SOUTH DAKOTA STRAIGHT TALK

Willie Nelson is an American Original.

Willie is coming to Sioux City on Tuesday with his musical family for the off again on again – Am I Exhausted? Concert.

Sidebar – I won’t go into the - We Need an Events Center Thing - and why is this concert in Sewer City thing (as of this morning, tickets were still being advertised for sale) but it would have been nice to have Nelson back in Sioux Falls. The Nelson vagabonds previously played The Great Hall at the Washington Pavilion to a sell out.

Robert Morast in Thursday’s “Link” had an excellent review of Nelson as a performer. While there are small items that I take exception too in his assessment, including which Best Album honors, Morast has pretty much caught the essential Willie.

Nelson who found success early in his career as a songwriter rather than a performer spent his formative years at the feet of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys listening to Texas Swing and singing at the honky tonks in Cowtown (Fort Worth) along the Jacksboro Highway.

Nelson as Morast notes early in his career was a prodigious songwriter. Consider he wrote, "Hello Walls," "Night Life," "Crazy" and "Opportunity to Cry" in one week. Crazy, which is almost spiritual when performed by the legendary Patsy Cline, also became the campaign song for Ross Perot in his 1992 Presidential campaign.

Nelson found fame as Ambassador of the Outlaw Country movement, in the mid seventies and from that time his career can best be described as Sinatra finds dubage.

There are songs Willie performs and has since then that are notable but it is his early work that connects. My all time favorite single is “Hello Walls”, the Faron Young hit that he wrote, and my Nelson album is “Stardust”. Stardust is taken from the lead song that was written by famous legendary jazz songwriter and performer Hoagy Carmichael.

Very recently, I picked up a wonderful Nelson anthology album at Starbucks, titled “Natural Renegade” that covers both the older and newer model. It displays the entire range of Willie’s career.

Morast in his review notes, “ Long after Nelson proves his mortality, this record will ensure his legacy never dies.” Nelson is an American original and the legacy of his song styling and his music will never die.

Sidebar – Nelson has his fans – In a related story during the mid 1980s when Willie was playing the South Dakota State Fair, Commissioner of Finance and Budget Steve Zelmer asked Governor Janklow for the only favor he ever asked for and that was to present Nelson a Governor’s Proclamation during his performance at the State Fair Grandstand. Zelmer who is a huge fan of the Red Head has said it was the highlight of his career in State government.

Album Notes:

Red Headed Stranger

The Time Of The Preacher, I Couldn’t Believe It Was True, Time Of The Preacher Theme, Medley: Blue Rock Montana/Red Headed Stranger, Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain, Time Of The Preacher Theme, Just As I Am, Denver, O'er The Waves, Down Yonder, Can I Sleep In Your Arms, Remember Me (When The Candle Lights Are Gleaming), Hands On The Wheel, Bandera, Bach Minuet In G, I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You), A Maiden's Prayer, Bonaparte's Retreat

“Stardust”

Stardust, Georgia On My Mind, Blue Skies, All Of Me, Unchained Melody, September Song, On The Sunny Side Of The Street, Moonlight In Vermont, Don’t Get Around Much Anymore, Someone To Watch Over Me, Scarlet Ribbons, I Can See Clearly Now

“Natural Renegade”

Crazy, Night Life, Funny How Time Slips Away, Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys (With Waylon Jennings), Pancho And Lefty (With Merle Haggard),
Red Headed Stranger, On The Road Again, Unchained Melody, All Of Me, Georgia On My Mind, Blue eyes Crying In The Rain, Always On My Mind, It's Not Supposed To Be That Way, I Never Cared For You, These Lonely Nights, Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground