-'-:5) .\ " \:, 4 rX , X'1 /,71 '(, ,^L, /iF/,. /-/ .lr:, 1 rr-T /./ \J ( lr,t ' tt (\/i /i i{ ,/ -t-{. / \ \ \ i7 '.. L --. ql I {:,vt' - 'll y \:*, t. \- /;1 { P.O.Box |l9,l' lrrilln,Iexill lal6t P'O.Box /|'9tt Aurfin,Iexar lAl6f (tlr)ftr'9fll ::t,,#M z g+ -_ =R> x;q, Xs ""i =$gN ?Uf.ifi ,iffi \, :l# & i *d, fo w -',o& 2:':4, lt %;, ffi T4 ;V'"t-i.,., ,7/:' 7:,';r'":', f LARRY WATKINS B.til. $tougn$olt RG.fI P. O. Box 4945 Austin, Texas 512-452-9411 -l-- z =s?s 6= = rES ;i =U "*?E*Jo-<ro @n t- I \ I Photo by Scott Nelvton "The didn't sell their visions,.," This Looks Li ke Willie's Year published uere all itntocent. TbeY were staff of ESOUIRE magazine "Th'ey sre indiaiduals, fatni- its annual list of "100 Heavies" for the loaed. TbeY were lies. ssngs who are bound to- 'tbefelons . They vear ahead. Willie Nelson was among sttbti itl the blues life . tbe offspring- of mid'twentierh' the hu ndred. The caption under -ones centur'y broken consciousness. :Willie's picture said he was Picked whb suraiue the Plagues ' ' ' -because best of They were beyond the ESOUIRE believed he was the The best music - tlte PossibilitY likelY to rePlace Merle defeat . liotbiug moues a one most eaerytbing that is exPressiae of of Haggard at the toP of the mass PoPu' aU in* ciuntry's got to giue is bY mduntain but itself . ." tarity ireap in country music in 1974' (By in his autobio' and about them. (TbeY are) Emmett Grogan And in June, ESOUIRE'S chief graphical novel, RINGOLEVIO.) ran a tbe only ones who had reached competition, PENTHOUSE, and got lengthy article by Todd Everett on the their own rock bottom BY JAY MILNER phenomenon' Everett's brotb- Witli.'tlut.on uD. TbeY searched for This looks like the Year of Willie topic sentence was: "Willie Nelson had tit apd sisters, not friends ' ' ' Nelson! And as several music writers begun to receive some of the popular have written: lt's They didn't sell tbeir aision - to around the nation recognition he deserves." time. sell"their aisidn would baae been about Then there was the enthusiastic TIMES review reprinted to pretend it was theirs . TheY For instance, a few months ago the New York 7 elsewhere in this Program' And in the June 6, 1974, edition of ZOO WORLD, the music magazine, R' Serge Denisoff, in his review of Willie s iro,h. "PHASES AND srAGES," sa id, among other comPlimentarY things: "The elegant thing about this album is the character development and the mood it creates. just like a Bergman or Fellini film ' . ' lf this lp does not establish Willie Nelson as a nothing will' country music superstar. 'o It's a bit early for statements like this o is the best c&w album of 1974, but it E very well maY be." How come all this sudden national attention? One answer to that ques- tion is probablY catching uP with Willie Nelson at long last. Nashville mav be beginning to catcft uP with him. too - at long last. Since leaving Nashville. Willie has made two PAUL ENGLISH has been beating the drum with Willie Nelson for more than a dozen "Me albums - both for Atlantic Records of vears. He is the Paul in Willie's song, and Paul," and the devil in the Leon Russell New York. These albums have sold far song, "You Look Like the Devil." better than anY of the 20-odd he'd p revi ous lY i n N ashvi I le ' made into its Hall of Fame, along with months ago with the addition of "PHASES AND STAGES" had Pa3sed Roger Miller and Harlan Howard. guitarist Jody Payne. Mickey Raphael, the 100.000 sales mark at last report' who picked harmonica with B. W. and was still rising' (This shouldn't be Stevenson, joined Willie in April, interpreted as a total putdown of the 1973. Bee Spears, one of the best bass "Nashville Souird" The kind of com- players has played - My wontan's tight with an overdue baby in country music, mercial sr-lcc-:r! it has enjoyed means it for seyen years And Willie he's yelling, with Willie, off and on, can't be all baC. But regardless of how there's Paul English on Hey, Gypsy, let's go" or more. Then great a systenl nright be, generally,.it drums. Paul has been with Willie 14 doesn't necessarily mean that it will Paul the song, "Me "Fron Billy Joe Shaver's song about Vears. He is the in for everYbodY ParticularlY work - Willie Nelson, "Willie The Wandering and Paul." Hunched over his drums, artists. and Willie's steadily rising resemblance to Gvpsy." Paul bears a striking national popularity since he left Nash- the devil himself, with his pointed. ville indicates it was wrong for hiln.) black goatee, black sombrero, and black cape with a scarlet satin lining. "You Doug Zabel interviewed Wiilie tast Leon Russell wrote the song, Look Like The Devil" about Paul. "l thor-rght Nashville was the rough- year for ICONOCLAST. the Dallas est. But I guess l've said that about weekly. In that revealing interview, Willie's popularity has spread across them all." Willie talked about the changes many several generations. His "groupies" are "Me and Paul" bY Wiliie Nelson believe he had gone through. When -From Zabe! asked if his music had. changed 17 to 77. Willie probably has done along with his physical appearance - more to bring rock and country music he'd let his hair grow long and some- together than any living musician. Many observers regard the First An- Willie has written so many hit coun' times wore a beard - Willie said: "Naw, places nual Willie Nelson 4th of July Picnic at try songs in the Past 20 Years that it's the same show. Some go places their Dripping Springs in 1973 as the event when he is singing during one of his ' the kids will and some places they'll that did most to break down the bar- three or four hour shows people in the parents will go, and some is better." riers once separating the two kinds of audiences keeP saYing, "HeY, I didn't both come together, which changed. popular music. Springs also know he wrore that." The rumor that He said his music had not Dripping just grouPs of focused national attention on the revo- Willie is'2,000 years old pops up now that he was reaching people reached when he lution of country music in Texas and and then and few PeoPle who know he had not (As the time, energy being generated him well will deny it with confidence, had less hair. I wrote at the creative same as nere. because it often appears highly likely' Willie was singing much the being is generallY re- The list of \l/illie's hit songs is too long alwavs, but the music PlaYed Although Willie to list here. lt would include such behind now is different - at least it is garded as the leader of the current uit-titutt as "Hello Walls," "Crazy," different from the music accompany- action in Texas countrY music, he "Night Life," "FunnY How Time SliPs ing him r:n all his albums before the denies it. Susan Barton, Dallas a*Jv,;"'Touch M;," "YesterdaY's f irst Atlantic release, "SHOTGUN TIMES-H E RALD entertainment "tsloodY him if he was Wine," and later ones such as Wl LLlE." The current Willie Nelson writer, recently asked wuty Vtotnlng," "Heaven and Hell," band is one of the best as far as being the leader of the progressive country "Pick Up the TemPo," and so on able to make tlre sudden changes that movement. "l think we're all doing - Willie told her. "l with each Willie freak having a favorite Willie has become famous for as he our own thing." is head honclro | his or her own' reacts to the mood of an audience don't think anyone - of of The Nashville Songwriters' Associa- instead of following a planned pro- sure don't want the responsibility tion last November inducted Willie gram. This band was filled out a few leacJing that crazy bunch.'/ I Willie's Soddle A few nights before the 2nd Annual Willie Nelson 4th of July Picnic, the saddle shown here was presented to that once fast-draw Nashville outlaw, Shot- oun Willie Nelson, at a party in Austin' " The custom-made saddle has a silver olate with "Willie" engraved on it' lt is a saddle literally fit for a king' lt was made by RYon's Saddle and Western Suoplies, Inc., in Fort Worth, who have mad'e at least one saddle for a king-a special order from the U.S' State De- partment about two years ago for a.n Afti.un monarch. Ryon's also has made saddles for President Lyndon B' John' son and Merle Haggard. Making the Presentation in Austin were JuV Milner, Doug Zabel, f .im O'Connor, SandY Jantzen and Jan Franklin. "We gave Willie the saddle." Milner explained, "because it is beautiful and we wanted to." Also contributing to the saddle fund were the Willie Nelson friends and ad- mirers listed below: JERRY, PAT, COLLEEN & CONNIE CUDE Lawton, Oklahoma SANDY, GAIL, ammi Smith' DANA & SUE HARRINGTON Dallas, Texas Tender LOCHWOOD Tough and for it' has ol# singing pro- of life, and her singing is stronger FOREIGN CAR SERV.