Shotgun Willie, Willie Nelson Series LbNA #34698 (ARCHIVED)

In 1956, Willie Nelson moved from Texas to Vancouver, Washington, to begin a musical career, recording "Lumberjack," which was written by Leon Payne. The single sold fairly well, but did not establish a career. Nelson continued to work as a radio announcer in Vancouver and sing in clubs. He sold a song called "Family Bible" for $50; the song was a hit for Claude Gray in 1960, has been covered widely and is often considered a gospel music classic. Nelson moved to Tennessee, but was unable to land a record label contract. He did, however, receive a publishing contract at Pamper Music. After Ray Price recorded Nelson's "Night Life" (reputedly the most covered country song of all time), Nelson joined Price's touring band as a bass player. While playing with Ray Price and the Cherokee Cowboys, many of Nelson's songs became hits for some of country and pop music's biggest stars of the time. These songs include "Funny How Time Slips Away" (Billy Walker), "Hello Walls" (Faron Young), "Pretty Paper" (Roy Orbison) and most famously, "Crazy" (Patsy Cline). Nelson signed with Liberty Records in 1961 and released several singles, including "Willingly" (sung with his wife, Shirley Collie) and "Touch Me." He was unable to keep his momentum going, however, and Nelson's career ground to a halt. His personal life during this period was colorful. His alcoholism, failed day jobs and a penchant for carrying guns got him in trouble with the law, not to mention with his wife, numerous times. In 1965, Nelson moved to RCA Victor Records and joined the Grand Ole Opry. He followed this with a series of minor hits. Frustrated with the music business, which tried to force him into a mold, Nelson retired and moved to Austin, Texas. While in Austin, Nelson decided to return to music. His popularity in Austin soared, as he played his own brand of country music marked by rock and roll, jazz, western swing, and folk influences.
Willie Nelson's bearded face -- smiling, a cowboy hat atop his head -- presented inside both barrels of a shotgun: the cover art for his 1973 album Shotgun Willie seems like an iconic image for Nelson, often described under the guise of "outlaw country". Nelson had been writing songs, for himself and others, and would go on to superstardom with his 1975 album The Red Headed Stranger, but the consensus seems to be that the album Shotgun Willie solidified that image of Nelson as an outlaw, a concept that lingers even today. Even as he's become a celebrity, a larger-than-life pop-culture figure known for who he is as much as what he's done. That is, if Nelson in the mid-'70s was an outlaw, it wasn't because of his attire, but because he was a major musician struggling to follow his own artistic inclinations, to find a way within a business-minded industry to make the music he wanted to, even when he wasn't sure exactly what that was. The song, Shotgun Willie playfully encapsulates Nelson's determination to do his own thing. The "outlaw" notion may seem like mostly image now, but then it was also about creative independence.
This letterbox is located in Hillsboro, Texas outside of the Texas Musicians Museum. You do not have to go when it is open, but if you want to check out the museum, hours are: Thurs-Sat, 10-6; Sunday 1-6, $10 Adults; $6 Youth ages 6-12; Children age 5 and under are free. Discount family packages are available. For more info: www.texasmusiciansmuseum.com


To the letterbox:

From the Hill County Courthouse in downtown Hillsboro, travel 2 blocks to 212 North Waco Street. The Texas Musicians Museum will be on the East side. Park in the front of the Museum street parking. Stand on the sidewalk and face the front of the building. Walk north on the sidewalk approximately 10 steps to the end of the white picket fence. You should see a crepe myrtle tree to your right. Shotgun Willie is located in the bottom branches of this tree.