the tour?

Nelson: We’re a few days off and we’ve come over here for a while.

Baltin: I know you’ve been playing with Dylan a little bit on the shows. Do you ever tease him about not being the oldest guy on the tour this time? You beat him by about eight years.

Baltin: I know you’ve been playing with Dylan a little bit on the shows. Do you ever tease him about not being the oldest guy on the tour this time? You beat him by about eight years.

Nelson: (Laughs) We’re having a good time out there.

Baltin: You just did the song with Steve Perry and of course you have this wonderful new album where you do Rodney Crowell songs and you duet with Rodney. How much fun is it for you to get to work with all of these different artists still and keep things fresh by collaboration?

Nelson: Well, it’s as good as it gets. I can’t ask for anything better than that.

Baltin: You just did the song with Steve Perry and of course you have this wonderful new album where you do Rodney Crowell songs and you duet with Rodney. How much fun is it for you to get to work with all of these different artists still and keep things fresh by collaboration?

Nelson: Well, it’s as good as it gets. I can’t ask for anything better than that.

Baltin: How did the Steve Perry one come about because that one’s a little different for you?

Nelson: One of the greatest country songs ever written Rodney wrote. It’s called “Till I Gain Control Again,” and he’s a great writer. He doesn’t write bad songs. The other greatest song country wise is George Jones “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” Those are, in my opinion, the two greatest country songs. And Rodney is a great writer.

Baltin: I imagine you guys have been friends for some time too. So that probably makes it more fun.

Nelson: Oh yeah. It’s nice being able to do things with old friends. Like they say, they don’t make old friends.

Baltin: It’s really interesting to hear your choices for greatest country songs of all time, because there’s about a million people who would pick “Crazy.”

Nelson: (Laughs) Well, I won’t argue with them.

Baltin: Do you have to take a step back from your own stuff a little bit though?

Because I know as an artist you get too close to your own stuff and it’s hard to look at it with perspective.

Nelson: I think that’s right. I’ve written a lot of songs and at the time I wrote them I liked them all and I guess I still do.

Baltin: I talk about this with so many songwriters and songs have a tendency to come out of the subconscious or from the universe, whatever you want to call it. Are there songs of yours that you’ve written that you’re like, “I don’t even know where that came from but it’s a great song?”

Nelson: Yeah, all of them are usually like that

Baltin: Are there any then that particularly still surprise you or that you get a different perspective on and appreciate more?

Nelson: I believe songs, they don’t get old. “Stardust” is one of the greatest songs of all time. “Moonlight In Vermont,” “Your Cheating Heart,” all those songs don’t get old, they just get better.

Baltin: Let’s talk about Wilie’s Remedy because we talked about the collaboration. But how much does Willie’s Remedy help keep you young on the road?

Nelson: Well, I can’t smoke anything anymore. My lungs have already said, “Don’t do that.” So, I don’t really do anything now much except a few edibles.

Baltin: How important is it then to have the drink because the THC drink is a whole new thing?

Nelson: I think it’s good, the people like it from what I’ve seen and heard. It’s getting to be pretty popular out there.

Baltin: Are you involved in putting it together?

Nelson: I think it’s great. I don’t do a lot. My wife does a lot for it. She works hard and talks to a lot of people, and I nod my head a lot and say, “Yes, thank you.”

Baltin: Said every good husband ever in the history of the world. That’s probably got more to do with growing old than any THC, saying yes.

Nelson: Thinking positive is the best thing you can do. Imagine what you want and then get out of the way.

Baltin: How important is it then to have an album right now like Oh What a Beautiful World, which is such a beautiful title. Was it important to you to put that out now to help motivate and make people happy?

Nelson: Yes, I think it’s time we try to make people happy and talk about the good things and be positive.

Baltin: When you think of the things that make you happy and are positive what are a couple of the things that come to mind for you?

Nelson: They need to ask themselves that question, “What is the greatest thing in the world?” And we all have different answers. When it comes down to it you’ll know what to do if you honestly ask for an answer.

Baltin: What are your personal things that make you happy?

Nelson: I enjoy playing music, I enjoy seeing people get together and forget about everything except music. I think there’s a great positive exchange that takes place. We don’t care what political affiliation you’re with, what color you are, it doesn’t matter if you like music, come on.

Baltin: You have coming up the fortieth Farm Aid. How much fun is something like that in terms of getting to collaborate with great musicians, but also obviously deliver a very important message and support people that you believe in.

Nelson: Those guys (Neil Young and John Mellencamp) have been with me all along and I couldn’t have done it without them. And we’re still doing it 40 years later. I think the small family farmers appreciate what Farm Aid has done and we hope to continue to do it.

Baltin: With Willie’s Remedy, you are giving back to the farmers as well. So is it important to you to walk the walk, not just talk the talk? Not only do you do Farm id, but you give back to them year -round through your different programs.

Nelson: I think we all have a reason to be here. We’re all missionaries of one kind or another. We were all sent here to do something, and we know what it is, what it was. And we try to do it, we try to show people the way that we think it should be done and I’m a big believer in treating others the way you want to be treated.

Read article here.

Bristol, CT – June 16, 2014 – Digital Center 2 Plaza: Country singer Willie Nelson performs during an ESPN Newsmaker Luncheon
(Photo by John Atashian / ESPN Images)

Welcome to SportsNation! On Monday, legendary musician Willie Nelson drops by to chat about his love of sports and his latest album “Band of Brothers” which hits stores Tuesday.

Nelson, 81, is in his sixth decade in the music industry that began when he started writing songs that included hits like Patsy Cline’s “Crazy.”

“Band of Brothers” marks Nelson’s first album of mostly new, original content since 1996, whose single “Bring It On” can be heard here.

Send your questions now and join Nelson Monday at 1:45 p.m. ET!

Buzzmaster

Willie will be here in a few minutes to take your questions!

Buzzmaster

 Willie is here!

Lenny (San Diego)

You’ve had a long, legendary career, but is there still any spot on the globe that you haven’t played yet that you want to get to?

Willie Nelson
Well, I want to go back to Italy and play. For a lot of different reasons. I haven’t been there for a long time. I haven’t toured there much. I want to go back to Amsterdam too.

Tim (DC)

What is your songwriting process like? Are you able to write anywhere or do you need to have a certain surroundings?

Willie Nelson

I think a good songwriter should be able to write something about anything any time. Whether it’s any good or not, I don’t know. But if he’s a good writer, he should be able to come up with some rhymes.

Kevin (Boston)

what keeps you motivated to keep on touring and putting out albums?

Willie Nelson

I enjoy touring. I enjoy playing the music. As long as the fans keep showing up, we’ll keep doing it.

Daniel (Kansas)

Anyone in particular you would like to use your black belt skills on?

Willie Nelson

I’m making out a list!

willie wilbanks [via mobile]

What made you decide to do this new album? Are your kids on it as well?

Willie Nelson

I hadn’t had an album of a lot of original songs in a while. We got lucky writing and it just sort of happened.

Keith (Baltimore)

what do you think about the current state of country music? Anyone out there you enjoy listening to?

Willie Nelson

I am of the old school. I haven’t heard too many of the new guys. I’m sure there are some guys I should have heard about. Alison Krauss, Kacey Musgrave are great. Really some great talent out there. I hear Billy Jo is good on the new album.

Carly (Denver)

What do you do on those long bus rides when you’re on tour?

Willie Nelson

I sleep a lot.

Donna Wilbanks Tower [via mobile]

How do you keep that amazing voice? How do you keep going?

Willie Nelson

I use it, it helps, like the old commercial says, if you don’t use it, you lose it. It goes for anything.

Jason (Philly)

What was your friendship with Texas coach Darrell Royal like? Do you think we will see a relationship like that with a big-time head coach and a musician again?

Willie Nelson

Darrell was a good friend. We hung out and jogged together. He was the biggest country music fan ever. Another coach that is a good friend of mine is Don Nelson, we play poker a lot. He’s another good guy.

Ray/Indiana [via mobile]

Have you ever lost or misplaced “Trigger?” What will happen if you outlive Trigger or vice versa?

Willie Nelson

I don’t know. I’ve never lost him. A lot of people keep their eye on him all the time. I don’t even want to think about what I’d do without him.

Mary Benedict (Maryland)

Have you ever thought about making a new Highwayman album? Maybe having the newer bad boys of Toby Keith and Trace Adkins and maybe adding Shooter Jennings and John Carter Cash to honor their Dads, so the Highwayman songs can keep on living.

Willie Nelson

I thought about doing one with maybe me and Merle and Kris, Jamey. I haven’t done it yet, but I’ve thought about it.

Neal (Miami)

What is one of your favorite memories of Johnny Cash?

Willie Nelson

Johnny Cash, he called me a lot and wanted me to tell him jokes. He liked my jokes. He was another good friend.

Jenny (Chicago)

What kind of athlete are you now? What about back in your youth?

Willie Nelson

I played all kind of sports, I wasn’t great in any of them but I enjoyed them. It’s still the same way. I run, walk, bike. Do martial arts. I just do enough to keep me going. I try not to overdo it. I think it’s important to do something.

Victor (Monroe)

What,s It Like Being in the country music hall of fame?

Willie Nelson

It was a great honor to be inducted into the hall of fame. It’s one of the best things that’s happened to me in my career.

Kevin (Miami)

How many songs do you think you’ve written in your life?

Willie Nelson

I don’t know. 3,000, 4,000.

Wally (KC)

What do you still remember about being on Miami Vice. Did you enjoy acting? Do you still enjoy it?

Willie Nelson

I had fun doing that. I saw that on rerun the other day. With Don Johnson. It was pretty funny. I enjoy acting. It’s a lot of fun.

Tampa Red (Parkersville)

Which late musician do you wish you done a duet with?

Willie Nelson

I would have loved to have played with Django. I am pretty lucky, I got to sing with a lot of the people I wanted to. I’ve been pretty lucky.

Erika (NYC)

Did you come up with the term “Outlaw Country”? If you didn’t, do you like that title?

Willie Nelson

That was started by somebody else in Nashville. I thought it was funny. I liked it from the beginning.

Will Emery (Texas)

Willie, thank you for the years and years of great music. How is your health? 81 going on 18?

Willie Nelson

Pretty much. I feel pretty good. I had a good show last night. Everybody showed up. Was healthy. Can’t ask for much more than that.

Derrick (Chicago)

Hey Willie, I gotta ask you, does too much marijuana ever impact your singing voice? Any long term issues you’ve noticed?

Willie Nelson

It makes me sound too much like Frank Sinatra. I can’t tell if it’s helped or hindered.

Clem Brown (Mineola, TX)

Any surprises for this year’s Willie Nelson 4th of July Picnic in Ft. Worth? What’s the lineup this year? Good luck with your new album, can’t wait to hear it.

Willie Nelson

I don’t know. We have a lot of favorites from Texas. We have a lot of other acts booked. David Allan Coe. Ray Wylie Hubbard. If you have three names, I’ll put you on the list.

TimmyJim (Metter)

Even though everything’s better in Metter, which city is your favorite tour stop?

Willie Nelson

I am from Texas. I always look forward to playing in Texas.

QABill (V town)

Besides your own songs, what is your favorite song of all time?

Willie Nelson

My favorite all time song is “Moonlight in Vermont.”

Chris (Kenova, WV)

Your favorite NFL Team?

Willie Nelson

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by Kevin O’Hare
http://www.masslive.com

At the age of 77, Willie Nelson is still riding high and riding strong, touring steadily as always and celebrating the release of his exceptional new album “Country Music.”

It’s the latest in a rather astounding catalog of more than 200 albums, some dating back to his earliest days as a songwriter in the early 1960s, when he attracted the interest of stars like Patsy Cline, who famously recorded Nelson’s “Crazy,” and Ray Price, who had a major hit with Nelson’s “Night Life.”

Eventually Nelson shifted from Nashville to Austin where he became a key player in the “country outlaw’ movement that tossed aside every known stereotype about traditional country music of the era. Nelson’s hair got longer, he became well known for smoking marijuana and he turned into a superstar in 1978 with his distinct reworking of pop standards titled “Stardust.”

He began recording at a frenzied pace around this period, making sure to release albums of duets with old friends like Price, Merle Haggard, Leon Russell and many others. Whether he over-saturated the market at the time is still worthy of debate but his concert sales remain strong and steady to this day.

He recently spoke from his home in Texas about his amazing career, famous friends like the late great Cline, his reputation for smoking lots of weed, his new album and his thoughts for the future:

You’ve released more than 200 albums. How in the world can you try and deliver something fresh on the new album “Country Music?”

Well it depends a lot on the songs, the producers and the musicians. With this particular album “Country Music” it was a no brainer. T Bone Burnett knows this music as well as anyone. I’m sure it was easy for him to come up with great musicians and come up with some great songs. “Dark as a Dungeon,” “Oceans of Diamonds” and all those great songs that we’ve all heard and sung for many years but they’ve been sort of lost in the shuffle along the way and he was sharp enough to put them all together and say “Hey let’s do these again.”

What was it like working with T Bone Burnett and how did you guys get to first know each other?

Well, we’re old Texas buddies, he’s from Ft. Worth and I’m from somewhere around there. I’ve known about him for years and years. His wife and my wife were buddies. We played golf together not too long ago and talked about doing something. He’d just had the “Crazy Heart” movie and I felt maybe it’d be a good time for us to do a CD together and I just turned it over to him really.

There’s a great song on the album called “Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down.” Do you see Satan in the world around us? If so, where?

Well of course. We all see things that are the opposite of peace and love so we put a name on it and it’s Satan. No matter what your thoughts and beliefs are, God is good, Satan is hate. And that’s just the way it is. We who sing gospel songs talk about God and Satan as mortal enemies. In this particular song, it’s an old traditional, it’s a wonderful song.“I’ve been promising myself to take it easy on myself and not work so hard so we’ll see how it goes.” – Willie Nelson

“Pistol Packin’ Mama.” Tell me a little about the song.

That song has been in my repertoire for a long, long time. Al Dexter, who originally recorded it, was a friend of mine, we knew each other back in the old days back in Ft. Worth. I’ve sung the song a lot. When T Bone brought it to the session I said “Hey where’s that song been?”

Speaking of “Pistol Packin’ Mama,” who’s the craziest woman you ever had a relationship with?

(extended laughter) How much time you got?

I got the time, if you’ve got the money.

I probably shouldn’t put names on them but there are a few (laughs).

When you had the huge breakthrough in the 1970s with “Red Headed Stranger” and then “Stardust” you started recording albums at an amazing pace. Did you ever worry that you might be over-saturating the market?

Well I was sort of warned that I could, but there really wasn’t a lot that I wanted to do about it because this was my shot and I had a chance to get stuff, record it and get it out there. I felt I could do it, I wasn’t overloading myself. I might have been overloading the record companies and their ability to market all that stuff. I could see where they were coming from.

There was some talk years ago that you might do an album of duets with Bob Dylan. Whatever happened to that?

It was an idea that is still a good idea that may or may not happen. As close as we came, we did write one song together, we were gonna write a whole album and then record it but we ended up doing one song together. He hummed a melody and cut a track and it went like (Nelson sings melody). What it wound up being was (“Heartland”) “There’s a home place under fire tonight in the heartland … My American dream fell apart at the seams.” He wrote it a little bit, I wrote it a little bit, we went into the studio and cut it.

On April 30 you turned 77. You’re still playing about 200 dates every year. How can you keep that up?

I don’t know, it’s crazy and I’ll probably slack off a little bit. I’ve been promising myself to take it easy on myself and not work so hard so we’ll see how it goes.

I interviewed B.B. King a few years ago and he said the same thing but I don’t think he’s slowed down too much either.

No but it’s in the back of our minds. We know that we’re down here rounding third so it’s really whether we want to slide into home or just kind of trot across (laughs).

You take a lot of kidding for your rather legendary marijuana smoking. Larry King seemed startled that you had smoked up before appearing on his show recently. When did you start and do you ever see a day when you’ll stop?

Oh, I have stopped before and gone days and days and days. It’s not as though if I don’t get marijuana I get headaches. There have been cases where if I smoked too much my lungs get congested and I lay off awhile. Things are getting so simple now. In California and about 12, 15 different states you can buy edibles and you can get high eating candy. It’s not necessary to destroy your lungs anymore smoking if you just want to get high.

Is your bus as bad as Toby Keith says?

Toby can’t handle it (laughs) He’s a little wimpy in that department. He’s the first to admit it. God love him.

A few years ago you took up running. Are you still doing that?

I went out for a little run today. I don’t run as far or as fast as I used to but I still try and get in a few steps a day.

You’re still golfing?

I’ve had to stop golfing for awhile because I hurt my arm … golfing naturally. So I’ve not been golfing for about three months now.

That must be killing you.

Well, it’s good enough for me I guess, if I had a better swing I wouldn’t have done it.

Hopefully you’ll be back on the course soon.

One of these days, but I had a ruptured bicep from overdoing something and then I tore the rotator in my left arm. My left side is a little bit out but it will get better.

Can you tell me a little bit about Patsy Cline?

Well, she was the greatest female vocalist maybe all around ever, but for sure, for country, that I ever heard. There’s this joke. After Patsy Cline did “Crazy” and everyone else has tried it, and this joke is really not meant to hurt anybody else’s feelings but when they say “How many girl singers does it take to sing “Crazy” and they answered “All of them.” But as Patsy Cline nailed it, who else since then, it’s like Ray Charles singing “Georgia.” I had enough nerve to cover him but I never thought I did as good a job on it as he did.

Were you and Patsy close?

Yeah, we toured together and … I first met her one night back there in Tootsies Bar, drinking a little beer and her husband Charlie Dick was there and we were talking, listening to some songs that I’d just brought up from Texas. I had Tootsie put a couple of 45s on her jukebox. One of them had “Crazy” and “Night Life.” And Charlie Dick just really loved “Crazy” and wanted to play it for Patsy. We went over to his house and he wanted me to go in and meet Patsy and I wouldn’t do it. I said “No it’s late and we’re drinking, I don’t want to wake her up. He said “Aw she’ll be fine.” I didn’t go in. He went in and then she came out and got me and made me go in. She was a wonderful person, fixed us coffee, was just a great gal. I got to know her real well, we toured some together and she was just great.

\You were in the Highwaymen. What are your favorite memories of playing and touring with Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and you all in one band?

Well every night was a great show for me ‘cause I was way over on the right and I got to see three of my heroes perform all night long all over the world. It doesn’t get any better than that.

What was it like after the shows?

Well we had all our families with us. Most of our wild days were behind us by the time we got together in the Highwaymen. Actually the last two or three times we went on tour, we had all our kids and families and went to Singapore and Australia and different places. We had 278 pieces of luggage.

Who had the idea of the four of you working together?

We had gone to Switzerland to do a Christmas show with Johnny Cash and June Carter. They invited me and Waylon and Kris to play on their Christmas show. We were having a photo session one day and the photographer said “What are you all going to Switzerland for?” And we said. “That’s where Jesus was born.” And the photographer said “Oh, ok.” We laughed about that awhile. We did that and decided it was a lot of fun and thought maybe we should do some records together. Someone, I forget who it was, had the song “The Highwayman,” the Jimmy Webb song. We played it and liked it and thought this might be something we want to do.

How long did it take you to record the new album “Country Music?”

A couple of minute s (laughs) It was really quick. Everyone knew the songs. Most of the things we did in one or two takes, it doesn’t take long to record when you do it that way.

You’re not a seven, or eight or nine take guy anyway are you?

No, three’s my limit. Usually I get it in one ‘cause usually we do not press the record button until we know just what we’re doing. Then once that happens I like to do two more just for insurance in case I’m not hearing something. But a lot of times I take the first take.

Of the movies you have made, which one is your favorite and why?

I liked “Barbarosa” and “Red Headed Stranger.” Hell, I enjoyed doing “The Songwriter” and “A Pair of Aces” with Kris. With “The Songwriter,” Kris and I always had a lot of fun. As far as “Red Headed Stranger” and “Barbarosa,” I like horses a lot and I got along with them ok so that was always fun where I could ride a horse or play my guitar.

Speaking of your guitar, your Martin guitar has a huge hole in it. That hole was there back in the 1970s. Has it gotten bigger and how long can you keep playing it?

It’ll last longer than I do probably. It still plays fine. I have to take it in every few years and have them do a reinforcement in the inside to make sure it hasn’t collapsed anymore in there. But right now it’s in fine shape, it’ll last longer that I will.

You have a lot of signatures on there right?

Well the first person I heard of anybody signing their guitar was Leon Russell and he asked me to sign his. I said “Sure” and I started to sign it with a marker and he said “No scratch it in there with a knife.” He had a knife there so I scratched my name with a knife. Then I said “Now that I’ve done yours why don’t’ you do mine?” So I had him scratch his name on Trigger (the name of Nelson’s guitar), he was the first one I had on there.

How is Leon Russell doing, I’d heard he’s been sick.

I think he’s doing fine. I think he and Elton John are doing an album together and he’s supposed to play my 4th of July picnic down in Austin so I think he’s doing better.

You two made a great album, “One For the Road”

We have another one that’s in the can that we’re waiting to put out.

When did you record it?

Last year sometime.

What songs did you do?

We did some country things that I like, some Vern Gosdin things. We did “My Cricket and Me, “Jumpin’ Jack Flash, “Chiseled in Stone,” a lot of different songs that we like.

What do you still want to achieve and what are you working on next?

Honestly, I want to achieve this tour (laughs). It’s been a long one. Then I can figure out what I want to do next. Once it’s over with, I want to rest a while and then I can figure out what I want to do next. So far we’ve had a good year, the album’s doing good, I really don’t have a lot to worry about anything right now.”