Graeme Thomson

The weird, hypnotic world of Willie Nelson

The songwriter is the same age as the FBI, but even at 91 he retains a zen-like ability to communicate the essence of a song

issue 25 May 2024

Many years ago, I wrote a book about Willie Nelson. At its conclusion, I reached for an elegiac, valedictory tone. In 2006, when The Outlaw was published, Nelson was already 73, and it seemed plausible to suggest that one of the great American lives might be winding down. I pictured Nelson rolling off the road and into the sunset, his work on Earth more or less complete.

Nelson embodies both sides of an increasingly divided nation; hippie and redneck, patriot and agitator

Well, scratch that ending.

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