Willie Nelson's recent autobiography It's a Long Story details the singer-songwriter's upbringing in Texas and his bumpy musical journey as he rose to fame and ran into trouble with the law. In this first of a two-part conversation at his home in Hawaii, Willie Nelson tells Robert Scheer that he considers his bare bones upbringing by his grandparents in Abbott, Texas during the Depression to be an ideal childhood. Nelson talks about the influence church has had on him personally and on his music. He explains that his run-in with the IRS in the early 1990s actually turned out to be a positive experience, and discusses his well-known appreciation for marijuana. (Listen to Part II Here)
Willie and his son Micah, with Bob Scheer (C) at Nelson's home in Hawaii
Willie Nelson and Bob Scheer
Episode image: Willie Nelson at the Count Basie Theater in New Jersey, 2009 (Bob Jagendorf)