Willie
Nelson still going strong at 82
January 18, 2016
On Life and Love After 50
By
Tom Blake
Last August, Willie Nelson was scheduled to perform at
the Orange County Fair. My life partner Greta and I, and our Dana Point
friends, Ron and Lee Cohan, had tickets for the concert at the Pacific
Amphitheatre, an outdoor venue. The four of us realized it would probably be
our last chance to see Willie, a country music legend; he turns 83 this April
29.
Most, not all, of the audience appeared to be ages 50
to 90. We were in our seats; the band’s instruments were in place on the stage.
And then, it started raining hard; the show was canceled.
Three months later, when the four of us heard Willie
would be performing this January 6 at the Grove in Anaheim, we purchased tickets.
On the night of the concert, it rained again, but the
Grove is an indoor venue, so we knew the show would go on, although, I will
admit the possibility of a rain-caused cancellation crossed my mind as we drove
to Anaheim.
Frankly, my expectations about Willie performing were
modest. I imagined that his family members, including his sons Micah and Lukas
on guitars, and “little sister” Bobbie, as Willie calls her, on piano, would be
the primary performers, and that Willie would sing only a few songs.
When the lights dimmed, Willie led his band onto the
stage. He was wearing a t-shirt with “Maui” on the front and his usual red
headband.
Willie picked up Trigger, the name he’s given to his
ancient Martin N-20 classical guitar that he’s had for 47 years--the one with a
gaping hole and faded autographs from famous people such as Johnny Cash and
Waylon Jennings on it. He began with one of his classics, “Whiskey River.” The
four of us were surprised with how great Willie and his band sounded.
He was on stage nonstop for over 90 minutes. He sang:
Georgia on My Mind; On the Road Again; Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground;
Crazy; Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die; Good-Hearted Woman; Always on My
Mind; and about 25 other songs, all of them familiar.
He was gracious and personable. Fans kept tossing
cowboy hats on the stage. Willie would wear the hats for a couple of songs and
then toss them to the crowd Frisbee-style. He also threw five headbands to the
crowd.
Another Orange County friend, Ken Stetter, and his girlfriend
Peggy McGuire, were seated in the same aisle about 20 feet away, although I
didn’t know that until a week later. Ken said, “I, too, went to see Willie Nelson - with
Peggy. We also had tickets this summer at the Fair. I thought his ‘little sister’
Bobbie was a huge plus - really good musician. I had a great night - like you.
Two thumbs up!”
“Little
sister” Bobbie is 85-years-old.
The one and only Willie Nelson, age 82, tireless
Greta
and I didn’t know if we’d ever see Willie again. However, a week later we did,
only this time it wasn’t in person. On Friday night, January 15, we watched on
PBS TV station KCET, Willie receiving The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize
for Popular Song.
He
had received the award on November 18, 2015, in Washington, D.C. A multitude of
entertainers performed his music as he and his wife sat in a booth
above and to the side of the stage.
Johnny Cash’s daughter, Rosanne, performed “Pancho and
Lefty” and Alison Krauss of the group Union Station performed, “Angel Flying
Too Close to the Ground.” Paul Simon and Neil Young also sang. It was an
incredible night of music.
After Willie received the award on stage, he strapped
on Trigger and did a few songs with all of the guest performers joining him. With
a career that spans six decades, his final song was, appropriately enough, “On
the Road Again.”
Greta said, “Just because we are older, doesn’t mean we
stop doing what we love. To Willie, 82 is just a number.”
Tom and Greta ready for Willie to come on stage
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