Roll Me Up And Smoke Me When I Die Part 2

My daughter Renee with her family.

PAUL ENGLISH.

I first met Willie through my older brother Oliver. They had booked a job and didn't have a drummer. I played trumpet, but I had never played drums before. I told them I could do it. Later on I found out I had the beat backward! They found a c.o.ke crate and put it on a chair for me to use as a drum stool. They gave me a snare, and then way later I got a ba.s.s drum and a sock cymbal. I just counted either a one-two-three-four beat or a one-two-three beat. I remember Paul Buskirk coming to Willie's house, and every night Paul, Willie, and myself recorded every song for Willie's radio show. Our special guest every night was Lana Nelson. She was two years old. She was a beautiful child, and she is beautiful now. After a couple of weeks we got a job at the Hemphill Club, which paid us eight dollars, three nights a week. We had another front man (I don't remember who), so Willie just played lead guitar and sang on a few songs. Willie spoke up for me when they first got the job because they were trying to figure out who to use for a drummer, and Willie said, "I think we ought to use Paul. He's been playing with us all this time for nothing."I remember one night we were going home from the Hemphill Club and we drove up to Willie's house, which was this little side apartment. I sat and waited a minute to make sure he got in. Then I knew he got in because I heard a loud noise, which was pots and pans being thrown at him by Martha, his wife. She ran him out of the house, and about that time I figured I'd better leave. We worked for about a month at the Hemphill Club, and then the owner sold it. Me and the other band members went out to play at another club on the Jacksboro Highway. Willie went to a better job than that, but we stayed friends, and I sold him a car. I own a car lot, but I didn't have one good enough on the lot, so I went somewhere else and found one. I paid $150 for it, got the t.i.tle and license, and sold it to Willie for $175, with a $25 down payment. Ten years later Willie was playing with Johnny Bush, and I was living in Houston. They would come over to my house every time they came into town.One night Willie was asking me if I knew how to get hold of Tommy Roznoski, this other drummer, because Johnny Bush had been playing drums behind Willie, but Johnny wanted to go to the front and sing, and so he needed a drummer to fill in while he was singing. I said that I could play drums better than Roznoski anyway. Willie said, "Well, you wouldn't work for thirty dollars a day, would you?" I said, "I would," and here I am still today. I am so grateful to Willie for keeping me on and making me a part of this adventure that has been our lives. I played my first job with Willie, and I will play my last with him too.

MICKEY R RAPHAEL, THE THE BEST BEST HARMONICA HARMONICA PLAYER PLAYER EVER EVER! HE HAS HAS BEEN BEEN playing harmonica with me since he was basically a child. He can play anything-country, rock, jazz, you name it. I ran into him in Dallas at a Coach Darrell Royal party. I asked him to come play a benefit with me, and he has been with me ever since. He is a really good picker and a really good friend. playing harmonica with me since he was basically a child. He can play anything-country, rock, jazz, you name it. I ran into him in Dallas at a Coach Darrell Royal party. I asked him to come play a benefit with me, and he has been with me ever since. He is a really good picker and a really good friend.

MICKEY RAPHAEL.

In 1972 I got a message from Darrell Royal, the coach of the University of Texas football team. He said he was having a little picking session in his hotel suite after the Texas-Arkansas ball game and asked me to bring my harmonicas and jam with some friends of his.Coach was a serious music fan and patron of the arts. I was a struggling musician and had been playing in Dallas and Austin with B. W. Stevenson and Jerry Jeff Walker. The coach had seen me play and thought I'd fit in with his famous after-game jam sessions.The coach and his wife, Edith, were very welcoming and introduced me to some of the musicians. Willie Nelson happened to be one of the guests. I didn't grow up listening to country music, although I owned one Willie Nelson record. By the end of the evening, I was a huge fan.Willie was playing the cla.s.sic songs "Night Life," "Funny How Time Slips Away," and "Crazy," and I would try to play along. His guitar playing and lyrics were mesmerizing. I couldn't believe this was the guy who wrote these songs. The guitar was pa.s.sed around the room and other singers sang Hank Williams tunes or ones they had recently written. At the end of the evening Willie invited me to come see him play and sit in with his band.Well, this piqued my interest.Several months later I heard that Willie was playing a benefit in Lancaster, Texas, for a volunteer fire department. I drove down from Dallas with my little box of harmonicas and showed up at his bus and asked if the offer still stood to sit in with his band.He very graciously invited me to play. As a novice at country music, I was lost and struggled to keep up, faking it the whole time. I think by the fourth time we played "Fraulein" I was getting the hang of it.Willie had left Nashville and moved to Austin, where the music scene was exploding. Long-haired hippie types (my peers) were mingling with rednecks, and what brought them together was music. Willie saw this was happening and found a new home in Austin.Willie and the band would travel in this camper called an Open Road, like a Winnebago, but it only had a screen door in front, which really made it an "Open Road."After I played with Willie for several weekends, Willie asked Paul English, his drummer and bandleader, "What are we paying Mickey?" Paul told Will, "We're paying him nothing; he's just coming around on his own."Willie's response was "Double his salary."This was 1973 and it's 2012 now.Life never gets dull out here. Every day is an adventure and some days are harder than others, but it beats a real job. We just finished an outdoor gig in Las Vegas tonight, where it was 106 degrees onstage. The cooling fans onstage were blowing and Willie thought a heater was on because the blowing air was so hot. He just kept playing and gave them his all.When I started this gig, I was twenty-one and I'm sixty now. I learned so much from watching Willie play, and his unique phrasing has given me a musical education I would have received nowhere else.It's been an amazing ride, and I'm thankful every day for the call I got from Darrell and Edith Royal. I'm even more grateful Willie took their advice and took a chance on me.Willie has been a friend, a brother, a father, a boss, a benevolent dictator, a sometimes crazy motherf.u.c.ker, and a great inspiration to me.I grew up in this band of heathens and I'm thankful to be a foster child in this family.

MARK R ROTHBAUM, JOEL K KATZ, AND AND L LARRY G GOLDFEIN STILL STILL TAKE TAKE care of most all my music business, and they are all very good. Mark Rothbaum is my manager, even though I hesitate to say he's my "manager," mostly because I'm not very manageable. But he represents me very well and helps me make decisions. Joel Katz is a great music lawyer; we kid him a lot and tell him his favorite song is "Both Sides Now." Brian Greenbaum is my booking agent with CAA. He books my tours and does a great job. Larry Goldfein is a great tax lawyer and saved my a.s.s big-time when the IRS stuff was all going on, but that's another book. care of most all my music business, and they are all very good. Mark Rothbaum is my manager, even though I hesitate to say he's my "manager," mostly because I'm not very manageable. But he represents me very well and helps me make decisions. Joel Katz is a great music lawyer; we kid him a lot and tell him his favorite song is "Both Sides Now." Brian Greenbaum is my booking agent with CAA. He books my tours and does a great job. Larry Goldfein is a great tax lawyer and saved my a.s.s big-time when the IRS stuff was all going on, but that's another book.

If you don't get their money at least get some advice, because they know a lot. For them I wrote, "Why Do I Have Two Jews?" ... or was that "Why Do I Have to Choose?" I can't remember, but now you know why ... because I couldn't do it without them! They have done a remarkable job representing me, so thank you, gentlemen!

MARK ROTHBAUM.

When you wholeheartedly adopt a "with all your heart" att.i.tude, and go out with positive principle, you can do incredible things.

-DR. NORMAN V VINCENT P PEALE.

The alb.u.m Willie Nelson and Family Willie Nelson and Family was released in 1971. The cover was a photograph of all the members of the band, along with their families, posed around a campfire. The first time I saw that picture was in 1973. There is Willie, the patriarch, proud, strong, focused-a man on a mission. His wife, kids, friends, and bandmates surround him. At one end, Bobbie, looking so beautiful and proper. At the other end, Paul "the Devil" English, wearing red pants and a red cape, looking just insane enough to be feared, but adorable just the same. Standing around the fire were Bee, Lana, Susie, Billy, P.C., and many others. ... I wanted to be a part of that circle. was released in 1971. The cover was a photograph of all the members of the band, along with their families, posed around a campfire. The first time I saw that picture was in 1973. There is Willie, the patriarch, proud, strong, focused-a man on a mission. His wife, kids, friends, and bandmates surround him. At one end, Bobbie, looking so beautiful and proper. At the other end, Paul "the Devil" English, wearing red pants and a red cape, looking just insane enough to be feared, but adorable just the same. Standing around the fire were Bee, Lana, Susie, Billy, P.C., and many others. ... I wanted to be a part of that circle.

Mark Rothbaum.

I was working for a management company in New York City that represented musicians, in particular Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Miles Davis, who, as a matter of fact, got me the job. I was responsible for the day-to-day needs of Miles. I was twenty-four years old and had no music business experience, but I kept going back to that photo, and of course, the music. I was now completely head over heels into Willie Nelson.

When the company needed someone to represent Willie, they did not think of me. I had no desk and no phone. I had no responsibility other than Miles's daily needs. Soon a music industry veteran was given the huge sum of $5,000 to come in and take over Willie's day-to-day management. This guy was supposed to show up on Monday morning; in fact, he showed up after lunch! He was a mess. His hair was all disheveled, and sleep was in his eyes. It hit me all at once: positive thinking! I could run this guy into the ground. Why couldn't I manage Willie Nelson? Why couldn't I be a part of that circle? I was positive I could be a great manager.

As a kid, I would make deliveries for my dad's furniture store and get $75 a week in return. Right away I would run out to buy alb.u.ms with that money. He would always say to me, "What can you do with that music? How can you make a living with just music?" I always loved music. For as far back as I can remember, great songs were part of my life.

Now I had the opportunity to do what I loved, and I wasn't going to let it get away from me. Everything crystallized at once. I began to study concert, television, and record-company contracts. I was paying attention to details. When the phone rang, I was the first one to answer it. For each question I asked, I continued to have more swirling through my head. About a month later, I had a desk and a phone, and that music veteran was dismissed. I was on my way. But it always came back to that cover.

I've loved these folks from the very beginning, and I still do.

Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results.

-WILLIE N NELSON

AS I I MENTIONED MENTIONED BEFORE BEFORE, WE WE LOST LOST THE THE B BEE M MAN. BEE S SPEARS WAS WAS A A great ba.s.s player and all-around fantastic human being. He is still missed all the time. great ba.s.s player and all-around fantastic human being. He is still missed all the time.

Kevin Smith has jumped in on ba.s.s and is doing a great job! It's not easy to follow Bee, and playing with us is a lot of ESP that takes time to master. I never know what I'm going to do, so of course the band is never sure either. It's kind of like walking the high wire with no net. There are no take twos in a live show, and you can't take nothin' back, so the best way to follow me onstage is really simple: you wait, wait, and then wait some more until you know what I am doing, then jump in. If you are a good musician you will know what to do.

Wynton Marsalis told me a story about a jazz musician who asked the bandleader who had just hired him, "When do we rehea.r.s.e?" The bandleader said, "Can you play?" The musician said, "Well, yes." The bandleader said, "Well then, what the f.u.c.k do you want to rehea.r.s.e for?" It makes sense that either you can play or you can't play. It's too late to learn once you get out there. You turn everything over to your inner self and go for it. You have to trust yourself, and that requires confidence and talent.

THE SOUND SOUND DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT IS IS B BOBBY L LEMONS AND AND A AARON F FOYE. THE lighting department is Budrock Pruitt. They do a great job of making us look and sound good. John Selman is the stage manager. He makes sure everything is perfect for the shows each and every night. Kenny Keopke works with John to keep the show going. Tom Hawkins has been wrangling Trigger for me for many years now. I know that at showtime Trigger will be tuned and ready to bark. Larry "L.G." Gorham has been watching my back for over thirty years. Gates "Gator" Moore and Tony Sizemore have been driving the bus for me for millions of miles. We have worn out several buses, and when we all lie down to sleep, we know that our lives are as safe as they can be. Thank you, Gator and Tony; we are here because you got us here. David Anderson is maybe the smartest guy I have out there, besides Paul. He does everything he has to do very well-public relations, road manager, computer wizard, and sparring partner. I practiced all my tae kwon do forms on the bus, going down the road at sixty miles an hour, using David as my opponent. He was a good sport. Thank you all very much! lighting department is Budrock Pruitt. They do a great job of making us look and sound good. John Selman is the stage manager. He makes sure everything is perfect for the shows each and every night. Kenny Keopke works with John to keep the show going. Tom Hawkins has been wrangling Trigger for me for many years now. I know that at showtime Trigger will be tuned and ready to bark. Larry "L.G." Gorham has been watching my back for over thirty years. Gates "Gator" Moore and Tony Sizemore have been driving the bus for me for millions of miles. We have worn out several buses, and when we all lie down to sleep, we know that our lives are as safe as they can be. Thank you, Gator and Tony; we are here because you got us here. David Anderson is maybe the smartest guy I have out there, besides Paul. He does everything he has to do very well-public relations, road manager, computer wizard, and sparring partner. I practiced all my tae kwon do forms on the bus, going down the road at sixty miles an hour, using David as my opponent. He was a good sport. Thank you all very much!

DAVID ANDERSON.

It was New Year's Eve 1973, after my senior high school party; I was high on mushrooms and riding up and down on the Dallas Hyatt Regency elevator for fun. It was there I experienced my first encounter with the man I would spend the rest of my adult life with. A man who would change-had already changed-my life forever.Shortly after midnight, the elevator door opened and through the hallucinogenic glaze of my eyes stood before me one of the largest superstars in history, and next to him was Willie Nelson. I offered Leon Russell and Willie a ride, asked them what floor they wanted, and delivered them safe and sound with great relief. My journalism and sociology teachers had recently introduced me to Willie's music while trying to explain why Leon Russell had just cut his first country record, Hank Wilson's Back Hank Wilson's Back.That next year, our paths would cross yet again. It was during a very new growth period for Texas music and music festivals in general. Tom Lett, owner of the Best Parking Lot at Dallas's Love Field, had the pioneering idea of bringing festivals to the heart of Dallas during the pre-amphitheater era. I was an eighteen-year-old kid right out of film school and enjoyed music, though I was far from an expert. But when the chance came along for me to advise Tom on the artists who should perform, I jumped at the chance.Willie was my first choice, and Willie's daughter Lana was my first call. She worked in her dad's office, booking and helping Paul English, Willie's drummer. She's now my big sister and best friend.Tickets were $7 each and included all the beer and soda you could consume. They sold out instantly. We built the stage on top of the parking lot entrance, and that night two topless girls climbed onto two other cowboys' shoulders to see Willie up close and personal. Willie enjoyed the view until the blonde fell and grabbed on to Willie's strap. It was an eighteen-foot fall and no t.i.tties were worth the drop.Fate continued to guide me as I opted out of a consulting fee and salary, and I asked Tom to rent me a suite at the Ramada Inn next door with a banquet room for the artists to come to and relax and party instead. Much better, I thought, than a hundred-dollar bill. Willie, Paul, and the rest of the band came up for food and to smoke a quick joint, and of course to get paid, before hitting the road. We did, they did, and it was done.Later on, while Paul was producing the 1975 picnic in Liberty Hill, he stayed in Dallas to promote and buy ads, although it turned out to be a retreat from exhaustion more than anything. We met each night after my job at Bill Stokes's studio and talked about the picnic, exchanging ideas on how to make it work easier than in the past.It was their fourth year and most motor-home rental agencies had seen the wrath of a picnic taken out on their equipment, and they had all refused to rent to them, a conundrum Paul placed on my shoulders. With the arrogance of navete, I jumped at the chance. I didn't even know what a dressing room was, much less where to rent one.The next Sunday I was driving by a construction site and fifty blueprint office trailers were scattered around a field. I called the number on the billboard and ordered them all delivered to Austin for $50 each. Before I knew it, I was in Austin at another picnic, only this time not as a spectator, but as a worker helping "the Devil" himself.It rained that year, as it seems to at most picnics, and the roof began filling with water and had nowhere to go, so Paul pulled out his forty-five and unloaded his pistol into it to drain the weight of the water. Like the rest of the audience I cheered on in happy disbelief. I'd never seen a gun before.I guess he was enthused over my eagerness, because Paul hired me as his a.s.sistant. Willie's enthusiasm, however, was short-lived. I was getting on his nerves, trying to treat him like the star I thought he was.Soon Willie called me into his office. Paul was there too, and in true Willie fashion, rather than hurt my feelings, he said he couldn't afford to pay me. I knew that wasn't the case, as I had worked the last nine months for only $100.He did say, however, that I could continue to promote shows for him, so I did just that. Wichita Falls was my first true dive into the world of concert promotion, and with Willie as the headliner it was an easy sell. The show sold out with ma.s.sive profits for the time, $12,500; I had about $6,500 in cash sales, with the other $6,000 at the box office.Fate decided to take me on a drive out west to deliver the money. Paul and Willie were at a show promoted by a longtime scoundrel, Geno McCoslin. Geno had not paid them, yet again, and to their surprise and my good fortune, I showed up with a brown paper bag with $6,500 cash. Willie told Paul, "Hire him back."It's been the best and worst times of my life. I couldn't imagine a better person with whom to have experienced almost four decades of the most fascinating life anyone could ever imagine. He taught me all about love and how to love others. Just as Joe Jamail wrote on Trigger years ago, he's "a gentle man." I will always love him.

THE F FRANKS BROTHERS BROTHERS HANDLE HANDLE THE THE MERCHANDISE MERCHANDISE ON ON THE THE ROAD ROAD. Scooter, Ruthie, and crew travel every mile we do. They are the only merchandise company I have ever used.

OH WELL WELL, HERE HERE TODAY TODAY AND AND OUT OUT THE THE OTHER OTHER ... ... OR OR IN IN ONE ONE EAR EAR AND AND gone tomorrow. We live and learn, then die and forget it all. Maybe not, and maybe Earth is a school where we come to learn lessons. I believe in the law of karma, where every action has an equal and opposite reaction. You get what you give. Fred Foster said, "The only thing you get to keep in this life is what you gave away." You can't out-give G.o.d. The Bible says whatever you give away you get back ten times over. Do the math; it's a no-brainer, and I believe you keep coming back until you get it right. As you learn, you can also teach others what you have learned along the way. Or you can keep doing it wrong until you like it that way. So get to giving, and let me know how it works out. I have received more than ten times what I gave, and I'm still way ahead. gone tomorrow. We live and learn, then die and forget it all. Maybe not, and maybe Earth is a school where we come to learn lessons. I believe in the law of karma, where every action has an equal and opposite reaction. You get what you give. Fred Foster said, "The only thing you get to keep in this life is what you gave away." You can't out-give G.o.d. The Bible says whatever you give away you get back ten times over. Do the math; it's a no-brainer, and I believe you keep coming back until you get it right. As you learn, you can also teach others what you have learned along the way. Or you can keep doing it wrong until you like it that way. So get to giving, and let me know how it works out. I have received more than ten times what I gave, and I'm still way ahead.

I GUESS I'VE COME TO LIVE HERE IN YOUR EYESI guess I've come to live here in your eyesThis must be the place called paradiseYou are so special to meAnd what a precious time within our livesAnd I guess I've come to live here in your eyesA thousand times I see you and a thousand times you take my breath awayThen fears and doubts consume meI'm afraid someone will take it all awayI hope I'm here forever, but I think it's time that we both realizeThat I guess I've come to live here in your eyes ANNIE AND AND I I HAVE HAVE BEEN BEEN TOGETHER TOGETHER ALMOST ALMOST TWENTY TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS YEARS and have been married for nearly twenty-two of those. Do the math yourself if you like, or I can just tell you that both of our boys were in our wedding. and have been married for nearly twenty-two of those. Do the math yourself if you like, or I can just tell you that both of our boys were in our wedding.

Micah and Lukas.

We seem to still find ways and time to be together. We have two great sons, Lukas and Micah, who are fantastic musicians, singers, and artists. They always make me so proud. When I'm really lucky, we all get together onstage and play music. Playing music with Paula, Amy, Lukas, Micah, and Sister Bobbie is as good as it gets!

MICAH NELSON.

For those who still believe Santa Claus isn't real, clearly they have never met my father. The invaluable things I have learned from him over the years simply through observation are more than I can describe in any language. It is a blessing to have been raised by someone so wise and humble. He is an elder of the human tribe and young beyond his years. I love him more every day, because every day it seems we grow closer.It isn't easy to describe exactly what it's like to be "Willie's kid." One might reasonably a.s.sume that it comes with a great pressure to live up to a certain expectation or to be caught in a heavy shadow. Being an artist/musician inherently comes with many pressures and struggles. However, I have never felt as though I am standing in his shadow-it is instead as if he has blazed a trail of lights for me with which to cast my own shadows. There has never been any pressure from him to be anything but a decent person, and he has supported me in every creative endeavor I've ever embarked upon, regardless of how different it may be. Seriously, even if I played in some screamo/breakcore/noise/glitch pop/polka band (fill in the blank), he would still want to come sit in with the band or have me come open for him or something, just so we could hang out and play music together. That is how much he cares about family above all else. When he came to see my band Insects vs. Robots a couple years ago, our ba.s.sist broke a string halfway through the set, and while he was changing it, my dad jumped onstage and kicked off "On the Road Again." Maybe half the band knew the song, but it kept the show moving and was a great and hilarious moment. I'll never forget that.I started playing harmonica in his band next to Mickey when I was three years old and later moved on to playing drums/percussion with Paul and Billy, while Lukas played guitar, and these days I've been singing in the band as well. I literally grew up with music. When I was about seven years old, Dad asked me to make the alb.u.m artwork for his alb.u.m Milk Cow Blues. Milk Cow Blues. I ended up giving the "boy cows" udders (because I was seven years old), but he didn't care. In fact, he thought it was great. For us, it was just a fun project to do together. I ended up giving the "boy cows" udders (because I was seven years old), but he didn't care. In fact, he thought it was great. For us, it was just a fun project to do together.When he asked me to do ill.u.s.trations for this book, it was just another great excuse to create together. Still, I feel incredibly honored to be the one to ill.u.s.trate moments and characters in my dad's life. It has certainly been a special one. Needless to say, we laughed a lot rummaging through all his life stories. Getting to re-create them visually has made us closer than ever. When I originally asked what he had in mind visually for the book he said, "Just do what you do, whatever you're feeling. We'll go from there." My dad has never tried to hinder my creative potential or change who I am, and for that I thank him so much. He's had his fair share of experience being himself in the face of creative suppression and trusting his intuition regardless of what was expected or accepted. Seems to have worked out pretty well so far.

Lukas, Micah, and Willie.

THEY SAY SAY THERE THERE ARE ARE NO NO EX EX-WIVES, ONLY ONLY ADDITIONAL ADDITIONAL WIVES WIVES, AND AND that's not such a bad thing, especially if you had kids together. It's good to stay on good terms with everyone. that's not such a bad thing, especially if you had kids together. It's good to stay on good terms with everyone.

My first wife, Martha, was a great lady. We were just teenagers when we met. She was a carhop in Waco, and I was a guitar player. We had three great kids, Lana, Susie, and Billy. We lost Billy, and that's still hard to think about. You never get over losing a child, you only get through it. Lana travels with me on the road now. Susie lives in Austin. She is doing a radio show on SiriusXM playing gospel music.

Susie, Billy, Martha, and Lana.

RAELYN NELSON.

So, Annie told me she needs this yesterday; that gives me until tomorrow afternoon to ponder and write about Papa Willie memories and such. The earliest memory I have of Papa Willie (I've always called him Papa Willie until I shortened it to PW, then eventually to P-dub) is with my daddy. I remember just a flash, as early memories are for most of us, of my daddy, P-dub, and me singing a song. I know it was "Jingle Bells," but only because I was told that was the song that they taught me. The other early memory I have is being in a crowded venue in my daddy's arms and watching P-dub try to make his way through hundreds of screaming fans. I wanted to talk to Papa Willie and my daddy told me we'd see him after he was done working.My daddy was wild, hence the nickname Wild Bill. Auntie says, "Papa Willie must've never tamed him." That makes me smile. I remember my daddy always coming and going. When he was home with my mama and me, we'd play and have the best time. He left every few days, but he'd always come back ready to sing and play guitar to me and draw smiley faces. When he was gone, I always thought he was with P-dub, on the road. My daddy loved P-dub; I think he wanted to be just like him ... but who doesn't? It was hard being Willie Nelson Jr., I'm sure, and I'll never have the opportunity to talk to my dad about his struggles and tribulations of that time, but I know he was proud of his daddy. We'd go to every Papa Willie show we could make.

BillyI was seven years old and it was Christmas Day when my mama got a call from Aunt Lana; my daddy had been found dead in his cabin in Ridgetop. My mama told me and I saw her cry. She cried hard, wept while my stepdad tried to console her. She took me to his memorial viewing in Tennessee, because she wanted me to see that he was dead and didn't just take off and hadn't come back yet.My mama took me to all of P-dub's shows when he came through town, made sure I had all of his alb.u.ms, had me call and write regularly, and did anything else she could to keep me connected with my daddy's family. I remember he came to Grandparents' Day at my elementary school in fifth grade and signed autographs for everybody's grandparents for hours. I asked P-dub for a guitar when I was fourteen, and he bought me a brand-new Martin acoustic that I still play today. I learned some tunes, and the next time I saw him, I played and sang the best song I could play. He smiled and gave me a guitar lesson that I still hold as one of my most precious moments of life.Whenever I see Papa Willie, there's a sadness in his eyes that I recognize, and I'm sure he sees it in mine, too, because just like I remind him of my daddy, he reminds me of my daddy, and the pain of losing him from this life never goes away. There's not a day that goes by that we don't think about him. He's still alive in our hearts and minds and I believe that he's watching over us as a family angel ... so don't f.u.c.k with us.

Raelyn and Papa Willie.

MARTHA AND AND I I STAYED STAYED TOGETHER TOGETHER TEN TEN YEARS YEARS BEFORE BEFORE MY MY SHENANIGANS SHENANIGANS on the road blew the deal. She is no longer with us, but we had some great years. Our marriage got a little rocky when I met Shirley Collie. Shirley was a great singer and songwriter. We stayed together ten years before I met this real pretty blonde in Texas one night, and there I went again. on the road blew the deal. She is no longer with us, but we had some great years. Our marriage got a little rocky when I met Shirley Collie. Shirley was a great singer and songwriter. We stayed together ten years before I met this real pretty blonde in Texas one night, and there I went again.

Connie and I stayed together ten years, and we had two great kids, Amy and Paula. I began to see a pattern.

AND SO WILL YOU MY LOVEThe music stopped the crowd is thinning nowOne phase of night has reached an ending nowBut nothing, nothing lasts foreverExcept foreverAnd you my loveAnd so will you my love, my loveThe streets are dark here as I walk aloneAnd since you're gone I always walk aloneBut nothing, nothing lasts foreverExcept forever and you my loveAnd so will you my love, my loveAnd so will you my loveYour memory is always nearWherever I am found your memory's still aroundThe dawn and I arrive at home at lastNight turns its lonely face toward the pastFor nothing lasts foreverExcept foreverAnd you my loveAnd so will you my loveMyLove THEN I I DID DID A A MOVIE MOVIE IN IN T TUCSON AND AND MET MET A ANNIE. SHE WAS WAS THE THE makeup artist on the movie makeup artist on the movie Stagecoach Stagecoach. We have been together almost twenty-seven years, so we seem to have figured it out ... as much as anyone can. I still travel a lot, but we still find our time. They say the only normal family is the one you don't really know, so I guess we are as normal as the next. I think somebody said we get too soon old and too late smart, and why is youth wasted on the young?

ANNIE NELSON When I'm out on the road, most people ask how Willie and I met. I met Willie on a "movie of the week" filming in Tucson, Arizona. The film was a remake of John Ford's cla.s.sic Stagecoach. Stagecoach. I actually met the rest of the highwaymen and their families before I met the guy who turned out to be my favorite-oh wait, my only-husband. I actually met the rest of the highwaymen and their families before I met the guy who turned out to be my favorite-oh wait, my only-husband.I was the head of the hair and makeup department for the film and had spent an inordinate amount of time going back and forth with the director and producer, who felt that Willie should cut his hair to play the part of John Henry "Doc" Holliday. I know what you're thinking. Why? Because I was thinking the same thing myself. I agreed finally that I would go ahead and do it. So the first day he showed up, my job was to ask Willie Nelson if he would be willing to cut his lovely hair off to play the part of a character who, in truth, didn't really have long hair. In any case, I introduced myself to him and said, "Mr. Nelson, the producers would like to know if you are willing to cut your hair off for this part." He was sitting, so he looked up at me with an impish grin and said, "What do you think?" Now, honestly, I was willing to leave the show at that point because I had already spent a few days listening to the producer and director fighting via bullhorns across the desert Southwest over who had worked on the most John Wayne films. I was pretty done. So it was easy to say to him, "I think it is spectacularly unnecessary and ridiculous." That's when his impish grin grew to a fantastic smile and a twinkle in his eye, and he said, "Then let's say no!" That's the moment I saw my home in his eyes. Maybe it was just a shared moment of smart-a.s.sedness, but it's been going strong for nearly twenty-seven years, so I guess there was something there after all.After that, it was all just life happening, and working out how I was going to give up my career because whenever he was off on a tour, I was somewhere else on the planet working on a film, and something had to give for us to be together. Obviously we worked it out.

"And when you get right down to it, there it is."

I think Zeke Varner said that.

Annie and I are flying back to Maui now. I just finished a great tour. We had good crowds and played well. You can't ask for anything better than that, and I can't either.Maui is kind of like a hospital zone for me. It has healing qualities, like the sun and aloha mixed together. It is good medicine. Annie and I love coming here, and we do every chance we get. Annie loves to cook-she's a really a great chef and keeps getting better. She loves to invite the island over and feed them all. That is her hobby.Me, I love to gamble with my friends (surprise, surprise). My friend Zeke was good at poker and dominoes. He taught me a lot. I love to invite my gambling buddies over and see who's the luckiest son of a gun tonight.

Maui.

THINK IT IT AND AND BE BE IT IT, AND AND YEA YEA THOUGH THOUGH I I WALK WALK THROUGH THROUGH THE THE VALLEY VALLEY of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, because I'm the meanest son of a b.i.t.c.h in the valley. Do you think that I am a little overconfident? Maybe, but I believe the best defense is a great offense, and whoever lands the first blow has the advantage. Like Billy Joe Shaver said, "I don't start fights, but I try really hard to finish them." of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, because I'm the meanest son of a b.i.t.c.h in the valley. Do you think that I am a little overconfident? Maybe, but I believe the best defense is a great offense, and whoever lands the first blow has the advantage. Like Billy Joe Shaver said, "I don't start fights, but I try really hard to finish them."

I've been beaten up a few times, and I never learned to like it. If I can scare you off with big talk, I'll try that first. Hide grows back, but good clothes don't, and in the early days I didn't have a lot of clothes. Speaking of Billy Joe Shaver, he is one of the best songwriters, alive or dead. He is in the same league as Kris Kristofferson, Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, Vern Gosdin, or anybody. He says it like it is with as few words as possible, and that's the real formula, I think.

I sing Billy Joe Shaver's song "Georgia on a Fast Train" and Waylon Jennings's "You Ask Me To" every night, because they are great songs.

One time Billy Joe was in one of the shows I put on in Austin, Texas. It was in a cow pasture in Dripping Springs. He took some peyote before he got there and thought he was Jesus. He preached for hours to anyone who would listen. He said he saved a lot of souls that day and baptized them in a mud puddle. They were very grateful, and still love the lord till this day as far as I know.

Kris and I have been great friends forever. Kris is still writing great songs. I did an alb.u.m of Kris's songs and an alb.u.m of Billy Joe's songs. I still sing "Help Me Make It Through the Night," "Loving Her Was Easier," and "Me and Bobby McGee" in my shows. We played music and acted in movies together, like Songwriter. Songwriter. We also made a Western in Spain that I really enjoyed. We got to ride horses and play music with Gypsies every night. That's hard to beat. We also made a Western in Spain that I really enjoyed. We got to ride horses and play music with Gypsies every night. That's hard to beat.

Thought for the Day: If there is no solution, then there is no problem. If there is no solution, then there is no problem.

These are words to live by, you should teach them to your kids, and if there is one thing I know for sure, it's I don't know nothin' for sure. I think I'm smart ... start with that one.

ANNIE NELSON.

Besides my own father, my husband is one of the funniest people I know, and the very best person I have ever met. It is true that after years together you get set in your ways and can finish each other's thoughts before you've even had them, which might seem mundane to some, but the one thing that lasts is a sense of humor. Our family will always be fine because if anything gets too heavy, one of us cracks a joke, and every one of us appreciates the humor (translated: we are all smart-a.s.ses), so the heavy just disappears. I highly recommend humor for relationship longevity. It's hard to stay mad when you're laughing your a.s.s off.With kids, the sense of humor really comes in handy. When Lukas was born, I was having a hard time with the lack of privacy. I wanted the time, after both the boys' births, for my family to bond alone. Turns out you can get that time, but boy, do you have to be a b.i.t.c.h to make it happen. It did happen, however (ergo some b.i.t.c.h was had), and both boys are completely bonded with their father. I believe that bond is due to the time we got alone, and the fact that when they were young we took them everywhere with us. Both Lukas and Micah learned to walk on the bus, which I believe is one reason sports like surfing that stress strong balance were easy for them.We taught them to use their words to express their feelings, and that's what you really need to have a sense of humor about. But when you are a parent, your words coming back at you can sometimes be something you absolutely have to learn to laugh about!

I HOUSEBROKE HOUSEBROKE MY MY DOG DOG. EVERY TIME TIME HE HE s.h.i.t s.h.i.t ON ON THE THE FLOOR FLOOR I I WOULD WOULD rub his nose in it, then throw him out the window. Now when he s.h.i.ts on the floor, he rubs his nose in it and jumps right out the window. rub his nose in it, then throw him out the window. Now when he s.h.i.ts on the floor, he rubs his nose in it and jumps right out the window.

INTERMISSION.

I shouldn't have a problem writing this book; I'm so opinionated that I can give you my opinion on anything, anytime, and I'm glad to do it because I'm just an a.s.shole. But they say opinions are like a.s.sholes: everybody has one. I guess. "While in all your knowing, know yourself first." I'm not sure who said that. It was either Billy Joe Shaver or Jesus. shouldn't have a problem writing this book; I'm so opinionated that I can give you my opinion on anything, anytime, and I'm glad to do it because I'm just an a.s.shole. But they say opinions are like a.s.sholes: everybody has one. I guess. "While in all your knowing, know yourself first." I'm not sure who said that. It was either Billy Joe Shaver or Jesus.

GOLF.

Swing hard, you might hit it. That was my first idea about golf, and learning to swing easy easy is still a work in progress. Mark Twain said, "Golf is a good walk spoiled." I own a golf course and recording studio outside of Austin at the Pedernales Cut-N-Putt in Spicewood, Texas. The great writer-producer Chips Moman built the music studio, which sits next to the golf course. We cut "Pancho and Lefty" and "Always on My Mind" there, and I still record there. is still a work in progress. Mark Twain said, "Golf is a good walk spoiled." I own a golf course and recording studio outside of Austin at the Pedernales Cut-N-Putt in Spicewood, Texas. The great writer-producer Chips Moman built the music studio, which sits next to the golf course. We cut "Pancho and Lefty" and "Always on My Mind" there, and I still record there.

Sister Bobbie and I just did some recording there. Buddy brought all the good pickers in Nashville down to record my new CD Heroes Heroes at the Pedernales Cut-N-Putt. My son Lukas is singing with me on the new CD as well. He is so good, it's scary, and when Micah is there painting, singing, and playing, it all sure makes a great picture. at the Pedernales Cut-N-Putt. My son Lukas is singing with me on the new CD as well. He is so good, it's scary, and when Micah is there painting, singing, and playing, it all sure makes a great picture.

LUKAS NELSON.

My dad has been a perfect example of the type of father I hope to be one day. He has shown me, with and without words, how to conduct myself with grace in the world. That is, in my opinion, the best form of teaching. I have always wanted to be like my father because people enjoy being around him and feel comfortable in his presence. What more can we ask for in the bettering of ourselves? Not perfection, that's for sure. It is ease that he exemplifies. Ease of mind, ease of heart ... I see him make mistakes, and I watch them dissolve into lessons effortlessly for him. This is what I have learned from him. I have learned how to find the ease in most every situation. It is the most valuable tool that I have in my life and has allowed me to quiet my mind enough to follow my bliss.

HIGHWAYMEN.

I met Waylon Jennings one night in Phoenix, Arizona, at an all-night restaurant next to the Holiday Inn where I was staying. We hit it off pretty good right from the start. We were both from Texas and were already called "outlaws." I don't know about Waylon, but I ate it up. It was good for my image. Waylon asked me if I thought he should go to Nashville. I asked him how much money he was making in Phoenix, and he said four hundred a week. I told him to stay where he was. I was getting like five hundred a night, but the commissions, hotel, fuel, food, and traveling took it all. I thought he had a better gig than I did. Fortunately, he didn't listen to me. met Waylon Jennings one night in Phoenix, Arizona, at an all-night restaurant next to the Holiday Inn where I was staying. We hit it off pretty good right from the start. We were both from Texas and were already called "outlaws." I don't know about Waylon, but I ate it up. It was good for my image. Waylon asked me if I thought he should go to Nashville. I asked him how much money he was making in Phoenix, and he said four hundred a week. I told him to stay where he was. I was getting like five hundred a night, but the commissions, hotel, fuel, food, and traveling took it all. I thought he had a better gig than I did. Fortunately, he didn't listen to me.

Waylon Jennings.

We stayed great friends all the way. We disagreed on almost everything and argued like old married people. We were on different drugs. He liked speed, and I didn't like speed. I was going too fast already.

The Highwaymen tours were the most fun I ever had before or since. Kris and Waylon would argue about politics; John and I would laugh a lot. Later on they would call me just to hear a good joke. I loved John and Waylon. They are dearly missed to this day.

Kris and his wife, Lisa, came by this week on his way to somewhere. He looked great. We laughed a lot, burned one down, and solved all the world's problems. I love you, Kris; you're the real deal!

ANNIE NELSON.

All the Highwaymen tours were probably my most relaxing and fun tour times. We had four full families on giant tours, all over the planet. Our kids all pretty much grew up on the road. It was the Nelson, Kristofferson, Jennings, and Cash gang all growing up and seeing the world together. Lisa Kristofferson and I were pregnant together at one point, and one of my favorite memories of those times was June Carter Cash telling us both not to worry while we were out there because if either of us went into labor, she was there to deliver them babies! She would have done it too. I loved June and miss her to this day. Our boys were not spoiled with material possessions, but they were spoiled with experience. They traveled all over the planet, and when we were in other countries, they played in parks with other children and never had to share a language, just the fact that they were children; the language of children was the only one they needed to know. They learned so much sharing those times. Knowing people from other cultures gave them the gift of understanding that we really are all the same, and no matter how different we may look, or how ideologically apart we are, we really have more in common than not. We all love, laugh, cry, and are moved by the common language of music together. I am so grateful that I chose the husband I did, so that our children would be children of the world and contributors to the common good.It is amazing to see those little kids who grew up on the road, now all playing music together. A couple of months ago, John Carter Cash, June and Johnny Cash's son and part of the "HighwayKid posse," produced a Johnny Cash birthday concert. The whole show was so emotional for me. Many of the musicians onstage were also musicians on some of the Highwaymen tours. When they started playing the song "The Highwayman," that was it; I lost it! Onstage were Willie, Kris, Shooter Jennings (standing up for his father), and Jamey Johnson. When Willie and Kris started into their parts of the song, it was as if twenty-five years simply melted away. It was a moment that took me back, and I could see the four of them singing together and cracking each other up.When the kids were little, they would be on the side of the stage, always dancing and singing along with their dads. On the Johnny Cash birthday night, Lukas was on the road touring with his band the Promise of the Real, but Micah was there onstage playing the charango along with the band! The times they do change, but the road maybe does go on forever, and the party just may never end!

Willie and Kris KristoffersonIt must be true that as you get older the more you look like your pet, because my neighbor came over this morning and chewed me out for s.h.i.tting in his front yard.

-ROGER M MILLER.

Roger Miller was the funniest son of a b.i.t.c.h in the world. He kept me laughing for years. Here are a few Roger jokes: A lady had bought a screen door at a hardware store. As she was leaving the clerk said, "Do you want a screw for that?" She said, "No, but I'll blow you for that toaster."A man in the used-car lot was looking around and kicking tires. The salesman said, "You thinking about buying a car?" The man said, "No, I'm going to buy a car; I was thinking about p.u.s.s.y."

One night in Nashville, in a snowstorm, me, Roger, and Kris were sitting around in our hotel trying to write a song. We were there all night and all we could come up with was "I got AIDS; if you f.u.c.k with me I'll kill you." Roger was one of the greatest songwriters of our time. He wrote songs like "When Two Worlds Collide," "When Your House Is Not a Home," "Old Friends," "England Swings," and "You Can't Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd" ... Thank you, Roger!

IT'S NOT FOR ME TO UNDERSTANDI pa.s.sed a home the other dayThe yard was filled with kids at playBut on the sidewalk of this homeA little boy stood all aloneHis smiling face was sweet and kindBut I could see the boy was blindHe listened to the children playBowed my head and there I prayedDear Lord above, why must this beAnd then these words came back to meAfter all you're just a manBut it's not for you to understandIt's not for you to reason whyYou too are blind without my eyesSo question not what I commandIt's not for you to understandNow when I pray my prayer is oneI pray your will not mine be doneFor after all I'm just a manAnd it's not for me to understand YOU KNOW KNOW YOU YOU SHOULDN SHOULDN'T BE BE READING READING THIS THIS BS, BS, IT IT COULD COULD RUIN RUIN you for all time to come. You could end up a social outcast like me, an outlaw ... OMG! you for all time to come. You could end up a social outcast like me, an outlaw ... OMG!

As my old friend Ben Dorsey says, "If you need a friend, buy a dog."

MARCH 2012 2012.

Ziggy Marley and his family are visiting with us today. He played a show on Maui last night. He is a great family man and has a beautiful family. We recorded a song called "This Train" together once, for his children's CD. I think he won a Grammy. It's good to see him again. I still have to get him back on the poker table. He goes to Australia next. His whole family is into music. It's nice to be able to play music with your family. All my family is into music too.Me, Sister Bobbie, Susie, Paula, Amy, Lukas, and Micah, and even Annie plays ba.s.s. Lana is the only one who is not a musician. She is so talented in so many other ways, like writing, art, and making videos, and she has a great sense of humor. She can turn trash into a thing of beauty. I'm lucky to have her on the bus with me.

LANA NELSON.

It is an honor and a privilege to be the Flighty Attendant aboard the Honeysuckle Rose Honeysuckle Rose tour bus. I hate to call it a bus; it's actually more of a member of the family than a bus. More time will be spent wrapped in these steel arms than anywhere else in the world. It's a dear friend that's also a home. Some days it's just a handful of us...o...b..ard, leisurely traveling across America the beautiful, but other times we are packed so tight folks are sleeping on the floors. Every day is a different challenge. I will be serving, cooking, cleaning, and a.s.sisting with luggage and various secretarial ch.o.r.es. My duties may change daily, but my desire to be there doesn't. tour bus. I hate to call it a bus; it's actually more of a member of the family than a bus. More time will be spent wrapped in these steel arms than anywhere else in the world. It's a dear friend that's also a home. Some days it's just a handful of us...o...b..ard, leisurely traveling across America the beautiful, but other times we are packed so tight folks are sleeping on the floors. Every day is a different challenge. I will be serving, cooking, cleaning, and a.s.sisting with luggage and various secretarial ch.o.r.es. My duties may change daily, but my desire to be there doesn't.All I have ever wanted to be or do was to work with Dad and help him with his career, to be his head cheerleader. I would listen to his radio shows when he was a local DJ and I was a toddler. My favorite song was "Redheaded Stranger," a song by Arthur Smith that he would play on his noon radio show. He would sing it to me at night to put me to sleep and he promised someday he would record it so I could listen to it whenever I wanted to.I cried when he sold his song "Family Bible" because I thought no one would ever know how talented he was if his name wasn't on the record. Dad was sweet and explained to me how we really needed the fifty dollars and everything would be okay. He made another promise: that someday he would buy us enough land to stretch as far as we can see and none of the events of today would even matter anymore. I was four years old.When I was a kid, we moved a lot-every time the rent came due-and I was always trying to make new friends. I'd wind up having to explain how my daddy worked in the daytime and and at night because he was a musician and that's just what they do, and how making saddles or selling vacuum cleaners wasn't his real talent but rather just a way for him to make money. He was actually a big star. I'd give them a quick rundown on some of the songs he had written and how someday they would be huge hits and they could say they knew him when. at night because he was a musician and that's just what they do, and how making saddles or selling vacuum cleaners wasn't his real talent but rather just a way for him to make money. He was actually a big star. I'd give them a quick rundown on some of the songs he had written and how someday they would be huge hits and they could say they knew him when.I never went as far as my cousins Randy, Mike, and Freddie. They set up tours through Aunt Bobbie's house and into the room where Dad was sleeping, granting the other kids in the neighborhood a quick glimpse of a rising star for twenty-five cents.Dad nearly gave his life for me in a shoot-out with my abusive first husband, Steve, and then wrote the song "Shotgun Willie" about the whole ordeal. I have always liked the way he copes with disaster.In 1975 Dad hired me away from the state of Texas and a job at the state capitol to be his secretary at a little office we had in Oak Hill west of Austin. I paid some of his bills and wrote the checks, including the ones to the band, which was then on a $225 weekly retainer to keep everyone from either starving or getting another job. We moved the offices to a house in Dripping Springs that Dad and Connie had just left empty after they moved to Colorado. It was out of this house that we promoted various other concerts and the Fourth of July picnic in Liberty Hill. You know that one. That's the picnic where Paul whipped out his gun and shot holes in the sagging roof of the stage to relieve the intense water pressure from that afternoon's torrential rains. It wasn't the only time that day that Paul used his gun, but it was the most productive.When Mark became Dad's manager, we moved the main offices to Danbury, Connecticut. Soon afterward Dad bought the Pedernales Golf Club, plus seven hundred acres nearby. We turned the clubhouse into the Pedernales Cut-N-Putt recording studio (which I managed). At the time the golf course was private for his friends, family, and musicians who were recording at the Cut-N-Putt.We built a western town on the seven hundred acres for a movie Dad produced, based on his No. 1 hit alb.u.m Red Headed Stranger. Red Headed Stranger. I had never even been on a movie set when Dad and Bill Wittliff (the movie's director) asked me to be the costume designer. I did, and surprisingly enough the costumes drew some good reviews. We were all flying by the seat of our panties on that one, but we pulled it off. We had our movie. I had never even been on a movie set when Dad and Bill Wittliff (the movie's director) asked me to be the costume designer. I did, and surprisingly enough the costumes drew some good reviews. We were all flying by the seat of our panties on that one, but we pulled it off. We had our movie.Somewhere during those years I directed his music videos for "Pancho and Lefty," "Tougher Than Leather," and "There You Are." "Pancho and Lefty" won an American Video Award for best country video, and "Tougher Than Leather" was nominated a couple of years later. I can say that proudly; we lost to Ray Charles. Most recently David Anderson and I wrote and directed Dad's next music video, "A Horse Called Music," due out this fall.

CAROLYN MUGAR.

We were filming the movie Red Headed Stranger Red Headed Stranger in Austin, Texas. The studio offered to film it with an $18 million budget and Robert Redford as the lead, which was my part of the preacher. I decided to pa.s.s, not because I didn't like Robert Redford-in fact we are friends to this day and I love the man. I pa.s.sed because it was a part I really wanted to play. I asked my friend and director Bill Wittliff if we could do it for less. We settled on a $1.8 million budget and began to raise our own money. Don Tyson (of Tyson Foods) gave us the first $250,000 to get started and a few more friends here and there came up with $25,000 and $50,000 investments. It was far from enough to finish the film but enough for me to say, "Let's go for it." I had already built, and paid for, a huge film town on my property, so we just started filming. We invited Cheryl McCall, a writer for in Austin, Texas. The studio offered to film it with an $18 million budget and Robert Redford as the lead, which was my part of the preacher. I decided to pa.s.s, not because I didn't like Robert Redford-in fact we are friends to this day and I love the man. I pa.s.sed because it was a part I really wanted to play. I asked my friend and director Bill Wittliff if we could do it for less. We settled on a $1.8 million budget and began to raise our own money. Don Tyson (of Tyson Foods) gave us the first $250,000 to get started and a few more friends here and there came up with $25,000 and $50,000 investments. It was far from enough to finish the film but enough for me to say, "Let's go for it." I had already built, and paid for, a huge film town on my property, so we just started filming. We invited Cheryl McCall, a writer for Life Life magazine and a dear friend, to embed herself and the magazine in our production set and gave them total access. She would often just hang out with me between takes. One day while we were filming on Bill's ranch outside of Austin, my tour manager David Anderson, who helped coproduce the movie and kept the books, came to the set to talk money. After delivering the bad news that we were more than $150,000 overdrawn and hadn't finished the first weeks of production, Cheryl interrupted and said that a friend she knew was having dinner with a woman from Boston, and she had money that she might be willing to invest. David was far from moved by the idea and was rude as usual-even though, in his defense, it did seem like quite a stretch. magazine and a dear friend, to embed herself and the magazine in our production set and gave them total access. She would often just hang out with me between takes. One day while we were filming on Bill's ranch outside of Austin, my tour manager David Anderson, who helped coproduce the movie and kept the books, came to the set to talk money. After delivering the bad news that we were more than $150,000 overdrawn and hadn't finished the first weeks of production, Cheryl interrupted and said that a friend she knew was having dinner with a woman from Boston, and she had money that she might be willing to invest. David was far from moved by the idea and was rude as usual-even though, in his defense, it did seem like quite a stretch.

The next morning, the mysterious woman from Boston showed up with $500,000, and that was how I met one of my closest confidants, Carolyn Mugar. It turns out we had a great deal in common, and she is still my friend to this day.