Willie Nelson: Crazy Pot-Smoking Outlaw
Willie Nelson is a country singer-songwriter with a sensational back catalogue.
Releasing an album every year—sometimes even two—wasn’t unusual in the ’60s. What set Willie apart was that he wrote almost all the songs himself.
Before launching his own studio albums, his tunes were already being picked up by other artists. Most famously, Crazy was recorded by Patsy Cline and became a huge hit. Willie included it on his own debut album, …And Then I Wrote, in 1962.
While Willie’s version of Crazy didn’t chart, Touch Me—the album’s opening track—did, reaching #7 on the country chart.
These early years were tough. Being part of the polished Nashville country scene never really suited him; he “went along with it” rather than embracing it. Inspired by Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire and its bold production, Willie’s label hoped the same approach might work for him. It didn’t. Disillusioned by Nashville’s traditional, narrow-minded mindset, he began to drift from the scene.
Still, he kept writing and releasing music. Crazy was a massive success, and Pretty Paper was picked up by Roy Orbison and performed well too.
Between his debut in 1962 and 1973—when he finally found his stride with Shotgun Willie—he released 15 studio albums and 35 singles.
In 1973, he left both Nashville and RCA, moving to Austin and signing with Atlantic. Shotgun Willie was a reaction to the slick Nashville sound and became an emblem of what would be called Outlaw Country. Critics loved it, but commercial success remained elusive.
The following year’s Phases and Stages was recorded in just two days at Muscle Shoals, with Booker T. Jones producing. A concept album about divorce, side A told the woman’s side, side B the man’s. Again, it failed to chart significantly.
In 1975, Willie changed labels once more and released Red Headed Stranger—another concept album, this time about a fugitive who murders his wife and her lover.
It was his 18th studio album—and finally, a breakthrough. His new label hated it, calling it a demo, and tried to change it. But Willie had signed a deal granting him full creative control, so they were forced to release it as-is.
The gamble paid off. With his first #1 single, a cover of Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain, and the album later ranked #186 on Rolling Stone’s list of greatest albums of all time, Red Headed Stranger gave Willie Nelson the recognition he had long deserved.
To top it off, the album was later turned into a film. After Robert Redford turned down the role, Willie ended up playing the Stranger himself. True to form, the project took over a decade and faced plenty of hurdles before finally being released in 1986.
Back to his recording career—his next three albums were all a bit leftfield. One was a tribute album of Lefty Frizzell covers, another had been recorded before Red Headed Stranger but released after, and the third featured his take on Amazing Grace.
By the end of the ’70s, Willie Nelson was enjoying consistent success. The 1978 album Stardust included covers of All of Me and Georgia on My Mind. It sold five million copies in the U.S. and ranked #260 among the greatest albums of all time.
That same year, he released Waylon & Willie, a duet album with Waylon Jennings. It stayed on the country chart for 126 weeks and sold two million copies.
In 1979, he teamed up with Leon Russell on One for the Road, covering classics like Heartbreak Hotel, You Are My Sunshine, Danny Boy, Summertime, and Stormy Weather.
Next came an album made entirely of Kris Kristofferson covers, including Help Me Make It Through the Night and the tune Janis Joplin made famous, Me and Bobby McGee.
To round off the decade, Willie released his first Christmas album—named after Pretty Paper, the tune Roy Orbison had turned into a hit back in 1963.
High Times and Hard Times: Willie Nelson in the ’80s and Beyond
The ’80s was a fantastic decade for Willie Nelson. He recorded cover tunes like Always On My Mind, Over The Rainbow, Angel Eyes, Take It To The Limit (Eagles), and Heart Of Gold, as well as his own On The Road Again.
He also formed a supergroup with Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, and Waylon Jennings called The Highwaymen, and recorded duets with Ray Charles and Neil Young.
And let’s not forget Farm Aid, a festival launched to support American farmers. Nelson has played the event every year since its inception. As a non-profit organisation, it has raised millions for the cause.
After such a great decade, things went south when the IRS decided that the way his accountant had set up offshore accounts wasn’t legal. Nelson was hit with a $9 million tax bill. It took him a few years to clear the debt, including releasing an album nicknamed the “IRS Tapes,” with all proceeds going straight to the government.
Three years later, he was in the clear, though pretty low on funds. Still, Nelson kept doing what he always did—writing songs, recording albums, and touring. One would assume he also got himself a new accountant.
On a final note, Willie Nelson is widely known for being a pothead—he supposedly smoked Snoop Dogg under the table, which must be considered quite an achievement.
Perhaps his tune Roll Me Up captures this side of him best.
Willie Nelson Tunes | Related Pages
All Of Me | Chords + TAB
You can learn to play All Of Me by Frank Sinatra using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| Bbmaj7 | Bbmaj7 | D7 | D7 |
All of me, why not take all of me…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: All Of Me (the Real Book) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Angel Eyes | Chords + TAB
You can learn to play Angel Eyes by Frank Sinatra using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and Spytunes video guitar lessons.
| Am Am/G Am/F# Am/F | Am/E Am/Eb |
Try to think that love’s not around…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Angel Eyes (Frank Sinatra) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Blue Moon | Chords + TAB
You can learn to play Blue Moon by Billie Holiday using chords, the lyrics, a chord chart, and the original recording. Practice in three keys!
| Abmaj7 Fm7 | Bbm7 Eb7 | Abmaj7 Fm7 |
Blue moon, you saw me standing alone…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Blue Moon (Billie Holiday) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Everybody’s Talkin’ | Chords + TAB
You can learn to play Everybody’s Talkin’ by Harry Nilsson using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| Cmaj7 G6 | Cmaj7 G6 |
Everybody’s talkin’ at me…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Everybody’s Talkin’ (Harry Nilsson) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Georgia On My Mind | Chords + Lyrics
You can learn to play Georgia On My Mind by Ray Charles using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| G | B7/F# B7 |
Georgia, Georgia…
Have You Ever Seen The Rain | Chords + TAB
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Have You Ever Seen The Rain (Creedence Clearwater Revival) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Heart Of Gold | Chords + TAB
You can learn to play Heart Of Gold by Neil Young using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| Em C | D5 G |
I want to live, I want to give…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Me and Bobby McGee (Janis Joplin) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Me and Bobby McGee | Chords + TAB
You can learn to play Me and Bobby McGee by Janis Joplin using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recordings.
| G | G |
Busted flat in Baton Rouge, waitin’ for a train…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Me and Bobby McGee (Janis Joplin) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
On the Road Again | Chords + TAB
You can learn to play On the Road Again by Willie Nelson using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| E | E | G# |
On the road again, just can’t wait to get on the road again.
Check out the full TAB lesson here: On The Road Again (Willie Nelson) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Over The Rainbow | Chords + TAB
You can learn to play Over The Rainbow by Eva Cassidy using chords, lyrics, TAB, chord analysis, a chord chart, and Spytunes video guitar lessons.
| Gsus2 /F# | Em /D | Bm7b13 | G7 Amadd4 /B |
Somewhere over the rainbow…
Start learning with the full lesson series: Over The Rainbow – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
Summertime | Chords + TAB
You can learn to play Summertime by Billie Holiday using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| Bbm7 F7b9/C | Db6 F7b9/C | Bbm7 F7b9/C | Db6 F7b9/C |
Summertime and the living is easy…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Summertime (Billie Holiday) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Willie Nelson on the web
