Luck Reunion organizers work to preserve the Western village that hosts the Red Headed Stranger’s annual music festival
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by: Dave Dalton
The Western movie set located on Willie Nelson’s property about 30 miles west of Austin was, well, down on its luck. A few years removed from its construction in 1985 to serve as the town of Driscoll, Montana, in the Red Headed Stranger, starring Nelson, and then as Fort Smith, Arkansas, in the acclaimed miniseries Lonesome Dove, the set—including a church, an Opry House, and a saloon—was falling apart.
“The horses would roam around in the town and there were holes in the sidewalk and grass up to your waist,” recalls Bob Wishoff, who worked for Nelson for years and was known as “Computer Bob.”
But every Easter, the set would be revived. “We’d have a party up at the church and all kinds of people went to it,” Wishoff says. Celebrities would come—Dolly Parton attended one year—and mingle with the locals during the picnic following the Easter service. “It was the most wonderful time, one of the freest times.”
Today, the 500-acre ranch is home to rescue horses and a regenerative farming operation, but the town—which Nelson named Luck—remains the star attraction. The property adjoins the community of Briarcliff and is just south of the Pedernales Country Club, which Nelson purchased in 1979. Having dabbled in farming while living in Nashville in the 1960s, Nelson appreciated the ranch. And when it came time to film Red Headed Stranger, the dusty and rocky site seemed to be a natural fit. (See Nelson’s video for “You Don’t Think I’m Funny Anymore” for a good look at Luck.)