The red headed stranger who started his career with mail order music lessons provided by his grandparents, remains today — leaning hard on 80 years young — a vibrant and active entertainer, criss-crossing the country to gigs in his beloved bus with a band of compatriots and family who share his passion.
From the battered guitar he loves best — Trigger — a lifetime of classic country tunes has flowed. Songs like “Crazy,” “Hello Walls,” “Good Hearted Woman” and “On the Road Again” are as much a part of the American landscape as highways, diners and pickup trucks.
He’s won too many awards to fit this space and his collaborations with performers as diverse as Wynton Marsalis, Waylon Jennings, Toby Keith, Snoop Dogg and Asleep at the Wheel to name but aa few, speak to the level of respect he has earned from his fellow musicians of every stripe in his long, storied career.
Willie is not one to rest on his laurels. His activism and participation in pet caues such as marijuana legaliation, the use of bio-fuels, and support of family farms through Farm Aid concerts with Neil Young and John Mellencamp, has served to bring these issues to greater public awareness and has raised thousands upon thousands of dollars in aid.
Adored by every generation of music lover, Willie Nelson is a true American hero, standing up for what he believes in, advocating for the working citizen and gifting us with his timeless songs that are part of the soundtrack of our lives.
We are honored to welcome Willie Nelson to this year’s Telluride Blues and Brews Festival.
[2011 Telluride Blues and Brews Festival Program]