(sorry, I can’t remember what magazine I cut this article from, nor the date.)
New York City and New Yorkers are not winning many popularity awards these days. but whatever may be said about The Big Apple’s ills and sins, it certainly ranks high right now as a not bed of country music. The largest audience of any country music radio station in the country belongs to New York City’s WHN; the Lone Star Cafe, on Fifth Avenue rocks every night with every kind of country show, including, recently, Ernest Tubb… that’s right fans…Ernest Tubb, the living legend right there on Fifth Avenue, New York, New York.
Nothing illustrates the country fever in New York better than the recent invasion of Willie and Waylon. Appearing at the Nassau Coliseum, a 19,000 seat sports arena, the Outlaws drew a capacity crowd of every kind of fan including White House Press Secretary Jody Powell, pop artist Andy Warhol, rock-saint James Taylor, movie star and sometimes rodeo cowboy James Caan, record business top execs Bruce Lundvall and Jerry Wexler, plus thousands of everyday fans and a horde of writers, editors and photographers.
BUt that was only half of it — the other half took place the next night back at the Lone Star Cafe, where CBS Records threw a press party for Willie. Willie, his wife Connie Nelson, Waylon and his wife Jessi Colter (who also performed at the Coliseum) all rubbed elbows and bent elbows with all the guests. Then Willie and his band did two full dynamite shows for the grateful throng till the wee hours.Â
Small photos above:Â Willie was joined onstage by James Taylor, James Talley, and NBC’s Saturday Night stars John Belushi and Bill Murray.