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http://www.phillyburbs.com
by Marty Franzen
Here is a show you won’t see again soon. Country legend Willie Nelson is performing at the Tower Theater, 69th and Ludlow streets, Upper Darby, Pa., tonight. We have gotten used to Nelson playing indoor arenas and outdoor festivals, but seeing him up close after his 60 years in music is a treat for new and old fans alike. Over the years, Nelson has become known as a prolific songwriter for others — Patsy Cline’s “Crazy,†“Ray Price’s “Night Life†and Faron Young’s “Hello Walls†— and for himself. He reached the Top 10 on the country charts on his own in 1962 with the single “Willingly†and never looked back.
Since then, he has charted more than 100 country hits, placing him among the Top 10 country artists of all time, according to Joel Whitburn’s “Top Country Singles†book. His biggest songs on that chart were “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys,†“Good Hearted Woman,†“To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before,†“Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain†and “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys.â€
Nelson has topped the country list 18 times, either alone or with a duet partner. He also crossed over to the pop charts in the 1970s and 1980s, behind the singles “Always on My Mind,†“On the Road Again†and that Julio Iglesias duet “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before.â€
And no one has had a bigger career boost singing cover tunes than Nelson has. Even though he charted more than 50 albums during the years, it was his 5 million-selling, 1978 album “Stardust†that made him a household name. In the intervening years, he has reinterpreted songs in his signature laid-back style from artists as diverse as Paul Simon, the Platters, Gregg Allman, Nat “King†Cole, Elvis Presley, Otis Redding, Louis Armstrong, the Everly Brothers and Elvis Presley.
But Nelson wasn’t just a singer-songwriter. He also delved into acting, appearing in the films “The Electric Horseman,†“Honeysuckle Rose,†Barbarosa†and “Red-Headed Stranger.â€
Now Nelson is back with a jazz and blues-influenced album titled “Two Men With the Blues,†on which he duets with trumpet player Wynton Marsalis. The 2008 Blue Note Records release features standards like “Georgia on My Mind,†“Caldonia,†“That’s All†and “Stardust.â€
But for those who are looking for more of the Willie Nelson style they love, check out last year’s “Moment of Forever†CD with its covers of Bob Dylan, Dave Matthews Band, Kris Kristofferson and Randy Newman tunes or “Last of the Breed,†his two-CD collaboration with old friends Merle Haggard and Ray Price.
Show time is 8. Tickets are $49 to $59; (856) 338-9000.