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A recent exhaustive biography about Willie Nelson rid me of the need to ask much about the minutiae of his life. So, for the most part, we stuck to songs. Despite the beat-up guitar, the pot smoking, the braids, the tall tales from rowdier days and other superficial things that have made Nelson an iconic figure, the songs — the simple poetry of the lyrics, his aching voice and delicate melodies — best represent him as a creative genius. We talked a little about a recent storm in Iowa that destroyed a stage hours before he was supposed to play, and we talked a little about golf. When it was over he said, “I’ll see you down the road somewhere,” which always seems to be true. Q: Sounds like you had a close call in Iowa. Everybody’s OK, right? A: Nobody got hurt, but we lost a lot of equipment. My sister Bobbie’s piano got banged up pretty bad. And got pretty wet. But we were lucky nobody got hurt. Insurance took care of it. Q: Your guitar was somewhere safe? A: Oh yeah. It was never in any danger. (Laughs.) Q: Do you have to keep a close eye on it? It seems like the kind of relic somebody with sticky fingers would target. A: Oh not really. (Pause.) I had a bicycle stolen once in Canada. I’d parked it. And then I watched two guys come along. One got on it and rode off. I happened to notice we were right across the street from a rehab joint. (Laughs.) I wasn’t surprised. I figured they needed it worse than I did. Q: You didn’t look for it on eBay or anything? A: No I didn’t. I didn’t want to know. Q: So, music. . . . A: Yes, I guess my next record I have coming out is the Wynton Marsalis blues album (Two Men With the Blues). Q: It’s a lively set of songs. How did it come about? A: It is, I had fun doing that. Wynton and I have been friends a long time. We’ve done shows together. So this is something we always wanted to do. . . . We just played things that we knew. Q: Any you wanted to do that you didn’t get to? A: Sure, when you start doing standards, there’s always plenty of songs to choose from. Q: Like the 16 or so extras on the new Stardust reissue. A: Yeah, that was just another group of 10 songs. And after that I could’ve put another 10 together right behind it. Q: Do you do much writing these days? Is it a formal process for you? A: It comes and goes. Sometimes I go a long time without writing. Then it sort of starts coming at me. I’ve been writing a few humorous things here lately. Like Superman and You Don’t Think I’m Funny Anymore. I’m working on this new one called I Called Her a (Expletive), She Called Me a Son of a (Expletive), I Think We’re Gonna Make It Just Fine. Q: That sounds fun. A: Well, yeah. It’s about a normal relationship. Q: Are there any songs that got away? Things you never felt like didn’t get a chance to make an impression? A: There’s a lot of songs back there that never really had a chance to get exposed. But thanks to the box set that came out (One Hell of a Ride, released in April) and two or three things that were released, lot of those old songs are getting a second chance. Eventually a lot of mine that I thought might not ever see light of day have come out, and it’s been good. Q: Are there any that surface that cause you embarrassment? A: Well, some of them I’m prouder of than others. (Laughs.) Q: Care to name any names? A: No. (Laughs.) They’d best stay quiet. Q: You’ve been a champion for a bunch of great songwriters. Do they ever make you feel competitive? A: Not really. Kris (Kristofferson) wrote a song one time called Let’s Get Together and Steal Each Other’s Songs, which was a wonderful idea. . . . I’m not one to write much with other writers because I’m just never around them much. But you know, Kris doesn’t need me to help him. (Laughs.) One night Hank Cochran and I sat up and wrote seven songs together. Q: Hank (Williams) told me Patsy Cline threatened to kick your butt for hiding in your car outside the studio while she cut Crazy. That true? A: Actually it was when I was pitching it to her. I went over to her house, and me and Charlie Dick, her husband, and Hank had been drinking a little bit. I didn’t want to get out of the car drunk and go in there and try to pitch her a song. But they didn’t mind doing it at all. She went out to the car and tried to get me to come in. Q: Is there a song you love that you’d never dare record? A: Not that I know of. If I think of it, I’ll go record it the next time I’m in the studio. Well, if I don’t forget it before I get there. Q: It helps to write things down. A: Yes, it certainly helps if I do. But I very rarely do that. Q: What do you think is the saddest song ever written? A: The saddest? Oh I think the Hank Williams (song) I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry is probably up there somewhere. Q: If you could only keep one songwriter around, who would it be? A: Oh it’d have to be Kris. Kris or Billy Joe (Shaver). It depends on who’s going to be more fun that day. Who’s going to get the drunkest. (Laughs.) Q: You were an early supporter of the late Texas songwriter Blaze Foley. Do you remember your first impressions of his work? A: Oh I loved him. He was great. Merle (Haggard) did a great song of his, If I Could Only Fly. There was a lot to old Blaze. He was a good one. Q: And, word is, a little strange. A: Well yeah. But I guess we all are in our little ways. Q: Do you still find time to golf? A: Oh sure. I played a little bit yesterday. Q: So it’s not all touring and recording? A: Nooooo. No. I get to play golf and ride my horse, and I did all of that in one day. Q: Are you able to go anywhere and not get recognized? A: Oh not really. There’s some places you can go that they don’t care. (Laughs.) Like Maui. They’re pretty happy with their own existence over there. But no, I can pretty much go wherever I want to go. © http://www.golfonline.jp/ . All Rights Reserved. (???????) GolfOnline????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????r11??????,RAZR X HL????
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