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.

Joe Nick Patoski is a contributing editor for Texas Monthly. He is the author of biographies Stevie Ray Vaughan and Selena and has written for the Texas Observer, Austin American-Statesman, Austin Chronicle, Spirit, American Way, and Hustler among others. He lives in Austin.