What Happened Willie

Each night before I go to sleep, I take my iPhone and run through the videos on YouTube and make some selections of songs that please me--, happy, sad, thoughtful or funny.  Last night, it was Willie Nelson. I've always loved Willie. He is so very much his own man and that's rare.  But as I was scrolling, his bio popped up and I realized he is almost 80 years old. What happened Willie?.How can that be? When did you get old? But better old than dead, anyone would agree.

You have all seen me write of "one of those nights when I have the heebie jeebies." It's because I know death will come for me when I am sleeping. When I explained that to Ray Charles one day he said, "So if you stay awake all night, what's that gonna get you? You gonna argue with whoever it is who comes to collect your soul?" I said, "Oh, yes. I can talk my way out of most things so I want to be awake to give it a try." Silly, I know, but I like to think I might have a chance of talking myself into having a few more years.

Not so for some of my friends. This past week, that Phantom has been collecting souls of people I know,five of them. I keep running up to anyone I know who is in their 70s or 80s because this age bracket seems to be riding the top of the list. Suddenly solitary me wants to be with the people I like and love. When thinking about that I started to clearly realize what a giant list that is. When I was little, nobody much lived past 70, I don't think. But this week, three of the guys who left us were in their 70s, two were younger, a little.   So if I run into Willie anywhere, I will be sure to hug him and hope he stays "On the Road Again." filling the need for music for Ruth Adkins Robinson.

Two Good Old Boys Named Willie & Ray

When we were working on "The Apollo at 70: A Hot Night in Harlem," I was running out of the room every hour or so to sob out in the alley on 126th St. because trying to write that tribute to Ray was killing me. I couldn't tell anyone that he was dying, sworn to secrecy as I was. Finally I told the producers Don and Suzanne because they had to know how to cut it and I had to write it so what was said would work if he were still alive or had already died. Don got Willie Nelson to drive 1,500 miles across the country to come and repeat what he had said on many occasions-- that Ray Charles had done more for country music than most anybody. Rehearsal night, Willie and I sat in the Apollo and talked about "Seven Spanish Angels," the duet Ray took down to Willie and they recorded. At the time, I didn't think it was really a duet song, but Ray never listened to anyone anyhow, so down he went and of course Willie sang it. There is a clip on YouTube now with Leon Russell, Willie and Ray singing, "Song for You," and during most of it, Willie is staring at Ray like a little brother looking up to his older sibling with rapt adoration. At one point, he seemed to have tears in his eyes. After Ray started, Leon and Willie for the most part sat out and Ray did his thing. They seemed to be just two good ole boys when they were together, in whatever smoke-filled room wherever it was. Willie's band would do little musical things to see if Ray would hear. It delighted everybody when he did and that was each and every time. Willie cried full out at the funeral. There is a line in "Song for You" that goes, "And when my life is over, remember when we were together and I was singing my song for you." I hold those memories close and I'm thinking Willie does also.