Five decades in the music industry, 100 albums, 10 Grammys, the Kennedy Center Honors, and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Add high-profile activism for the legalisation of marijuana, the foundation of a ground-breaking philanthropic organisation, and a much-publicised personal life - Willie Nelson's is a story like no other.
Born during the great depression in 1933 and raised by his grandparents, he began singing in dance halls and Honky Tonks at the age of 13, as an escape from working as a cotton picker in the fields of Arkansas. He went on to write some of the most popular country songs of all time, and to record some classic versions of others, including Crazy, Bring Me Sunshine, Always on my Mind and Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain. An American icon who still tours extensively and headlines music festivals, Willie Nelson and his music have found their way into the hearts and minds of fans all over the world.
Now 81 years of age, Nelson leaves no experience or moment unturned as he shares the full story. From his drive to write music to the women in his life; from his collaborations to his bankruptcy to the foundation of Farm Aid; Nelson shares, in his distinct voice, soaring highs and painful lows.
About the Authors
Willie Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. He was inducted in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993.
David Ritz is the author of Faith in Time: The Life of Jimmy Scott, Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye, and many other books with or about Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and B.B. King. He is a three-time winner of the Ralph J. Gleason Music Book Award. He lives in Los Angeles.
Industry Reviews
'Endlessly entertaining.... Readers of It's a Long Story will finally get the sense that Nelson is sitting before them spilling everything he can remember.... It's a wonderful thing if you love ol' Willie -- and who doesn't? ... Nelson has spent decades on the road building this story -- do yourself a favor and take a day or two to read it.' Hunter Hauk, Dallas Morning News
'It's a Long Story is closer to a series of Raymond Carver stories: terse, conversational and peppered with profanity, jokes and life lessons.... One of the great stories in American music.' Jim Kiest, San Antonio Express-News
'Who doesn't love trigger-wielding Willie Nelson? ... Pour a drink, take a seat and dig into the life story of one of America's true living legends.' Parade
'Long Story thrives on the basis of two factors: Nelson's short sentences, chalk-full of his deadpan wit and the larger-than-life tales he shares.... Nelson's sage and easy-going spin on these various yarns, and the morals he offers up in his summations, are endearing and entertaining.... Essential reading.' James Courtney, San Antonio Current
'It's a Long Story proves to capture the Red Headed Stranger in a direct light, and fans have plenty to gain within its pages.' Tyler R. Kane, Paste Magazine
'A smooth-spoken recollection of the country legend's childhood and his eight-decade-long musical career... Just like this book - and its subject - direct and genuine.' Mike Snider, USA Today
'Invaluable... Nelson writes the way he sings and plays guitar - with conversational ease and grace.' James Reed, The Boston Globe
'Every page radiates authenticity... Heartfelt...' Douglas Brinkley, The Washington Post
'Endlessly entertaining... Readers of It's a Long Story will finally get the sense that Nelson is sitting before them spilling everything he can remember... It's a wonderful thing if you love ol' Willie - and who doesn't? ... Nelson has spent decades on the road building this story - do yourself a favor and take a day or two to read it.' Hunter Hauk, Dallas Morning News
'[A] breezy new autobiography... His voice as a writer, as in song, is warm, generous and good-timey.' James Sullivan, San Francisco Chronicle
