Talk:Willie Nelson/Archive 2

Archive 1

Archive 2

Archive 3

Reliable source?

I don't think it's kosher to use a biography subject's autobiography as a source. Lfstevens (talk) 21:37, 31 March 2011 (UTC)

The guidelines are Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons, Wikipedia:No original research and Wikipedia:Verifiability. A lot to read, though quite useful. In short, it's OK to use a biography subject's autobiography as a source, within reason. SilkTork *^YES! 20:28, 2 May 2011 (UTC)

GA Review

This review is transcluded from Talk:Willie Nelson/GA2. The edit link for this section can be used to add comments to the review.

Reviewer: SilkTork *^YES! 22:01, 2 May 2011 (UTC)

Initial review

I'll read the article over the next few days and then start to leave some comments. SilkTork *YES! 22:01, 2 May 2011 (UTC) GA review – see WP:WIAGA for criteria Is it reasonably well written? A. Prose quality: B. MoS compliance for lead, layout, words to watch, fiction, and lists: Is it factually accurate and verifiable? A. References to sources: B. Citation of reliable sources where necessary: C. No original research: Is it broad in its coverage? A. Major aspects: B. Focused: Is it neutral? Fair representation without bias: Is it stable? No edit wars, etc: Does it contain images to illustrate the topic? A. Images are copyright tagged, and non-free images have fair use rationales: B. Images are provided where possible and appropriate, with suitable captions: Overall: Pass or Fail: Comments I'll make random comments here as I read through. I will use bullet points and sign each comment to make it easier for people to respond to any point. I'll sum up the GA review with what needs to be done - if anything - at the end. SilkTork *YES! 23:12, 2 May 2011 (UTC) Stable. There are no edit wars, though I notice that the article attracts a fair amount of low level IP vandalism. At the same time, there have been positive contributions by IP accounts. As the vandalism appears to be dealt with quite quickly, there probably isn't a need for protection - however, if regular contributors/watchers feel that protection is appropriate, I will semi-protect the article. SilkTork *YES! 23:12, 2 May 2011 (UTC) I think that semi-protection is needed indeed, the vandalism is real frequent and instead of reverting it quick it would save a lot of time to definitely protect it (just a thought).--GDuwenTell me! 23:31, 2 May 2011 (UTC) Done. SilkTork *YES! 23:35, 2 May 2011 (UTC) Images. I'm uncertain about the status of File:Willie-Nelson-Highschool.jpg. Wikipedia:Media copyright questions may be able to help. SilkTork *YES! 23:29, 2 May 2011 (UTC) And File:Kris Will Waylon.jpg. This may be OK, but the uploader is no longer around, and looking at their talkpage, they seem to have uploaded some questionable material. It's a great image - to get three big stars like that together so clearly. Worth asking just to make sure. If it is OK, then it should be moved to Commons. SilkTork *YES! 23:32, 2 May 2011 (UTC) Is there any more information regarding this image: File:WillieNelson.jpg? It appears to be serving little purpose other than to be decorative. We only need one identifying image of WN, and we already have one in the lead. It's a better image than the lead image. Perhaps it could replace the current lead image? SilkTork *YES! 23:40, 2 May 2011 (UTC) There are a lot of images of WN playing his guitar. Do we need so many images which look the same? Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style_(layout)#Images asks people not to overwhelm an article with too many images - I think this has happened here. SilkTork *YES! 23:47, 2 May 2011 (UTC) I will check out the status of those images. I'm not sure about the one in the infobox. The picture with the caption "Willie Nelson" has no other information, and is very representative of Willie's image, therefore it would be good to use it as main image. On the other side the one that currently is on the infobox is closer and frontal shot. I need an opinion considering those facts. About the repetition of images of WN playing guitar I could select some of them, luckily there's a lot of free content (the problem is that Willie always is playing trigger on them) --GDuwenTell me! 23:51, 2 May 2011 (UTC) I've listed the issues with the images in Wikipedia:Media copyright questions, here are the details listed: File:Willie-Nelson-Highschool.jpg: The Willie Nelson museum and general Store has given the authorization to use the image, however I tagged the license of the picture as a "Fair Use" because I was not sure under which other license should I put it. The photograph was taken circa 1950, for a high school portrait. I don't think that the photograph was published for the first time with a copyright notice, which would make it eligible for this license Template:PD-US-no notice File:Kris Will Waylon.jpg: The picture is very useful for the article, and if the author is not the original, could it be placed as an historical image (Template:Non-free historic image)?--GDuwenTell me! 00:35, 3 May 2011 (UTC) I uploaded the High school portrait under the same name (File:Willie-Nelson-Highschool.jpg) in the commons, tagged with the PD-US-no notice tag. The old image has to be removed now.--GDuwenTell me! 19:39, 3 May 2011 (UTC) Images are now OK. Good work. SilkTork *Tea time 13:20, 11 May 2011 (UTC) Prose is clear and readable and conveys the information. It could do with a polish, and it would be worth getting someone to copyedit it, but is generally OK. Where some attention is needed is in the flow. There are a number of short paragraphs and short section. This creates a choppy feel, and makes the article appear muddled and cluttered. Short sections are advised against in Wikipedia:LAYOUT, which is part of the GA criteria. SilkTork *Tea time 13:06, 11 May 2011 (UTC) Reading further I see that the prose will need careful attention. I'm looking at some of the later sections, thinking I would just polish it up, but I think it needs someone to go through the whole article carefully. Probably be good to contact Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors and request some assistance. SilkTork *Tea time 23:03, 11 May 2011 (UTC) I contacted the Guild of Copy Editors, and hopefully they will solve the issues with the prose soon. This is one of the critical needs of the article, and needs to be carefully reviewed by them.--GDuwenTell me! 17:04, 15 May 2011 (UTC) The lead will need some attention as it moves too soon into Nelson's early history without telling the reader the important points about the man. See WP:Lead. If there are to be changes to the article body, the lead may require ongoing work, and we may return to it again later. SilkTork *Tea time 13:06, 11 May 2011 (UTC) I've done some changes in the beginning of the lead, but as you said, it will need further development as the body of the article is modified.--GDuwenTell me! 17:04, 15 May 2011 (UTC) Spokemanship sub-section. What is this paragraph about? I'm thinking that the first part is about a commercial deal to advertise a chain of steakhouses, while the second is about Nelson's own business. The writing here is hard to follow. And I'm wondering what this is doing in the Personal life section. SilkTork *Tea time 23:03, 11 May 2011 (UTC) I just deleted the subtitle and left the paragraph under personal life, because in the case of Willie's Place is a personal investment, and in the case of Texas Roadhouse, is the use of his persona as publicity. Maybe it could be placed under a section with a different title. --GDuwenTell me! 17:04, 15 May 2011 (UTC) References. There are occasional statements that need citing. I will read through again and tag those that stand out. I have already tagged a few. When there are challengable unsourced statements the OR criteria cannot be cleared, so that will have to wait until all sources that need sourcing are done. In addition, spot checks reveal that the sources do not support what is said. For example - article says: "Price Waterhouse, had not been paying Nelson's taxes for years, and used his money in poor investments"; source says: "Willie Nelson landed himself in tax trouble as a result of investments he made in the early 1980s in a tax shelter later ruled illegal by the IRS." SilkTork *Tea time 17:18, 15 May 2011 (UTC) Focus and coverage. There is a lot of detail in this article, perhaps too much. A trimming of unnecessary detail would be helpful. For example: "In 2008, Nelson signed on to warn consumers about the cruel-and illegal-living conditions for calves raised to produce milk for dairy products. Nelson wrote letters to Land O'Lakes and Challenge Dairy, two of the major corporations that use milk from calves raised at California's Mendes Calf Ranch, which employs an intensive confinement practice that was the subject of a lawsuit and campaign brought by the Animal Legal Defense Fund." The preceding two sentences on his involvement in horse welfare is enough, though the writing could be improved. SilkTork *Tea time 17:18, 15 May 2011 (UTC) On hold There is a lot of information in this article on a popular topic, and significant contributors (mainly GDuwen) are to be commended on collecting together the material. The prose needs attention, and this is the major flaw in meeting GA criteria. Other issues are more precise citing, closer attention to sources, and presenting the material in a concise and readable manner appropriate to a general interest encyclopaedia. Recommendations are a serious copyedit to deal with the prose issues; a closer look at the amount and type of material collected to ensure that the focus is always sharp and on significant details rather than the trivial and mundane; and a closer and more careful use of citations. I will put this on hold for an initial seven days to allow these issues to be deal with. I suspect it may take longer, so will reassess in seven days time. I will help out where and when I can, though my Wiki time is subject to what is happening in real life, particularly what my young daughter is up to! SilkTork *Tea time 17:38, 15 May 2011 (UTC) I have changed the system of some sources (books and publications) to make more easy to find. The pages were the sourcing information is written have been detailed.--GDuwenTell me! 22:00, 15 May 2011 (UTC) The books had been listed in alphabetical order of author, as this is the conventional route. Also the book titles had been correctly formatted - example "The Improbable Rise of Redneck Rock: New Edition" is currently shown as "The improbable rise of redneck rock: new edition". Also the naming and formatting of the reference section has changed, moving away from the most common usage, which is against guidance. While some editors do list texts in a separate section, it is more conventional to have them as a subsection of the main ref section, and to use ";" to format the list because the book list is a child of the citation list. And the books were listed in the same format as the cites, making it easier for the reader to make the connection - for example, the cite was "Richmond, Clint (2000). Willie Nelson: Behind the Music. Simon & Schuster", while the book listing was "Richmond, Clint (2000), Willie Nelson: Behind the Music, Simon & Schuster". Currently the book listing is "Willie Nelson: Behind the Music. Simon & Schuster; 2000 [cited February 7, 2010]", and the author is not mentioned at all. See WP:FOOTERS and Wikipedia:Citing sources for further information. If you're uncomfortable with using the term Bibliography (and it is guided against as both a list of book sources used and list of books written), then Books is given as a suitable alternative. I'll make the adjustments - see what you think. SilkTork *Tea time 10:38, 16 May 2011 (UTC) Well, if that is the right way to go, I'm ok with it. I included the number of the pages for a more specific sourcing. I copied the book sourcing format from Elvis' article because it was a FA so I figured out that it was an example to follow, but it doesn't matter anyway. I will now source the Awards section.--GDuwenTell me! 23:08, 16 May 2011 (UTC) The Elvis article uses a different form of citing which involves short citations, this article uses full citation. SilkTork *Tea time 09:45, 24 May 2011 (UTC) Ah, I can see what you were doing - you were changing from full citation to short. Full citation is the main method used on Wikipedia, though some editors like using the short method. Changing from one method to another is discouraged. SilkTork *Tea time 10:00, 24 May 2011 (UTC) The Guild of Copy Editors is now taking care of the copy-edits, as well I'm adding more consisting sourcing to some lines.--GDuwenTell me! 18:36, 22 May 2011 (UTC) There is still a lot of copy-editing to be done. I'll put this on hold to the end of the month, and help out with the copyediting. SilkTork *Tea time 10:26, 24 May 2011 (UTC) I hope that my copy-editing will help this article in its path to GA. If there was a problem with my copy-edits, please let me know. --Slon02 (talk) 04:39, 25 May 2011 (UTC)

Refresh

GA review – see WP:WIAGA for criteria

1. Is it reasonably well written?

   A. Prose quality:

   B. MoS compliance for lead, layout, words to watch, fiction, and lists:

2. Is it factually accurate and verifiable?

   A. References to sources:

   B. Citation of reliable sources where necessary:

   C. No original research:

3. Is it broad in its coverage?

   A. Major aspects:

   B. Focused:

4. Is it neutral?

   Fair representation without bias:

5. Is it stable?

   No edit wars, etc:

6. Does it contain images to illustrate the topic?

   A. Images are copyright tagged, and non-free images have fair use rationales:

   B. Images are provided where possible and appropriate, with suitable captions:

7. Overall:

   Pass or Fail:

• Images OK. SilkTork *^{Tea time} 12:29, 5 June 2011 (UTC)
• Stable. SilkTork *^{Tea time} 12:31, 5 June 2011 (UTC)
• Has reference section. SilkTork *^{Tea time} 12:31, 5 June 2011 (UTC)
• Prose is still poor. I am willing to help out, but find that I don't have the time. Also, I am hindered by not always understanding what is said, so am unable to rewrite - such as "produced three children: Lana, Susie, and Billy, who committed suicide in 1991." I assume it was just Billy who killed himself, but it could mean all three. "The couple divorced in 1971, when Collie found a maternity bill of a Houston hospital to Nelson and Connie Koepke" I think I can work that out, but I would rather not quess. SilkTork *^{Tea time} 14:30, 5 June 2011 (UTC)
• I don't follow the need for many of the sub-sections. Some of these are very short. The amount of sections inhibit flow. GA criteria follows the guidance of Wikipedia:Layout#Body_sections. I note that one section where I had removed sub-sections in line with the guidance of WP:Layout, had been reverted back to multi sub-sections. That was unhelpful. This article needs to pay closer attention to criteria 1(b) of Wikipedia:Good article criteria in relation to layout, lead and lists. SilkTork *^{Tea time} 14:36, 5 June 2011 (UTC)
• There is a lot of linking. That, combined with the short paragraphs, also inhibit the flow of reading. See WP:Overlinking. SilkTork *^{Tea time} 14:53, 5 June 2011 (UTC)
• The article is overdetailed and could do with trimming. It is difficult to distinguish the trivia from the important information, and the reader is swamped with a series of notes. For example - "Nelson wrote the song that named the album after a recording session. Pacing in his room, he went to the bathroom, where he penned the song on the empty envelope of a sanitary napkin in the sink". That is fairly trivial, though might be appropriate for the Shotgun Willie article. It certainly is not appropriate here, where the article is already quite long because of the amount of stuff that Nelson has done in his life. Remember, we are not writing a biography, we are writing a general encyclopedia entry - a useful summary of the important facts about Willie Nelson for the general public. SilkTork *^{Tea time} 15:08, 5 June 2011 (UTC)
• Neutral. Article appears to be fair and balanced. SilkTork *^{Tea time} 15:39, 5 June 2011 (UTC)
• Sources check out. SilkTork *^{Tea time} 16:15, 5 June 2011 (UTC)
• I'm just looking at the Encyclopædia Britannica entry on Nelson, and I note that we don't have a section on musical style. The EB says: "His performances featured a unique sound, of which his relaxed, behind-the-beat singing style and gut-string guitar were the most distinctive elements." "Willie Nelson" Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011. AllMusic says: "he borrowed from a wide variety of styles, including traditional pop, Western swing, jazz, traditional country, cowboy songs, honky tonk, rock & roll, folk, and the blues, creating a distinctive, elastic hybrid." / "he remained a vital icon in country music, having greatly influenced the new country, new traditionalist, and alternative country movements of the '80s and '90s as well as leaving behind a legacy of classic songs and recordings." / "nasal voice and jazzy, off-center phrasing". "Willie Nelson" Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AllMusic, 2011.SilkTork *^{Tea time} 16:45, 5 June 2011 (UTC)
• After reading AllMusic and EB, I think it would be appropriate to have mention of the IRS case in the lead, as both mention that prominently. Also in the lead should be mentioned that he retired from music in 1972 because of his lack of success. SilkTork *^{Tea time} 16:47, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

I made an effort to reduce the use of unnecessary sub-sections and I will be working on the over linking and removing of trivial sections as well. I will call again Slon02 to do a further check for copy-edits.--GDuwenTell me! 16:49, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

• • (ec)There is a fair bit of work to do, but I think it is achievable. The areas to concentrate on are trimming the excess detail; sorting out the layout; copy-editing the prose; and creating a Style section. Two weeks should be decent enough time to do this, and I will try to help out when I can. If there is a significant amount of work to do in two weeks time it would be appropriate to close this as not listed, though I am hoping that we can get this listed if people make the effort. SilkTork *^{Tea time} 16:53, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

• The filmography is a good idea. Makes this article neater, and people can go there for the extra detail if they wish. Needs to be sourced though. IMDb is a quick and easy start, though more secure sourcing should be sought out later. SilkTork *^{Tea time} 17:01, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

I will source the filmography and work a bit on the style of it, I just created it quick to narrow some sections. I also merged others.--GDuwenTell me! 17:11, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

Yes. Good work. I can see this starting to take shape now. I am quite hopeful this article will get listed. Earlier today I wasn't so sure! SilkTork *^{Tea time} 17:15, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

I detailed in the lead Willie's IRS debt and his retirament and return to music. With some copy-editing the article is gonna be back on track--GDuwenTell me! 21:24, 5 June 2011 (UTC)

I removed as much trivia and excess of details as I could, hope it's fine now.--GDuwenTell me! 23:26, 7 June 2011 (UTC)

I have replaced the picture of the infobox for a more updated one, hope it looks good.--GDuwenTell me! 01:41, 15 June 2011 (UTC)

Yes, I like the new picture. I'll take a good look at the article over the next few days with an eye to tidying up any remaining issues and getting this listed. SilkTork *^{Tea time} 08:11, 15 June 2011 (UTC)

• The "mail-order music lessons" - the article says that the grandparents gave Nelson these lessons. Is there a source for that, because what I'm picking up is that his grandparents got mail order music degrees for themselves. Also, I'm seeing stuff that suggests the grandparents brought up Bobbie and Nelson. What happened to the parents? SilkTork *^{Tea time} 01:14, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

According to the book "Willie Nelson: Country Outlaw", the mail order material was ordered by their grandparents for themselves and later passed on to Willie and Bobbie. According to Joe Patoski's book and this source, Willie's mother abandoned the family in 1933, while his father died in 1939. Another interesting information provided by the source is that Willie attended radar school. --GDuwenTell me! 02:16, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

• I'm still working through the article tidying up here and there. I only get the chance to work on Wikipedia in short bursts at the moment, so this is taking time. Sources do bear out what is said in the article, so it is mainly at this stage a copy-editing task - trimming unnecessary detail, and ensuring the article flows so that the information is readable and easily understood. SilkTork *^{Tea time} 01:14, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

Good to know that, needs little more work.--GDuwenTell me! 02:16, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

Extending hold

There's more prose tidying and detail trimming and source checking to be done. I'm aware that GDuwen has been busy off Wiki for the past week or so, and I have also. But even though slowly, progress is being made, so I'm extending the hold for two weeks. This should, hopefully, be a realistic amount of time. SilkTork *^{Tea time} 18:03, 26 June 2011 (UTC)

Still active, or "busy off Wiki for the past week or so"? I wish he could get back to work on this article. 'I () () `'/ I><pron0un¢ed "On£-ThouSand-$e7enT¥"> 21:15, 26 June 2011 (UTC)

I'm active but my time some days is reduced. Still, I'm making an effort to dedicate time to the article to get it listed.--GDuwenTell me! 21:15, 27 June 2011 (UTC)

I trimmed the article a little bit more, there was still some trivia to be removed. I tried to replace the trivia of two album releases (The Great Divide & Outlaws and Angels) by adding more information about the collaboration Two men with the Blues and with the addition of his recent album Country Music. Both are more relevant, and were a major success regarding Willie's recent works.--GDuwenTell me! 17:43, 3 July 2011 (UTC)

• I'm now inclining toward failing the article. Each time I work on it, hoping to simply trim wordage, and tidy up the prose, I find statements that are unsourced, so I check them and find mistakes, or nothing to back up the statement. It's a frustrating and time-consuming business, as I really thought that the article looked good, and just needed tidying. But I find that even doing a simple copy-edit I can't get beyond the first section because of the amount of research that needs doing. It's not helped, of course, by sources conflicting or differing (some sources say he was in the Air Force for nine months others say eight months) - some sources say he graduated others say he dropped out of High School. When looking on the internet to check info, I find that sources are mirroring Wikipedia. So a statement that Nelson joined Bud Fletcher's band The Bohemian Fiddlers, is found in places like last.fm, which got it from Wikipedia, but which is wrong, as the band was called Bud Fletcher and the Texans.[1] There has possibly been a mix up with John Raycjeck's Bohemian Polka Band.[2]

There's still a few more days before the end of the current hold, and I'll wait till then. It may be that I have just been unlucky with the statements I've been checking, and that the rest of the article is fine. I'll do a final check on or just after July 10, and see how the article stands at that time. In the meanwhile I would urge contributors to check that statements are accurate and are reliably sourced, and that anything doubtful is cut. It's also worth looking at other tertiary sources on Willie Nelson to see what information they include as important, and what they exclude as trivial. For example, how much of the Politics sub-section is really important, and how much is just colouring? What are the important points being made that a person would wish to summarise? It appears to me that the entire first paragraph could be cut as it's not really about Nelson. That's just an example. The text needs to be examined closely. I will try and get involved as much as I can, but my time is limited, and already I am the third most involved contributor to this article. SilkTork *^{Tea time} 13:22, 5 July 2011 (UTC)

• • The article has Nelson "played in a local band at age nine", and "starting at age thirteen and continuing through high school, he earned money by singing in local dance halls, taverns, and honky tonks"; while this source says he started earning money as a musician aged 10 in the Bohemian Polka Band. All this needs reconciling. I suspect the "local band" he joined at age 9 was the Polka band, but that needs checking out. And then check what sources say, and if needed, make a footnote saying that sources differ on his age at the time he joined his first band. SilkTork *^{Tea time} 13:31, 5 July 2011 (UTC)

• • • This summary of Nelson's activism is a useful guideline. SilkTork *^{Tea time} 15:23, 5 July 2011 (UTC)

I have also have come across sources that contradicted each other at the time I was expanding the article. It's really frustrating since you can't assume that one is right and the other is wrong, but I only try to stick to a logic timeline. I will check today the whole article for sources, I'll do trimming in the Politics section and I'll try to assses the issues you pointed out. Being realistic, I'm not very sure that it will be in an optimum state five days from now, but I will do my best.--GDuwenTell me! 16:49, 5 July 2011 (UTC)

1; 2; 3: This sources also confirm that he joined the Bohemian Polka Band at the age of ten.--GDuwenTell me! 17:20, 5 July 2011 (UTC)

If the majority of sources are saying that, and only one is saying age 9, then I would be inclined to go with age 10.

Yes, isn't it frustrating that sources are inconsistent! Often what happens is one source gets it wrong, and others copy. That's why it's important for us to get our facts right - Wikipedia is a much used source, and we can be responsible for perpetuating a mistake, or for putting it right.

Do what you can, but don't sweat it. Whatever happens on the 10th, the article has improved. And if I do fail it, you can always nominate it again later on when you have more time. SilkTork *^{Tea time} 20:35, 5 July 2011 (UTC)

• Parking this here now, to look at later - willienelsonpri.com SilkTork *^{Tea time} 20:38, 5 July 2011 (UTC)

A final decision should probably be made at this point; it's been over 2 months. Wizardman _{Operation Big Bear} 15:36, 11 July 2011 (UTC)

Thanks Wizardman. SilkTork *^{Tea time} 11:28, 13 July 2011 (UTC)

Listing

There is still ongoing work needed on tidying up the prose to ensure that the article flows - reducing some short paragraphs and sentences, however the article is clear enough now to meet GA criteria. I have either sourced or removed any unchallengeable statements, and the sources I've checked are reliable. Any questionable sources I encountered I have removed. I have trimmed back on a lot of detail during this GAN. It is one of the more difficult aspects of constructing a Wikipedia article, getting the balance right in the amount of important detail. An article can either contain not enough information, or too much. It is useful, where possible, to be guided by other tertiary sources, such as encyclopedias and topic specific guidebooks. The information the bulk of the other sources use, is the sort of information that Wikipedia should have. If the main encyclopedias don't have the information, it is likely that we shouldn't have it either. A recent report indicated that we are sometimes not concise enough, and indulge in "information overload". I feel that the current length and detail is about right, though fine-tuning that will be part of the ongoing development of the article. Be aware that adding more information may mean either reducing what is already here, or looking into splitting off a section into a standalone article per WP:Summary style. Some more attention could be given to Nelson's music style. And the legacy section needs looking at to tidy it up. I am uncertain about the Steakhouses being a sub-section of Personal life, as that is really a business activity. It may be appropriate to start a new section on business activities, which would include the steakhouses and the biofuel. Be also aware of too much detail being given to recent events. It is a common trait in Wikipedia articles (see WP:RECENTISM), and is usually seen when an artist's most recent recordings and appearances get listed with details such as who else appeared in the show, what songs were sung, etc, even when the concert was not remarkable in the artist's overall history.

This is a detailed and useful article that will serve well those who come to Wikipedia looking for an overview of the important points in Nelson's life (an average of 3.3 thousand readers a day). I learned a lot about him while doing this review, and commend GDuwen and Alakey2010 for the impressive amount of research and work they have done over the years to build the article. I hope I haven't been too severe in my amendments during this review. SilkTork ^{✔Tea time} 10:32, 17 July 2011 (UTC)

Teapot Party Endorsement

After endorse, then retracting it for a closer look at the candidate. Willie's Teapot Party has officially endorsed Gary Johnson which isn't clear the way the article is currently written. As campaigns are on going events these type of things need to stay updated to remain accurate. Teapot Party Endorsements C. Lupton (talk) 18:18, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

The information on the topic was updated, I will keep track of the development.--GDuwenTell me! 21:21, 30 May 2011 (UTC)

Sub-sections

(Copied from my talkpage)

Hi, I understand that many people have had a problem with me editing Willie Nelson's page. The reason why I added those subsections is because those are big things that happened to him and I think they should be highlighted. Please understand, I mean no frustration or anger, I just have opinions to things that I have trouble explaining. So write me back as soon as possible. Thanks. RoadHouse (talk) 19:52, 15 June 2011 (UTC)

This conversation is more appropriate for the talkpage, so I will copy this there. SilkTork *^{Tea time} 21:55, 15 June 2011 (UTC)

• GA criteria 1 (b) says "complies with the manual of style guidelines for ... layout", and in WP:Layout it says: "Very short or very long sections and subsections in an article look cluttered and inhibit the flow of the prose." The section on Nelson's personal life consists of three paragraphs, so is an appropriate size. Splitting that up into four sub-sections, and breaking up the paragraphs into multiple single sentence paragraphs is contrary to good writing and our guidelines.
• WP:UNDUE, which is part of one of our core policies of NPOV, says "An article should not give undue weight to any aspects of the subject but should strive to treat each aspect with a weight appropriate to its significance to the subject. For example, discussion of isolated events, criticisms, or news reports about a subject may be verifiable and neutral, but still be disproportionate to their overall significance to the article topic." By highlighting Nelson's marijuana arrests and marriages there is an aspect of undue.
• WP:BLPSTYLE gives advice about avoiding overstatement and presenting material responsibly and conservatively.
• Bearing these guidelines and policies in mind, it is preferable to deal with Nelson's personal life in a conservative and neutral manner. We do not wish to suppress the details of his arrests, etc, but nor do we need to highlight them. They happened, but in terms of his life and career, are not particularly significant. Many people get arrested for possession of marijuana, particularly musicians. We mention the arrests, but we do not draw attention to them. SilkTork *^{Tea time} 22:55, 22 June 2011 (UTC)

Despite requests to stop creating sub-sections and to enter into discussion, RoadHouse is continuing to revert. Three different editors have now undone RoadHouse's reverts. I will place a formal warning on the user's talkpage. That user has already received various warnings about other editing problems and has been blocked twice in the past 2 months, I suspect the user may end up with an indef block unless they had a radical change of attitude. SilkTork *^{Tea time} 16:28, 4 July 2011 (UTC)

Edit request from an IP user, 29 October 2011

Please replace {{Kennedy Center Honorees}} with {{1998 Kennedy Center Honorees}}, which is more specific and not so incredibly large in size. 64.134.125.128 (talk) 17:05, 29 October 2011 (UTC)

Seems uncontroversial, so done. Thanks! Plastikspork _―Œ^(talk) 01:33, 30 October 2011 (UTC)

TeaPot Party

TeaPot Party redirects here, but the term is not explained or even mentioned in the article. I see two possible solutions:

• Explain TeaPot party in this article
• Delete the redirect

-- Secular mind (talk) 22:06, 23 November 2011 (UTC)

How Willie's original guitar was damaged/ruined

Despite the source attributed to the passage that claims that Willie's original guitar was damaged by an overzealous playing style, the facts are contrary to this. Willie says on the album iTunes Originals - Willie Nelson (Dec 13, 2005), track 14, "How I Ended Up With a Classic Guitar" that some drunk stepped in his original guitar after a show. This account, coming from the man himself, should override the previous source. After being damaged by a random drunk guy, Willie had the pickup removed and put into his new and current guitar, Trigger. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.138.46.134 (talk) 16:32, 21 December 2011 (UTC)

Well, according to Willie's own account from Willie: An Autobiography":

• p.187-188

I had been playing electric guitar early in the noisy beer joints. I had a Fender Telecaster and a Fender Stratocaster. Those Fenders had much smaller necks than a classical guitar. Baldwin then gave me a guitar and an amp. I still use the amp, an aluminum job made in 1951, but I busted the guitar at John T. Floore's one night. I sent the guitar to Shot Jackson in Nashville. Shot Jackson took out the guts, took out the pickup and put them in a Martin classical guitar and set the whole bastard instrument up. I've got such a terrific tone out of this guitar because it was a good guitar to begin with and then putting all that electronic equipment in it just happened to work exactly right, and there is just enough beer spilled in the amplifier to give it the perfect tone for me.

About the drunk guy, are you talking about Johnny Darrell or another guy?

• p.125-126

If you've never seen Johnny Darrell drunk, you have missed one of the . . . well, no, never mind. You haven't missed a thing, now I stop and think about it. Anyhow, Johnny was real drunk. He snatched up Willie's old Martin guitar — the famous one he picked so much wore a hole in it, the one with all the names signed on it—and was reeling around with the guitar saying he was going to sing a song. Very nicely, Willie said, "Johnny, if you don't mind, would you please use another guitar? Johnny Ignored him and went right on tuning and flogging the guitar and stumbling around. Willie said "Johnny, please There's plenty of guitars in this room, but that one is very special to me. I'm afraid you're gonna break it." Darrell whirled on him and said, "What's the matter? You become too God damn big a star to let me use your guitar?" Willie was off that couch like a shot and across the room and grabbed Darrell and pinned him against the wall in the corner and said very quietly but forcefully, "Put that guitar down and do it now." Johnny immediately put down the guitar. Willie went back and sat on the couch, gave one of his serene smiles, and said, "Now, then, I'd sure like to hear your songs, Johnny." I wonder if Willie is afraid of anything.

--GDuwenTell me! 21:38, 30 January 2012 (UTC)

I see your point now, it was corrected.--GDuwenTell me! 17:23, 27 February 2012 (UTC)

Edit request on 27 December 2011

In the legacy section it should be noted that Jody Payne hasn´t actually played in Nelsons band since 2008. Furthermore it should be noted that Bee Spears died from accidental exposure near his home in Nashville on Dec. 8.th 2011. Also: Bee Spears was an interesting bass player and he really ought to have his very own wikipedia page created. He played with several huge country stars, not only with Willie, during his career. 193.89.189.24 (talk) 15:14, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. You can create an article with the article creation wizard (though you may need to sign up first). Good luck! — Bility (talk) 21:28, 28 December 2011 (UTC)

Edit request on 29 December 2011

83.93.55.62 (talk) 09:36, 29 December 2011 (UTC)

No request made--Jac16888 ^Talk 10:06, 29 December 2011 (UTC)

Edit request on 9 January 2012

{{edit semi-protected}}

Reference 17 contains an incorrect statement that Willie Nelson joined Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity while attending Baylor University. The correction: Willie Nelson is an initiate of Tau Kappa Epsilon's Nu Xi Chapter at Stephen F. Austin State University. He was initiated on October 1, 1999 following a concert at the Nacogdoches Exposition Center in Nacogdoches, Texas.

References: Reuter, K. (1999). Willie’s a TEKE. The Teke, Fall 1999, 13. http://tkenuxi.org/history - reference under "Our Alumni" http://tkenuxi.org/alumni - Frater Paul Knowles & Frater Willie Nelson pictured at the time of initiation http://tkenuxi.org/why-join - reference under "#3 Alumni Support" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Tau_Kappa_Epsilon_brothers http://www.tkeslu.com/tke.php?p=141 http://www.vttke.com/tke.php?p=127 http://www.usouthal.edu/tke/famous.htm

Dallengreen (talk) 21:49, 9 January 2012 (UTC)

I changed it to just say "Nelson joined the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity." - in the interests of keeping it simple. I think this is a relatively trivial fact; others may choose to move/reword/remove; discuss below if you wish.  Chzz  ►  02:02, 28 January 2012 (UTC)

Songs Written by Willie Nelson

As prolific of a songwriter as Willie Nelson was, might it be worthwhile to have a listing of the songs he wrote (I realize such would be to unwieldy to put in *this* article). Personally, I think such would be an interesting and useful resource. Y'all's thoughts? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.171.157.17 (talk) 14:00, 22 April 2012 (UTC)

Now available "List of songs written by Willie Nelson". I created the list a few days ago so it might be incomplete. I will try to expand it (help is always welcome).--GDuwenTell me! 22:03, 22 July 2012 (UTC)

Liberal Activist?

Willie Nelson is not a liberal activist by any means. His political views fit more closely with the libertarian camp, as evidenced by his numerous appearances on The Alex Jones Show and his endorsement of Gary Johnson in the 2012 Presidential race. BillyJack193 (talk) 22:15, 23 June 2012 (UTC)

Emphysema

Shouldn't the article mention that Nelson has been diagnosed with chronic emphysema? (92.7.19.74 (talk) 08:36, 20 August 2012 (UTC)) Well, I couldn't find any citation to properly source it, rather than the breathing problems in Denver where caused in part by emphysema.--GDuwenTell me! 13:30, 7 October 2012 (UTC)

Edit request on 23 December 2012

Once Upon a Texas Train (a movie Willie Nelson played a lead role as John Henry Lee) is not noted.

108.85.214.22 (talk) 15:26, 23 December 2012 (UTC)

Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. TBrandley 23:52, 23 December 2012 (UTC)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095781/

Once Upon a Texas Train (TV 1988) 

Stars: Willie Nelson, Richard Widmark, Shaun Cassidy — Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.72.244.157 (talk) 18:47, 2 April 2013 (UTC)

I'm afraid IMDB is not a reliable source. - a boat that can float! (watch me float) 07:52, 4 April 2013 (UTC)

How about wikipedia? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Once_Upon_a_Texas_Train and AMC http://movies.amctv.com/movie/1988/Once+Upon+a+Texas+Train — Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.72.244.157 (talk) 04:23, 6 April 2013 (UTC)

Wikipedia can't use itself as a source, and our article on the film is completely unsourced. The AMC page's contents are derived from freebase.com, which does not appear to be a reliable source. Surely there must be a reliable source out there. Rivertorch (talk) 06:34, 6 April 2013 (UTC)

Cissy Houston?

I'm sure I heard a song by Nelson and Houston some time ago. Anyone know details? Moriori (talk) 21:52, 14 February 2013 (UTC)

Edit request

Please remove Category:Musicians from Louisiana as there is no indication in the article Nelson has spent any substantial period of his life in the state. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.72.244.157 (talk) 19:08, 2 April 2013 (UTC)

 Done. The article makes no claim he has lived in Louisiana. Rivertorch (talk) 18:55, 5 April 2013 (UTC)

Willie Nelson was born april 29

According to himself Willie Nelson was born april 29.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ref4TUtquus — Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.236.1.197 (talk) 12:00, 30 April 2013 (UTC)

Yea, the issue has been raised before. There's a citation that clarifies that he was born around midnight, on April 29. Since his birth was oficially recorded on April 30th, that is why the date was used on the article. To avoid further confussion, I clarified that he was born on the 29th, but the birth was registered on the 30th on the body of the article, to close this definitely. Also I changed the date of birth on the header.--GDuwenTell me! 14:42, 30 April 2013 (UTC)

Edit request on 30 April 2013

Please change this ". After mid-chart hits in the late 1960s and the early 1970s, Nelson retired in 1972 and moved to Austin, Texas"

-to include this - The following as it is more informative And explains more of why he is such a Avid Activist for Farmers and to recognize the Hardships incurred for farmers and the role he has played in supporting and promoting To buy from local farmers to keep Farmers Farming.

. After mid-chart hits in the late 1960s and the early 1970s, Nelson retired in 1972 and moved to Austin, Texas during his brief Retirement he became a Pig Farmer, That venture failed one of the reasons why he is also Such a strong advocate for FARM AID™

Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp organized the first Farm Aid concert in 1985 to raise awareness about the loss of family farms and to raise funds to keep farm families on their land. Dave Matthews joined the Farm Aid Board of Directors in 2001. Farm Aid has raised more than $43 million to promote a strong and resilient family farm system of agriculture. Farm Aid is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to keep family farmers on their land. Farm Aid accomplishes this mission by:

Promoting Food from Family Farms

We know that to keep family farmers on the land we have to increase the number of people buying their good food. From our annual concert event that features family farm food and unites farmers, artists, and concerned citizens, to our inspiring and informative tv, radio, mail and web campaigns (including our HOMEGROWN.org website), we are building a powerful movement for good food from family farms.

Growing the Good Food Movement

In order for family farmers to thrive we have to create more markets for them, giving more people the opportunity to access family farm food. Farm Aid fosters connections between farmers and eaters by growing and strengthening local and regional markets and working to get family farm food in urban neighborhoods, grocery stores, restaurants, schools and other public institutions.

Helping Farmers Thrive

For over 28 years, Farm Aid has answered 1-800-FARM-AID to provide immediate and effective support services to farm families in crisis. Now Farm Aid's online Farmer Resource Network connects farmers to an extensive network of organizations across the country that help farmers find the resources they need to access new markets, transition to more sustainable and profitable farming practices, and survive natural disasters.

Taking Action to Change the System

Farm Aid works with local, regional and national organizations to promote fair farm policies and grassroots organizing campaigns designed to defend and bolster family farm-centered agriculture. We've worked side-by-side with farmers to protest factory farms and inform farmers and eaters about issues like genetically modified food and growth hormones. By strengthening the voices of family farmers, Farm Aid stands up for the most resourceful, heroic Americans—the family farmers who work the land. Farm Aid's Action Center allows concerned citizens to become advocates for farm policy change.

Also To Help provide More details About his life and career And His Role he has played in society to influence people of ALL Genres with his music.

Change And to keep from using what some view as a derogatory term:

The rise of the popularity of hippie music to: Willie Nelson played a vital role in post-rock & roll country music and other genres (a broader more descriptive term)

Also change the following as it isn't entirely correct because it makes it sound as if he never knew his father or mother plus is more informative - -Born during the Great Depression, and raised by his grandparents-

Change To-

 After his father died and his mother ran away, Nelson and his sister Bobbie were raised by their grandparents, who encouraged both children to play instruments 

- ~~ Greg D. B. ~~ Idontknowgreg (talk) 20:37, 30 April 2013 (UTC) As a songwriter and a performer, Willie Nelson played a vital role in post-rock & roll country music. Although he didn't become a star until the mid-'70s, Nelson spent the '60s writing songs that became hits for stars like Ray Price ("Night Life"), Patsy Cline ("Crazy"), Faron Young ("Hello Walls"), and Billy Walker ("Funny How Time Slips Away") as well as releasing a series of records on Liberty and RCA that earned him a small, but devoted, cult following. During the early '70s, Willie aligned himself with Waylon Jennings and the burgeoning outlaw country movement that made him into a star in 1975. Following the crossover success of that year's Red Headed Stranger and "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," Nelson was a genuine star, as recognizable in pop circles as he was to the country audience; in addition to recording, he also launched an acting career in the early '80s. Even when he was a star, Willie never played it safe musically. Instead, he borrowed from a wide variety of styles, including traditional pop, Western swing, jazz, traditional country, cowboy songs, honky tonk, rock & roll, folk, and the blues, creating a distinctive, elastic hybrid. Nelson remained at the top of the country charts until the mid-'80s, when his lifestyle -- which had always been close to the outlaw clichés with which his music flirted -- began to spiral out of control, culminating in an infamous battle with the IRS in the late '80s. During the '90s and into the 2000s, Nelson's sales never reached the heights that he had experienced earlier, but he remained a vital icon in country music, having greatly influenced the new country, new traditionalist, and alternative country movements of the '80s and '90s as well as leaving behind a legacy of classic songs and recordings.

Nelson began performing music as a child growing up in Abbott, Texas. After his father died and his mother ran away, Nelson and his sister Bobbie were raised by their grandparents, who encouraged both children to play instruments. Willie picked up the guitar, and by the time he was seven, he was already writing songs. Bobbie learned to play piano, eventually meeting -- and later marrying -- fiddler Bud Fletcher, who invited both of the siblings to join his band. Nelson had already played with Raychecks' Polka Band, but with Fletcher, he acted as the group's frontman. Willie stayed with Fletcher throughout high school. Upon his graduation, he joined the Air Force but had to leave shortly afterward, when he became plagued by back problems. Following his disenrollment from the service, he began looking for full-time work. After he worked several part-time jobs, he landed a job as a country DJ at Fort Worth's KCNC in 1954. Nelson continued to sing in honky tonks as he worked as a DJ, deciding to make a stab at recording career by 1956. That year, he headed to Vancouver, Washington, where he recorded Leon Payne's "Lumberjack." At that time, Payne was a DJ and he plugged "Lumberjack" on the air, which eventually resulted in sales of 3,000 -- a respectable figure for an independent single, but not enough to gain much attention. For the next few years, Willie continued to DJ and sing in clubs. During this time, he sold "Family Bible" to a guitar instructor for 50 dollars, and when the song became a hit for Claude Gray in 1960, Nelson decided to move to Nashville the following year to try his luck. Though his nasal voice and jazzy, off-center phrasing didn't win him many friends -- several demos were made and then rejected by various labels -- his songwriting ability didn't go unnoticed, and soon Hank Cochran helped Willie land a publishing contract at Pamper Music. Ray Price, who co-owned Pamper Music, recorded Nelson's "Night Life" and invited him to join his touring band, the Cherokee Cowboys, as a bassist.

Arriving at the beginning of 1961, Price's invitation began a watershed year for Nelson. Not only did he play with Price -- eventually taking members of the Cherokee Cowboys to form his own touring band -- but his songs also provided major hits for several other artists. Faron Young took "Hello Walls" to number one for nine weeks, Billy Walker made "Funny How Time Slips Away" into a Top 40 country smash, and Patsy Cline made "Crazy" into a Top Ten pop crossover hit. Earlier in the year, he signed a contract with Liberty Records and began releasing a series of singles that were usually drenched in strings. "Willingly," a duet with his then-wife Shirley Collie, became a Top Ten hit for Nelson early in 1962, and it was followed by another Top Ten single, "Touch Me," later that year. Both singles made it seem like Nelson was primed to become a star, but his career stalled just as quickly as it had taken off, and he was soon charting in the lower regions of the Top 40. Liberty closed its country division in 1964, the same year Roy Orbison had a hit with "Pretty Paper."

When the Monument recordings failed to become hits, Nelson moved to RCA Records in 1965, the same year he became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Over the next seven years, Willie had a steady stream of minor hits, highlighted by the number 13 hit "Bring Me Sunshine" in 1969. Toward the end of his stint with RCA, he had grown frustrated with the label, which had continually tried to shoehorn him into the heavily produced Nashville sound. By 1972, he wasn't even able to reach the country Top 40. Discouraged by his lack of success, Nelson decided to retire from country music, moving back to Austin, Texas, after a brief and disastrous sojourn into pig farming. Once he arrived in Austin, Nelson realized that many young rock fans were listening to country music along with the traditional honky tonk audience. Spotting an opportunity, Willie began performing again, scrapping his pop-oriented Nashville sound and image for a rock- and folk-influenced redneck outlaw image. Soon, he earned a contract with Atlantic Records.

Shotgun Willie (1973), Nelson's first album for Atlantic, was evidence of the shift of his musical style, and although it initially didn't sell well, it earned good reviews and cultivated a dedicated cult following. By the fall of 1973, his version of Bob Wills' "Stay All Night (Stay a Little Longer)" had cracked the country Top 40. The following year, he delivered the concept album Phases and Stages, which increased his following even more with the hit singles "Bloody Mary Morning" and "After the Fire Is Gone." But the real commercial breakthrough didn't arrive until 1975, when he severed ties with Atlantic and signed to Columbia Records, which gave him complete creative control of his records. Willie's first album for Columbia, The Red Headed Stranger, was a spare concept album about a preacher, featuring only his guitar and his sister's piano. The label was reluctant to release with such stark arrangements, but they relented and it became a huge hit, thanks to Nelson's understated cover of Roy Acuff's "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain."

Following the breakthrough success of The Red Headed Stranger as well as Waylon Jennings' simultaneous success, outlaw country -- so named because it worked outside of the confines of the Nashville industry -- became a sensation, and RCA compiled the various-artists album Wanted: The Outlaws!, using material Nelson, Jennings, Tompall Glaser, and Jessi Colter had previously recorded for the label. The compilation boasted a number one single in the form of the newly recorded Jennings and Nelson duet "Good Hearted Woman," which was also named the Country Music Association's single of the year. For the next five years, Nelson consistently charted on both the country and pop charts, with "Remember Me," "If You've Got the Money I've Got the Time," and "Uncloudy Day" becoming Top Ten country singles in 1976; "I Love You a Thousand Ways" and the Mary Kay Place duet "Something to Brag About" were Top Ten country singles the following year.

Nelson enjoyed his most successful year to date in 1978, as he charted with two very dissimilar albums. Waylon and Willie, his first duet album with Jennings, was a major success early in the year, spawning the signature song "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys." Later in the year, he released Stardust, a string-augmented collection of pop standards produced by Booker T. Jones. Most observers believed that the unconventional album would derail Nelson's career, but it unexpectedly became one of the most successful records in his catalog, spending almost ten years in the country charts and eventually selling over four million copies. After the success of Stardust, Willie branched out into film, appearing in the Robert Redford movie The Electric Horseman in 1979 and starring in Honeysuckle Rose the following year. The latter spawned the hit "On the Road Again," which became another one of Nelson's signature songs.

Willie continued to have hits throughout the early '80s, when he had a major crossover success in 1982 with a cover of Elvis Presley's hit "Always on My Mind." The single spent two weeks at number one and crossed over to number five on the pop charts, sending the album of the same name to number two on the pop charts as well as quadruple-platinum status. Over the next two years, he had hit duet albums with Merle Haggard (1983's Poncho & Lefty) and Jennings (1982's WWII and 1983's Take It to the Limit), while "To All the Girls I've Loved Before," a duet with Latin pop star Julio Iglesias, became another major crossover success in 1984, peaking at number five on the pop charts and number one on the country singles chart.

Following a string of number one singles in early 1985, including "Highwayman," the first single from the Highwaymen, a supergroup he formed with Jennings, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson, Nelson's popularity gradually began to erode. A new generation of artists had captured the attention of the country audience, which began to drastically cut into his own audience. For the remainder of the decade, he recorded less frequently and remained on the road; he also continued to do charity work, most notably Farm Aid, an annual concert that he founded in 1985 designed to provide aid to ailing farmers. While he career was declining, an old demon began to creep up on Willie: the IRS. In November 1990, he was given a bill for $16.7 million in back taxes. During the following year, almost all of his assets -- including several houses, studios, farms, and various properties -- were taken away, and to help pay his bill, he released the double album The IRS Tapes: Who'll Buy My Memories? Originally released as two separate albums, the records were marketed through television commercials, and all the profits were directed to the IRS. By 1993 -- the year he turned 60 -- his debts had been paid off, and he relaunched his recording career with Across the Borderline, an ambitious album produced by Don Was and featuring cameos by Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Paul Simon, Sinéad O'Connor, David Crosby, and Kris Kristofferson. The record received strong reviews and became his first solo album to appear in the pop charts since 1985.

After the release of Across the Borderline, Nelson continued to work steadily, releasing at least one album a year and touring constantly. In 1993, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, but by that time, he had already become a living legend for all country music fans across the world. Signing to Island for 1996's Spirit, he resurfaced two years later with the critically acclaimed Teatro, produced by Daniel Lanois. Nelson followed up that success with the instrumental-oriented Night and Day a year later; Me and the Drummer and Milk Cow Blues followed in 2000. The Rainbow Connection, which featured an eclectic selection of old-time country favorites, appeared in spring 2001.

Amazingly prolific as a recording artist, Nelson released The Great Divide on Universal in 2002. A collection of his early-'60s publishing demos for Pamper Music called Crazy: The Demo Sessions came out on Sugar Hill in 2003. Later in 2003 Nelson released Run That by Me One More Time, which reunited him with Ray Price and kicked off a relationship with Lost Highway Records. It Always Will Be and Outlaws and Angels both appeared on Lost Highway in 2004, followed by the release of Nelson's long-delayed attempt at a country-reggae fusion, Countryman, also on Lost Highway, in 2005. You Don't Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker arrived the following year, along with Songbird, Nelson's collaboration with alt-country singer/songwriter Ryan Adams and his band the Cardinals. The double-disc Last of the Breed, an ambitious project that paired Nelson with Merle Haggard, Ray Price, and Asleep at the Wheel, was released by Lost Highway in 2007, followed by the Kenny Chesney/Buddy Cannon-produced Moment of Forever a year later in 2008. Also in 2008, Nelson paired with jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis for the live album Two Men with the Blues and with harmonica player and producer Mickey Raphael for some serious-repair remixes of vintage Nelson releases from RCA originally recorded between 1966 and 1970 called Naked Willie. Lost Highway, an album of duets with country and pop singers ranging from Shania Twain to Elvis Costello, appeared in 2009. Also appearing in 2009 was the jazz-inflected American Classic from Blue Note Records. Country Music followed next from Rounder Records in 2010. Nelson reunited with Marsalis again for 2011’s Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles, which was recorded live on February 9 and 10, 2009 at the Rose Theater with Norah Jones also on board. A CD drawn from the shows appeared on Blue Note in the spring of 2011 and in the fall, Willie released a covers collection called Remember Me, Vol. 1. He then signed with Sony Legacy and released Heroes in the summer of 2012, following it the next year with a collection of standards called Let's Face the Music and Dance. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine & Steve Leggett, Rovi

Idontknowgreg (talk) 20:37, 30 April 2013 (UTC) Greg D. B. Idontknowgreg (talk) 20:37, 30 April 2013 (UTC)

Not done for now: There are multiple issues with this proposal. Some of the text appears to be lifted verbatim from one or more sources and may pose copyright problems. In other parts, the tone is unencyclopedic, and there are also multiple grammatical problems including seemingly random capitalization. Some of those issues can be fixed, but you've presented a wall of text that is a little daunting to work with. If I might make a suggestion, consider breaking this up into multiple smaller requests and presenting them one at a time. (Thanks for providing sources, btw; more would be nice!) Rivertorch (talk) 23:28, 30 April 2013 (UTC)