58th out of 133 books
—
55 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “Willie: An Autobiography” as Want to Read:
Willie: An Autobiography
by
Willie Nelson
,
Bud Shrake
Willie Nelson is more than just a singer whose albums have captures this country's imagination for more than thirty years: he is the nearest thing we have to the poet laureate of America's heart and the heartland. Told with frankness, warmth and earthy humor, here is Willie's story: his depression ere childhood; his stormy marriages; his will experiences with drugs, booze
...more
Paperback
,
368 pages
Published
August 29th 2000
by Cooper Square Publishers
(first published October 1st 1988)
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
Willie
,
please sign up
.
Be the first to ask a question about Willie
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
240)
Sep 26, 2007
East Bay J
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Willie's fans and faithful
Shelves:
music-bios
I just dig Willie Nelson. I don’t have a lot of his records and I’m no expert on the man but he always struck me as an alright guy. The kind of guy it would be a real pleasure to hang out with. He’s always stood out in my mind as a truly great lyricist. “Time Of The Preacher” comes to mind right away as a set of lyrics that hit me hard and really stayed with me. The man was friendly with two of my other heroes, Roger Miller and Johnny Cash. His support of and open use of marijuana is something I
...more
Here's a man who found something he wanted to do and just did it. There will be no retirement for Willie Nelson. As I heard him say in an
American Masters program on PBS
, what would I do in retirement? Play more golf? There's nothing he's waiting to do that he isn't already doing right now.
The book is an account of his life up to 1988. That takes us through his first three wives and his better known albums. It's time enough to see that Willie is not a moral giant, but he a reflective fellow and ...more
The book is an account of his life up to 1988. That takes us through his first three wives and his better known albums. It's time enough to see that Willie is not a moral giant, but he a reflective fellow and ...more
"Willie" is in a more "stories about Willie and what he thinks" form than an actual narrative of his life ala Bob Dylan's Chronicle Vol. 1. There are other books that give the cohesive timeline and life stories, but this one offers some great tales from the mouth of Willie and his peers. The focus of the book seems to be off many times, going into subjects like golf or astrology that are off topic to the reader. Of course it's very out of date, with 24 years having past since the release of the
...more
Jan 28, 2009
Megan
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
autobiography-and-biography
I have always been a fan of Willie's music. Now I am a huge fan of Willie himself :) An easy read & incredibly entertaining. You don't have to be a fan of Willie's music or even country music to enjoy this book.
view 1 comment
This is on my to-read list and I don't even own a copy, but I'm giving it 5 stars. Because it is Willie Nelson's autobiography and it has to be better than The Tao of Willie.
Willie seems to always play the straight man, but his sense of humor is immense.Kind of rambling,like Willie.I rate him up with people like Strummer and Cash.
A lot of great stories. Willie tells it like it is and doesn't pull his punches.
Good book. I know now why my brother in law (RIP) loved him so much! CRAZY!
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American singer-songwriter and actor. He is widely regarded as one of the most beloved and notorious country music singers. He reached his greatest fame during the so-called "outlaw country" movement of the 1970s, but remains iconic, especially in American popular culture. In recent years he has continued to tour, record, and perform, and this, combined with activities in
...more
More about Willie Nelson...
“Deep breathing at an open window is a wonderful thing unless you live in Los Angeles or down the block from an asbestos plant. Everybody knows that filling your lungs with oxygen is good, but not many people do it. It’s like most of the choices you have in life. You know inside what is right. Whether you do it is up to you.”
—
1 likes
More quotes…
