Willie Nelson may be the most prolific artist of all time. It's strange to think that there's one key person who put him onto music so early.
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We are but an accumulation of our experiences with the world and each other. What we amount to today is a product of everything that has happened before us. To think that Willie Nelson's incredible career in country may hinge on one person is an insane thought.
In an interview with NPR's Rachel Martin, Willie Nelson shared how he got into performing from a young age. And I believe this could have given him the confidence, practice, and skill that helped him become the man we appreciate today.
When asked about how both him and his sister got into music, he shared that he initially got into performing simply to make some money.
"Well, we both grew up [in the] Methodist Church, in Abbott. And we started out doing a lot of gospel songs together," he explained.
"There was this guy, a blacksmith in Abbott," he continued. "He had a family band. He just let me play, because he knew I wanted to work and needed the work."
So although he was playing around with a guitar with his sister from around 9 or 10 years old, it was his need to work that got him out and performing.
Willie Nelson Took Up Performing For Work
I'm not going to speculate his ambitions and dreams as a kid, but I don't reckon he knew that playing in the family band for "8 to 10 dollars a night" would be a stepping stone to where he is now.
When speaking of his time in the family band, he said, "I played the guitar in a big polka band with a lot of horns and everything. Fortunately, no one ever heard me, because I wasn't that great."
Although he wasn't the best, "It was easier than picking cotton," so he stuck with it. Nelson didn't elaborate on how long he performed in the band, but I am willing to bet he got better and better, and enjoyed it more and more as the nights drew on.
To think we may owe his incredible career to a humble blacksmith in Abbott, Texas, is a crazy thought. Thank you, random blacksmith. You did good.
