Posted on 04/21/2012 8:38:15 AM PDT by smokingfrog
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -April 21, 2012 (WPVI) -- Country music legend Willie Nelson helped unveil a statue honoring him in downtown Austin by singing his new song "Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die" on Friday, a date long reserved to celebrate marijuana use.
The faint smell of marijuana smoke wafted through a crowd of about 2,000 people as Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell accepted on the privately funded statue as a gift from a private arts group. Organizers said they didn't intentionally choose April 20 for the event, but once they found out, they scheduled the unveiling at 4:20 p.m. as a tongue-in-cheek reference to Nelson's openness about his marijuana use and advocacy for its legalization.
The statute stands in front of the Moody Theater, where the Austin City Limits Studio is now located. Nelson, a 10-time Grammy Award winner who has sold more than 40 million copies of his 150 albums, appeared on the first episode of the public television show in 1974.
"He is the man who more than other made Austin the live music capital of the world," Leffingwell said.
Nelson was born in Abbott, a tiny town about 120 miles north of Austin, but he has lived in Texas' capital city since 1971.
(Excerpt) Read more at abclocal.go.com ...
Keepin' Austin weird....
He doesn’t live in Austin. He lives at a private country club/golf course he bought years ago located out toward Johnson City.
I must be behind the times. I don’t own a single one of his 150 “albums.” Actually, come to think of it, I can’t think of a single song of his I would recognize.
I don’t care who’s in Austin,
Bob Wills is STILL the king.
I have been in love with Willie and his music since I was a child. I remember the first time I ever heard him on the radio, I was about 10 and he would have been maybe 17. I was mesmerized and since then I have tried to collect every song he ever recorded. I saw him for the first time live in Houston last year. I do NOT, however, smoke weed. :D
On The Road Again, Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain, Crazy, Georgia On My Mind, Whiskey River, All Of Me, City of New Orleans.........I could go on and on and on and on...... but I won’t! :D
Is he still living there, or did the Feds get it when Willie got caught not paying his taxes?
If nothing else that Willie did, he helped lead the country revolution against the stale Nashville sound.
I don’t own a lot of them, but I have owned Red Headed Stranger a LOT of times. I have worn it out repeatedly, first as an LP, then as a cassette and now as a disc.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTPzP5Qq8q8
City of New Orleans — love that song.
“Bob Wills is STILL the king.”
AAAWWWT Nowwww!
Deep within my heart lies a memory . . .
He used to do a lot of gospel music — back in the day.
You’re not behind the times. You’re completely out of the times.
I am a conservative and ex-military but love Willie Nelson, pot-smoking habit and all. His music and his distinctive voice are iconic in our culture. You don’t have to be a country music fan or own any of his records to know who he is and recognize some of his music from just being alive in this society.
Tell me again what cave was that you’ve been living in for the past 50 years?
Roll me up and smoke me? I thought it was Push The Handle And Flush Me.
Yo, duuuude, like totally beat me, uh, to it, man! Go, green! Tree huggers unite! You'd think they'd have included a picture of the statue.
His music’s OK, but he’s such a lowlife.
Years ago an Abilene station played that one song all day long. Supposedly the dj locked himself in the booth and wouldn't come out. Never did find out what the deal was but it was funny.
I wish I could remember what the song he was singing was, when I heard Willie on the radio but it was about 61 years ago so I guess I am forgiven.
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