"John Spong hosts "One by Willie," a podcast that asks (mostly) musicians-Bonnie Raitt, Norah Jones-to choose a favorite Willie Nelson song, stick around, and swap stories. It kept me good company as I followed Nelson around for the better part of a year for my piece in this week's issue, sometimes in a black Dodge Durango, sometimes on the band bus."
"I recall that Hershey, Pennsylvania, was where Nelson's longtime harmonica player, Mickey Raphael, wandered out into the crowd and came back with Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa-the crown prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain-a guy we'd seen on CNN, sitting in the Oval Office, a few weeks earlier. The crown prince was dressed in a Sturgill Simpson Dick Daddy Powder Company T-shirt. We chatted for a while about country music (which he was a fan of, and knew lots about)"
"Back on the bus, Raphael; Nelson's guitar tech, Armando Garcia; and I stayed up late, listening on an iPhone speaker to Billy Joe Shaver singing his proud, big-hearted songs. Nelson has called Shaver the best songwriter from Texas; I believe it's a three-way tie between Shaver, Cindy Walker, and Nelson himself. But I hold a special place in my heart for Billy Joe, who never got past the eighth grade but came up with lines like "There weren't a"
Willie Nelson, at ninety-two, remains actively touring and finding new ways into songs. Long days on the road blur together, with hotel and bus life offering strange moments, like staying in a converted insane asylum in Buffalo. Bandmates and crew share late-night listening sessions and unexpected encounters, including meeting the crown prince of Bahrain who expressed affection for America and knowledge of country music. Nelson praises songwriters such as Billy Joe Shaver and values their storytelling. The touring routine mixes musical discovery, camaraderie, surprising moments, and the physical and emotional strains of life on the road.
Read at The New Yorker
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