I just dig Willie Nelson. I don’t have a lot of his records and I’m no expert on the man but he always struck me as an alright guy. The kind of guy it would be a real pleasure to hang out with. He’s always stood out in my mind as a truly great lyricist. “Time Of The Preacher” comes to mind right away as a set of lyrics that hit me hard and really stayed with me. The man was friendly with two of my other heroes, Roger Miller and Johnny Cash. His support of and open use of marijuana is something I respect. He’s just a character and a character I’ve always found interest in.When I found Willie’s autobiography Wilmot’s Books in Alameda for less than half the cover price, I snatched it up immediately. This is Willie’s story told in Willie’s words, aided and abetted by family members, friends, band mates, road crew, ex-wives, acquaintances and business associates. Coauthor Bud Shrake has been a writer and a co-conspirator on several of Willie’s films and has obviously known Nelson for years. This book reads like a real honest, intimate, inside look at Nelson as a man, musician, songwriter and human being.Willie: An Autobiography chronicles Nelson’s life from childhood (growing up hard, picking cotton to contribute to the family income and getting his first guitar, a Stella, at age six) to his early struggles as a songwriter through his success and fame as a performer and actor not to mention business owner and entrepreneur. You get an inside look at how he wrote killer songs like “Crazy”, “Hello Walls”, "On The Road Again” and “Red Headed Stranger”. The Farm Aids, the 4th Of July Picnics, the marriages, the tours, the fist fights; it’s all here.Nelson spends an entire chapter discussing his spiritual and religious views. There’s even a chapter on Neloson's astrological chart. Certainly many readers would find this fascinating reading but I had a hard time getting through it.He talks about his weed consumption and tells a great story about smoking a joint with a friend on the roof of The White House. His thoughts on legalization: “I would be in favor of legalizing marijuana entirely, but I don’t like to think of a government having the power to legalize something like an herb. An herb belongs to us people to use as we need and it is no government’s business.” He talks about how he used grass to quit smoking cigarettes, which is pretty smart if you think about it.Nelson’s stories about country stars like Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and more are fabulous. The no nonsense way he talks about these people gives a unique insight into their personalities. His story of how he passed on doing The Gambler because he was busy with Red Headed Stranger is as interesting and telling as is his tale of selling the rights to “Night Life”, one of the most recorded songs in history, for a mere $150.Willie and company tell it pretty straight and pull no punches. You’re left with the feeling you got to know Willie and would like to be part of his world, hang out with his gang. Willie is a good read and an insightful look at one of the great songsters of our time.
