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Willie Nelson: An Epic Life
Willie Nelson has spent the last 30 years on that higher plane of celebrity where he signifies many things to many people--American folk hero, national treasure, Nashville rebel, Texas outlaw, country traditionalist, lover of old pop, jazz hepcat, white blues man, white reggae man, movie star, television, personality, composer, actor, producer, disc jockey, host, motivational speaker, lifestyle trendsetter, Zen Bubba, King of the Honkytonks, philosopher, poet, gypsy, outlaw, hustler, pothead, healer, preacher man, hippie, benefit fundraiser, friend of the farmer, champion of the common man, road dog, and thief.
Texas Monthly writer and acclaimed author of Stevie Ray Vaughan , Joe Nick Patoski offers a frank and thorough portrait, adding some surprising insight on this beloved performer. From Nelson's humble beginnings cared for by his grandparents in Waco, Texas, when he learned to play the guitar at six and wrote his first song at seven to his remarkable rise to legendary status as a genre-bending music maker and a bona fide Hollywood darling, Patoski draws from his own association with Nelson, a relationship that began in the 1970s when Patoski began writing about the man and his music.
Why does Willie Nelson keep going down the road, steady as a mountain stream, creating an illusion for the millions that sit in awe of him as he sings the same repertoire night after night? With relish, Willie delves into these questions and more as Patoski reveals the true motivations for the Texanmost Texan.
Texas Monthly writer and acclaimed author of Stevie Ray Vaughan , Joe Nick Patoski offers a frank and thorough portrait, adding some surprising insight on this beloved performer. From Nelson's humble beginnings cared for by his grandparents in Waco, Texas, when he learned to play the guitar at six and wrote his first song at seven to his remarkable rise to legendary status as a genre-bending music maker and a bona fide Hollywood darling, Patoski draws from his own association with Nelson, a relationship that began in the 1970s when Patoski began writing about the man and his music.
Why does Willie Nelson keep going down the road, steady as a mountain stream, creating an illusion for the millions that sit in awe of him as he sings the same repertoire night after night? With relish, Willie delves into these questions and more as Patoski reveals the true motivations for the Texanmost Texan.
592 pages, Paperback
First published April 21, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
February 22, 2011
Finished. Finally. I wanted to love this book because I love Willie, and there were a number of gems of stories in this 500-pager. But the writing got in the way of my utter enjoyment. I can only describe it as disheveled. Ostensibly written chronologically, the stories jumped around in time. Characters would appear, disappear, and reappear suddenly with completely changed circumstances (divorced several times, dead, etc.). Lots of minute detail put into the less-than-interesting story lines (long lists of names) and then very little detail or lead up to climatic parts of Willie’s life (marriages and divorces, children born, records made, IRS woes). All sorts of folks were interviewed for the book and their comments were not spliced together in the smoothest way. Think this is the challenge of taking a journalistic approach to a biography and then wanting to cram in all of the information you gathered.
All this to say, if you’re a Willie fan, you’ll come out with a much better understanding of him from reading this book.
All this to say, if you’re a Willie fan, you’ll come out with a much better understanding of him from reading this book.
May 12, 2018
The author has certainly done his research on this comprehensive Willie Nelson biography. 498 pages not counting notes or index. This is not only a bio of one man but an extensive documentation of the Texas music scene dating back to the 1940's to the present. There are a lot of behind the scenes looks at the music business and a look at the man who did his own thing and didn't let others tell him what to do or how to do it.
October 26, 2010
So far I'm loving this book because I learned a lot about this music legends childhood/teen years that I never knew. As he grows into his craft, though, the stories are pretty much what you would expect from The Red Headed Stranger, but they're still interesting stories.
I'm still not very far into the book. If you're a fan of this man, it's a great read. However, my knowledge of some of the country music artists he worked with (especially in the very early years) is not very proficient. In that respect, the book gets very bogged down in details that I thought could have been left out. It's one thing to mention who he worked with, but do I really need to know every person that person worked with as well? The author tends to get listing these artists in tedious detail. The man is 75 years old and his been touring most of his life, so maybe we could edit that a little? The book would probably be half the length if just a little was left out. I really just skim over some of those parts.
I'm sure that's something a lot of die hard country music people are interested in reading, but to the casual Willie fan, I'm more interested in the story telling about the man....and the author tells the stories very well.
I'm still not very far into the book. If you're a fan of this man, it's a great read. However, my knowledge of some of the country music artists he worked with (especially in the very early years) is not very proficient. In that respect, the book gets very bogged down in details that I thought could have been left out. It's one thing to mention who he worked with, but do I really need to know every person that person worked with as well? The author tends to get listing these artists in tedious detail. The man is 75 years old and his been touring most of his life, so maybe we could edit that a little? The book would probably be half the length if just a little was left out. I really just skim over some of those parts.
I'm sure that's something a lot of die hard country music people are interested in reading, but to the casual Willie fan, I'm more interested in the story telling about the man....and the author tells the stories very well.
July 31, 2022
Exhaustive (and somewhat exhausting) biography of Willie Nelson that makes sure you know what kinds of cars he owned and when, and every single session musician he ever played with and when. Reads mostly like an extremely long term paper.
If you are looking for details on just about everything Willie ever did (and all those sidemen and women) this will help you out. Especially if, for some reason, you have to write a short term paper about Willie Nelson.
But if you just want the gist of what Willie's all about, or some great stories about the events that most shaped him, you'll be left wanting. Yes, Willie's a super nice guy and genuinely cares about others, and doesn't care much about money and rules and paying taxes, but you don't find out why he is or feels that way from the contents of this book.
Patoski also makes some odd choices, including racist anecdotes seemingly just to do so, or perhaps to to show how Willie & family were "outlaws" because they didn't conform to what Nashville or society wanted. Or something. It's hard to tell.
One disturbing example is a story from Lynn Echols about seeing nothing but a sea of white teeth in a black audience. Why include that anecdote? There's no other way to describe that situation? Is that what Willie would have said? Why include N-word references without prefacing why you are including them? Oh, it's "outlaw" to do that, right? Sure.
It's especially puzzling given most fans--and Texans--know Willie's a progressive in most respects. Patoski does include bits about Willie helping Charlie Pride and a gay member of his crew, not to mention writing a song for the Brokeback Mountain soundtrack, so it's difficult to square the decision to include racist anecdotes that don't even directly relate to Willie Nelson.
I'll also give Patoski credit for one of the best descriptions of Austin (then or now) that I've ever seen, which stands out given most of Patoski's text is matter-of fact-and rarely veers into the poetic: Willie's Austin is "...an oasis of peace and love in a desert of angry assholes..." Yep, nailed it.
As an Austinite for nearly 30 years, it's cool to read about Willie's impact on the city and how ready it was for his blend of country/rock/jazz/americana. Hippies and cowboys and college kids of the early 70s were his people, and still are today. You get a pretty good feel for the city (especially Armadillo World Headquarters). Austin still has many vestiges of that era and what made it so special (despite those whining about how much better it was when they got there). I mean, they're not wrong, it was, but...
Anyway, if you need a good reference book on Willie Nelson for some reason, this is it. If you want amazing Willie anecdotes that explain why he is the way he is, with the sound and smell and sorrow of Fort Worth honky-tonks well past midnight, well, this ain't where you'll find them. (But you can find them in his songs.)
Again, it's written like a term paper, so anything and everything Willie touched is included (and sources are meticulously documented, which is nice) but the thoroughness turns into a slog in many parts. This is more a reference book than literature.
After reading it, I still don't know why Willie didn't think he had to ever pay taxes, or why he's the one guy who wrote many of the most enduring songs in the history of this country.
If you are looking for details on just about everything Willie ever did (and all those sidemen and women) this will help you out. Especially if, for some reason, you have to write a short term paper about Willie Nelson.
But if you just want the gist of what Willie's all about, or some great stories about the events that most shaped him, you'll be left wanting. Yes, Willie's a super nice guy and genuinely cares about others, and doesn't care much about money and rules and paying taxes, but you don't find out why he is or feels that way from the contents of this book.
Patoski also makes some odd choices, including racist anecdotes seemingly just to do so, or perhaps to to show how Willie & family were "outlaws" because they didn't conform to what Nashville or society wanted. Or something. It's hard to tell.
One disturbing example is a story from Lynn Echols about seeing nothing but a sea of white teeth in a black audience. Why include that anecdote? There's no other way to describe that situation? Is that what Willie would have said? Why include N-word references without prefacing why you are including them? Oh, it's "outlaw" to do that, right? Sure.
It's especially puzzling given most fans--and Texans--know Willie's a progressive in most respects. Patoski does include bits about Willie helping Charlie Pride and a gay member of his crew, not to mention writing a song for the Brokeback Mountain soundtrack, so it's difficult to square the decision to include racist anecdotes that don't even directly relate to Willie Nelson.
I'll also give Patoski credit for one of the best descriptions of Austin (then or now) that I've ever seen, which stands out given most of Patoski's text is matter-of fact-and rarely veers into the poetic: Willie's Austin is "...an oasis of peace and love in a desert of angry assholes..." Yep, nailed it.
As an Austinite for nearly 30 years, it's cool to read about Willie's impact on the city and how ready it was for his blend of country/rock/jazz/americana. Hippies and cowboys and college kids of the early 70s were his people, and still are today. You get a pretty good feel for the city (especially Armadillo World Headquarters). Austin still has many vestiges of that era and what made it so special (despite those whining about how much better it was when they got there). I mean, they're not wrong, it was, but...
Anyway, if you need a good reference book on Willie Nelson for some reason, this is it. If you want amazing Willie anecdotes that explain why he is the way he is, with the sound and smell and sorrow of Fort Worth honky-tonks well past midnight, well, this ain't where you'll find them. (But you can find them in his songs.)
Again, it's written like a term paper, so anything and everything Willie touched is included (and sources are meticulously documented, which is nice) but the thoroughness turns into a slog in many parts. This is more a reference book than literature.
After reading it, I still don't know why Willie didn't think he had to ever pay taxes, or why he's the one guy who wrote many of the most enduring songs in the history of this country.
July 6, 2012
Mr. Patoski clearly set out to write the definitive biography of Willie Nelson and while he offers an obviously well researched account with extensive interviews of both his subject and many family, friends and colleagues, I found his efforts only partially successful.
This lengthy book offers a broad look at Nelson and his career but there is little depth. He starts out fairly well, recounting the Nelson family's origins and Willie's childhood but offers decreasing context as Willie grows to adulthood.
Although he attempts to paint a warts and all picture, including Nelson's drinking, womanizing, drug use, and tax problems; he fails to offer any penetrating insights into Nelson's emotional or psychological state and leaves the reader with no real grasp on the man behind the famous image.
The relationships with wives, children, friends and other musicians are likewise obscure. Despite many stories about his failed marriages, troubled kids, and lengthy friendships, I still found it difficult to understand anything about them. In fact, none of the wives or children were much explained and the suicide of his son, Billy, is handled in a meager few sentences. Many of the other people discussed at length such as steel guitarist Jimmy Day also remained mere sketched in shadow figures despite their importance to the narrative.
The music also suffered; although Patoski provides plenty of song lists, album titles and record sales, his ability to express either the importance or quality of the work was limited. And forget about any perceptive or explanatory discourse on Nelson's artistic process; just because Willie is unable or unwilling to offer any useful judgments about his own motivations or inspiration as a songwriter it doesn't mean there aren't any. Am I really supposed to believe that the prolific writing in the first half of his career was only because he had to eat? To suggest this obviously facetious answer as the only genuine explanation of the origin of songs like "Crazy" or "Funny How Time Slips Away" is absurd.
I also disliked the author's mid-level magazine style; it was often monotonous and riddled with filler. I soon wearied of the endless lists of the sidemen, duet partners, road crew etc. with which he fleshes out dull passages of the text. Did we really need to know every single person who graduated high school alongside Willie?
In all fairness if you are looking for the facts of Willie Nelson's life this will meet your requirements and I believe you will be satisfied but if you are looking for a true examination of Nelson as an artist and a person don't believe the hyperbolic blurbs on the dust jacket. This was a disappointment for me and my rating is 2 1/2 stars.
This lengthy book offers a broad look at Nelson and his career but there is little depth. He starts out fairly well, recounting the Nelson family's origins and Willie's childhood but offers decreasing context as Willie grows to adulthood.
Although he attempts to paint a warts and all picture, including Nelson's drinking, womanizing, drug use, and tax problems; he fails to offer any penetrating insights into Nelson's emotional or psychological state and leaves the reader with no real grasp on the man behind the famous image.
The relationships with wives, children, friends and other musicians are likewise obscure. Despite many stories about his failed marriages, troubled kids, and lengthy friendships, I still found it difficult to understand anything about them. In fact, none of the wives or children were much explained and the suicide of his son, Billy, is handled in a meager few sentences. Many of the other people discussed at length such as steel guitarist Jimmy Day also remained mere sketched in shadow figures despite their importance to the narrative.
The music also suffered; although Patoski provides plenty of song lists, album titles and record sales, his ability to express either the importance or quality of the work was limited. And forget about any perceptive or explanatory discourse on Nelson's artistic process; just because Willie is unable or unwilling to offer any useful judgments about his own motivations or inspiration as a songwriter it doesn't mean there aren't any. Am I really supposed to believe that the prolific writing in the first half of his career was only because he had to eat? To suggest this obviously facetious answer as the only genuine explanation of the origin of songs like "Crazy" or "Funny How Time Slips Away" is absurd.
I also disliked the author's mid-level magazine style; it was often monotonous and riddled with filler. I soon wearied of the endless lists of the sidemen, duet partners, road crew etc. with which he fleshes out dull passages of the text. Did we really need to know every single person who graduated high school alongside Willie?
In all fairness if you are looking for the facts of Willie Nelson's life this will meet your requirements and I believe you will be satisfied but if you are looking for a true examination of Nelson as an artist and a person don't believe the hyperbolic blurbs on the dust jacket. This was a disappointment for me and my rating is 2 1/2 stars.
April 11, 2009
I have loved Willie for years. A concert in Santa Clara in the 70s, where Terry sneaked me backstage afterward and I wound up kissing Willie, is a high point in my music-appreciation life. And yes, this book is a doorstop, with its extensive discography and loooooong sections about Willie's grandparents and parents...grands being important as his birth parents just flaked on him.
Interesting, confirmed many thoughts, answered many questions. Made me want to listen to some "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain."
Interesting, confirmed many thoughts, answered many questions. Made me want to listen to some "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain."
January 18, 2016
Very detailed account of Willie Nelson life. Has some very interesting early history about some areas he lived in before he was famous and in his beginnings of becoming famous.
If you are a Willie Nelson fan then this is a must read.
If you are a Willie Nelson fan then this is a must read.
October 4, 2024
I just read a review that was unfavorable. I agree with some of her comments, but still thoroughly enjoyed reliving some of the days of my life that coincided with much of this book. I saw Willie many times in Austin at various venues and was always impressed with his kind and gentle nature, as well as his generous talents. An unusual combination of extremely rare characteristics. A life dedicated to spreading joy.
May 29, 2025
hoo boy, willie nelson has lived some life! i liked this book quite a bit but the author’s very casual approach to discussing willie’s first wife consistently beating the hell out of him (and he her) and use of the n-word (even in quotations) was fully fucking wild to me. he also focused a lot of attention on willie’s wives’ infidelities while very casually passing over willie’s own. it was just so clear, basically on every page, that this book was written by a man. i said what i said 🤷🏼♀️
January 2, 2019
Would only recommend to the most hardcore Willie Nelson or country music fans. I don't know why I decided to finish this book. It must be said that Willie Nelson's life was relatively unremarkable. Despite this, the author is providing an extremely detailed account of every single Nelson's performance, album and person in Nelson's life. Way too detailed and boring for me.
May 28, 2020
This book is deep and dense on Willie Nelson. I enjoyed some of the vignettes and anecdotes--Patoski did the work here. But, I got bogged down in reading the name of every session artist who ever cut a track with Willie and every highway he ever drove on. Would recommend this to a Willie fanatic.
December 20, 2021
OK I'm giving up on this book, after 5 months and I've just broken 130 odd pages. If you want to know EVERY detail of Willie's life by all means read it. I wished Willie had wrote it, it may be more interesting. I'm throwing in the towel.
December 9, 2017
Great. The guy doing the audio sounds a lot like Willie Nelson.
March 16, 2020
Love Willie!
April 13, 2020
The book was good, but I had a hard time staying focused while reading it.
October 15, 2020
A great read for people, like me, who are Willie Nelson obsessed.
December 28, 2022
Once started, I didn’t want it to end. Learned not only Willies backstory but bits and pieces about his countless collaborators.
March 13, 2023
Takes quite an author to take a subject as fascinating as Willie Nelson and turn it into something akin to reading a term paper. Well researched, for sure. Exhausting to read.
September 5, 2023
The material is riveting but the way if telling the stories is not. I found it a struggle to read & stay with. It meanders. I need to pick up a different Willie bio book.
June 21, 2024
I loved all of the details that the author provided!
January 5, 2009
"I want the people around me to be happy, but I look at life as a roller coaster. When I'm up, I'm up. And when I'm down, I'm down. And I hope when it's all over, the money runs out just about the same time that I'm through with my life. Let's not plan. It's a lot more fun if we don't."
As the above words can attest, Willie Nelson’s first 75 years have been quite a ride. From playing for free in ramshackle dives all over Texas just to gain some exposure, to being one of the first musicians to promote Biodiesel, and everything in between, The Red-Headed Stranger has careened through life like a man who can’t wait to see what’s around the next bend. In this biography, An Epic Life: Willie Nelson, author Joe Nick Patoski thoroughly immerses readers in the depths of what it’s been like to be on the ride that is Willie Nelson.
Joe Nick Patoski interviewed more than 100 different people and spent 1000’s of hours assembling all of the facts and stories used in this work. The author has been covering Willie Nelson since 1973, and readers of An Epic Life: Willie Nelson will enjoy almost 550 pages of Patoski’s extensive research. The novel begins with a history of Willie’s great grandparents, and ends with stories of Willie’s famous 4th of July picnics, which serve as benefit concerts for a variety of causes. In between, Patoski provides an abundance of extremely detailed accounts of the places, people, and events that surrounded Willie’s long road to stardom and the myriad of sharp turns that threatened to derail it.
In part, this is what sets this biography apart from others previously penned about the country music star- Patoski’s details create a near real-life experience for the reader, and it genuinely feels as though we get to experience each story as if we were there with Willie, pickin’ guitar and playin’ until morning. Very few authors could provide that intimacy, and maybe it’s because Patoski is a Texas boy himself that he is able to get us so close to actions and events that in some cases happened over 40 years ago. The book ends with a quote from Willie that ends with the line “I think I’ve about covered it.” I believe Joe Nick Patoski has also indeed “covered it”, with “it” being Willie Nelson, about as well as anyone ever will.
As the above words can attest, Willie Nelson’s first 75 years have been quite a ride. From playing for free in ramshackle dives all over Texas just to gain some exposure, to being one of the first musicians to promote Biodiesel, and everything in between, The Red-Headed Stranger has careened through life like a man who can’t wait to see what’s around the next bend. In this biography, An Epic Life: Willie Nelson, author Joe Nick Patoski thoroughly immerses readers in the depths of what it’s been like to be on the ride that is Willie Nelson.
Joe Nick Patoski interviewed more than 100 different people and spent 1000’s of hours assembling all of the facts and stories used in this work. The author has been covering Willie Nelson since 1973, and readers of An Epic Life: Willie Nelson will enjoy almost 550 pages of Patoski’s extensive research. The novel begins with a history of Willie’s great grandparents, and ends with stories of Willie’s famous 4th of July picnics, which serve as benefit concerts for a variety of causes. In between, Patoski provides an abundance of extremely detailed accounts of the places, people, and events that surrounded Willie’s long road to stardom and the myriad of sharp turns that threatened to derail it.
In part, this is what sets this biography apart from others previously penned about the country music star- Patoski’s details create a near real-life experience for the reader, and it genuinely feels as though we get to experience each story as if we were there with Willie, pickin’ guitar and playin’ until morning. Very few authors could provide that intimacy, and maybe it’s because Patoski is a Texas boy himself that he is able to get us so close to actions and events that in some cases happened over 40 years ago. The book ends with a quote from Willie that ends with the line “I think I’ve about covered it.” I believe Joe Nick Patoski has also indeed “covered it”, with “it” being Willie Nelson, about as well as anyone ever will.
February 13, 2009
This is an amazing story. The writing is not great (and that's why I'm only giving this book 4 stars). But the story is incredible.
Anyone interested in the history of Texas Music or the history of Folk Music in the United States during the 20th Century will find this book informative. The book is also a treasure trove of 20th century Texas history and the country music record industry.
At the center of it all is Willie Nelson. A man whose glorious flaws are exceeded by only his and limitless talent and relentless work ethic.
The man is a mess. But what to do you expect from someone who's mantra is "Let's NOT plan. It'll be more fun that way."
But at the end of the day, Native Texan Willie Nelson is everything good and true about America. Willie Nelson is a writer, musician, performer, organizer, leader, businessman and full time citizen. His music career has spanned six decades and produced some of the greatest compositions, recordings and performances in history. He has starred in numerous films and written several best selling books. But it is the life -- and the person -- behind those achievements that is most compelling. Willie Nelson is one of the very few people who received a personal Christmas card from Elvis Presley every year from 1957 until 1976. (After Elvis recorded songs written by Willie they became friends.) Willie Nelson played a state concert in the White House for President Carter in 1978. (And when Jimmy Carter receieved the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, his life long friend Willie Nelson was there to serenade him and all of Stockholm in celebration.) Willie Nelson founded FARM AID to preserve independent family farms and resist monopoly agribusinesses. Willie Nelson founded the leading alternative energy enterprise in the United States (BioDiesel) to promote energy independence, clean air and economic opportunity for small farms. And he did all of this while remaining true to himself, his ideas, and working full time at his life's passion: making music with his friends (touring and recording year round, year after year).
Anyone interested in the history of Texas Music or the history of Folk Music in the United States during the 20th Century will find this book informative. The book is also a treasure trove of 20th century Texas history and the country music record industry.
At the center of it all is Willie Nelson. A man whose glorious flaws are exceeded by only his and limitless talent and relentless work ethic.
The man is a mess. But what to do you expect from someone who's mantra is "Let's NOT plan. It'll be more fun that way."
But at the end of the day, Native Texan Willie Nelson is everything good and true about America. Willie Nelson is a writer, musician, performer, organizer, leader, businessman and full time citizen. His music career has spanned six decades and produced some of the greatest compositions, recordings and performances in history. He has starred in numerous films and written several best selling books. But it is the life -- and the person -- behind those achievements that is most compelling. Willie Nelson is one of the very few people who received a personal Christmas card from Elvis Presley every year from 1957 until 1976. (After Elvis recorded songs written by Willie they became friends.) Willie Nelson played a state concert in the White House for President Carter in 1978. (And when Jimmy Carter receieved the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, his life long friend Willie Nelson was there to serenade him and all of Stockholm in celebration.) Willie Nelson founded FARM AID to preserve independent family farms and resist monopoly agribusinesses. Willie Nelson founded the leading alternative energy enterprise in the United States (BioDiesel) to promote energy independence, clean air and economic opportunity for small farms. And he did all of this while remaining true to himself, his ideas, and working full time at his life's passion: making music with his friends (touring and recording year round, year after year).
May 12, 2008
WILLIE NELSON: AN EPIC LIFE
So I received the new biography on Willie Nelson in the mail. I did not know what to do, I like Willie but I tend to dislike celebrity bios, they are either fawning hagiographies or they are Kitty Kelly yellow journalist trash. Few books manage to hit in between, yet Willie Nelson: An Epic Life is one that hits the mark.
As I said earlier, I picked the book up with trepidation but after the first few pages I was hooked. I am not through yet, but so far the ride is pretty good. I see this book turning into the definitive bio of the Country great. I would not be surprised to see this book turned into a movie like Walk the Line was for Johnny Cash. And Walk the Line is a good jumping off spot. Cash was a country King, like Nelson. Both men were and are larger than life and multi-talented. Their stories are important to knowing about country music.
The fire that created Willie consumed so many others, abject poverty, broken homes, substance abuse…All things that seemed to be in nelson’s way were overcome and he is the best living writer of country songs. The book does well to point out that as a boy, Willie had the gift. The fact that as a teen he was writing and performing is amazing. His longevity speaks volumes, since he has outlasted so many giants in his long career. Competing with the Texas Playboys in the 50’s and outlasting everything the last six decades has thrown at him, Willie truly deserves the title Living Legend.
This book is a great introduction to the man behind the music. So many know the pot arrests or the IRS fueds or even Willie’s Farm aid shows, but to read about the man and his history will give new insight and appreciation for all of the greatness that is Willie’s music. From Crazy made famous by Patsy Cline to Elvis Presley’s hit You were Always on My Mind, Willie proved that he was a hitmaker regardless if he sang the songs.
So I received the new biography on Willie Nelson in the mail. I did not know what to do, I like Willie but I tend to dislike celebrity bios, they are either fawning hagiographies or they are Kitty Kelly yellow journalist trash. Few books manage to hit in between, yet Willie Nelson: An Epic Life is one that hits the mark.
As I said earlier, I picked the book up with trepidation but after the first few pages I was hooked. I am not through yet, but so far the ride is pretty good. I see this book turning into the definitive bio of the Country great. I would not be surprised to see this book turned into a movie like Walk the Line was for Johnny Cash. And Walk the Line is a good jumping off spot. Cash was a country King, like Nelson. Both men were and are larger than life and multi-talented. Their stories are important to knowing about country music.
The fire that created Willie consumed so many others, abject poverty, broken homes, substance abuse…All things that seemed to be in nelson’s way were overcome and he is the best living writer of country songs. The book does well to point out that as a boy, Willie had the gift. The fact that as a teen he was writing and performing is amazing. His longevity speaks volumes, since he has outlasted so many giants in his long career. Competing with the Texas Playboys in the 50’s and outlasting everything the last six decades has thrown at him, Willie truly deserves the title Living Legend.
This book is a great introduction to the man behind the music. So many know the pot arrests or the IRS fueds or even Willie’s Farm aid shows, but to read about the man and his history will give new insight and appreciation for all of the greatness that is Willie’s music. From Crazy made famous by Patsy Cline to Elvis Presley’s hit You were Always on My Mind, Willie proved that he was a hitmaker regardless if he sang the songs.
July 26, 2008
Willie Nelson must be one of the most frustrating figures in musical history to write about. The man comes across as a bodhisattva. Even with his drinking and cheating ways, everyone who knows him, from ex-wives to the IRS falls for his quiet charm. There are a few pages right at the end of this doorstop where various members of Willie's extended musical family speak in reverent tones about the calming influence and sense of goodwill that the man radiates.
So yeah, this is a biography without teeth. It's not that Willie never acts like a dick, but that no one can seem to bring themselves to hold it against him. Hell, I don't think I could. That being said, this is a perfectly well-written chronicle of a musician who is one of America's greatest living treasures. It is especially fascinating in its coverage of the 70s, where we see Willie's decision to cross over into the outlaw territory that was to make him a superstar. His years in the nascent Austin club scene, which he helped midwife are also well-covered.
My biggest beef with this book is not its hagiographical tone, but its lack of any critical approach. There are pages and pages of "Willie entered studio X with [N (I),1....where N is a session musician and I is his instrument]. In Y days, the boys recorded Z songs." We get very little discussion of the songs, of the interplay between the musicians, of the ideas and influences that went into the recording sessions. I just think he deserves better.
So yeah, this is a biography without teeth. It's not that Willie never acts like a dick, but that no one can seem to bring themselves to hold it against him. Hell, I don't think I could. That being said, this is a perfectly well-written chronicle of a musician who is one of America's greatest living treasures. It is especially fascinating in its coverage of the 70s, where we see Willie's decision to cross over into the outlaw territory that was to make him a superstar. His years in the nascent Austin club scene, which he helped midwife are also well-covered.
My biggest beef with this book is not its hagiographical tone, but its lack of any critical approach. There are pages and pages of "Willie entered studio X with [N (I),1....where N is a session musician and I is his instrument]. In Y days, the boys recorded Z songs." We get very little discussion of the songs, of the interplay between the musicians, of the ideas and influences that went into the recording sessions. I just think he deserves better.
June 21, 2008
I thought this book was excellent. I especially loved the sections about willie's parents and grandparents and the early, struggling, years. This was the period that I knew least about. Patoski also does an excellent job evoking the austin of the early to mid 1970s. Great sourcing at the end of the book--i really appreciate it when authors of non-academic, non-fiction and biographies include their sourcing. Finally, there is a good list of Patoski's recommendations to willie's recorded work, which is very handy given Nelson's prodigious output.
One of the appeals of the book to me is that it is not just about Willie, but it also is, in some ways, about Texas. It really hones in on some of the aspects and characteristics of the state that have gotten obscured during the past 14 years or so during the long and dark reign of the Connecticut born, ivy-leagued educated, phoniest phony of all the phony Texans, George W. Bush. This is refreshing during a time when it just feels like we have lost so many great folks (molly ivins, ann richards, barbara jordan) and are left with the current idiot bridgade. Really, it's not just a biography of Willie Nelson, but a love letter to a certain side of texas.
One of the appeals of the book to me is that it is not just about Willie, but it also is, in some ways, about Texas. It really hones in on some of the aspects and characteristics of the state that have gotten obscured during the past 14 years or so during the long and dark reign of the Connecticut born, ivy-leagued educated, phoniest phony of all the phony Texans, George W. Bush. This is refreshing during a time when it just feels like we have lost so many great folks (molly ivins, ann richards, barbara jordan) and are left with the current idiot bridgade. Really, it's not just a biography of Willie Nelson, but a love letter to a certain side of texas.
July 8, 2008
This tome is epic in length, too. It is a very thorough biography starting with Willie's first song lyrics at age 5. He began as quite the prodigy and, of course, continues making his magic now. The book follows every part of Willie's life and gives a microscopic view of life as a songwriter as well as life growing up in the rural farm life of early 20th C. Texas. If you are familiar with Austin from the '60's until now, it is a great trip down musical memory lane and the wild characters of those times. Whether or not one might be a Willie fan, you cannot help but be impressed with his passionate artistic drive to write and perform music. His humor, principles and fallibility endear the man to you. The many adventures and mis-adventures in his life compel you to keep reading. There are some tedious pages of details about performers and songs at each recording session and performance that a reader must slog through, but the book is the most complete view of all facets in the record business I've ever read. It is useful as a history book, a lesson for musicians and songwriters, and contains an amazing set of bibliography notes. Worth the time to explore and read.
August 29, 2008
A monster of a book to read. At times, honestly, a little tedious. There are spots where it seems more a recitation of history than a biography. "Willie recorded such and such, and .......was the band, and ......was the producer, followed by a show at ...... with the ....band behind him"
You could fill in blanks there, put it all in an Appendix, and cut the size of the book by 100 pages.
Aside from that, a really well researched and fascinating book about a true American Icon. Stories about his youth, grandparents and his family show the influence that his family has on him to this day. And the pull he has on them - among others, his sister, daughter and sons still are on the road with him.
You can't help but realize as you read this, that you never knew just how far his reach affected music in America. Towards the end, a couple chapters are strictly testimonials from friends, family and colleagues.
You could fill in blanks there, put it all in an Appendix, and cut the size of the book by 100 pages.
Aside from that, a really well researched and fascinating book about a true American Icon. Stories about his youth, grandparents and his family show the influence that his family has on him to this day. And the pull he has on them - among others, his sister, daughter and sons still are on the road with him.
You can't help but realize as you read this, that you never knew just how far his reach affected music in America. Towards the end, a couple chapters are strictly testimonials from friends, family and colleagues.
February 28, 2009
It is really interesting to learn about Willie. By reading this book, I'm torn between wanting to meet him because he is such a loyal friend and giving person and not allowing him to be an example for my children because he is so into drugs. He's definitely an enigma. I would really like this book much more if it didn't get so mired down in the details. Too many writers, too many singers, too many songs to be able to keep up. I guess the author needed to do that to a point in order to establish his long and storied life, but I think it was too much. I'm not a huge country music fan, so many of the names - other than the big ones- were lost to me. However, I've definitely gained a new respect for what Willie did and does.
December 20, 2022
Wish I loved this one more. The best part of this book is when Willie Nelson's life is being spelled out like a movie script. Shootouts at the farm, Golfing on Acid, Shit show music festivals. The worst is that this book gets bogged down in details that don't matter (each mention of a music festival has a full list of every band that played it) and then completely skips over major parts of Willie's career. For example, I would have loved to hear more about his album Teatro, which was a totally revolutionary sound for him. This was completely passed over. Surely someone interviewed for this book had something to say about it.
Still, a must read for any Willie fan. I put this down with a much greater understanding of the scope and impact of Willie Nelson.
Still, a must read for any Willie fan. I put this down with a much greater understanding of the scope and impact of Willie Nelson.
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