January 31, 2024
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The ‘Parks and Recreation’ star on “Buddy,” Farm Aid, and how a hippie like Willie became Ron Swanson’s favorite poet.
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Season 4
August 25, 2023
Dave Cobb on the Beautiful, Barren Landscape of Willie Nelson’s ‘Red Headed Stranger’
The Nashville superproducer on “Time of the Preacher” and the one thing artists like Brandi Carlile and Jason Isbell all say about Willie.
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July 28, 2023
The Story Behind Sinéad O’Connor’s Duet with Willie Nelson
It was October 1992 and the Irish singer, who died earlier this week, was being excoriated in the press following her appearance on ‘Saturday Night Live.’
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July 21, 2023
Waylon Payne on the Multiple Times He Credits Willie Nelson With Saving His Life
The singer-songwriter talks about growing up as country royalty and Willie’s cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now.”
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July 14, 2023
Foo Fighter Chris Shiflett on the Unlikely Intersection of Willie, Waylon Jennings, “Good Hearted Woman,” and Kiss’s ‘Alive II’
The Foos’ lead guitarist and ‘Shred With Shifty’ podcast host discusses an outlaw anthem and the technical specs of a great Willie guitar solo.
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June 30, 2023
Ray Benson on Bob Wills, Cindy Walker, and Willie Nelson’s Version of “Going Away Party”
The Grammy-winning founder of Asleep at the Wheel on fifty years of friendship with Willie, with cameos by George Gershwin, Floyd Tillman, and Robert Duvall.
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June 23, 2023
Amanda Shires Pays Tribute to Her Hero and Friend Bobbie Nelson
The singer-songwriter and virtuoso fiddle player talks faith, family bands, and her new album of duets with Willie Nelson’s late sister.
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June 16, 2023
Willie Nelson’s Son Micah on Trigger, Roger Miller, and “Still Is Still Moving to Me”
On this special Father’s Day episode, Micah Nelson describes his dad’s “face-melting” guitar playing, plus his favorite sixties-era Willie song that most fans have forgotten.
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June 9, 2023
Brené Brown on the Way Willie Nelson’s Version of “Amazing Grace” Changed Her Life
The revered researcher, author, and TED Talker discusses faith, grace, acceptance, and the world’s favorite gospel hymn.
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June 2, 2023
Daniel Lanois on Recording Willie Nelson’s Landmark Album ‘Teatro’
The legendary producer discusses art that exists only in shadows and the way U2 tries to summon Willie when they write songs.
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May 26, 2023
Ray Wylie Hubbard on “Whiskey River,” Strong Weed, and Willie Nelson’s Smile
The legendary singer-songwriter and longtime Willie buddy discusses a song many consider the national anthem of Texas, plus why drummer Paul English was not a fan of the Eagles.
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April 27, 2023
Willie Nelson’s Son Lukas on Ancient Texts, Pearl Jam, and “I Never Cared for You”
On this special birthday episode, Lukas Nelson talks about truly timeless songwriting—and the song that first made Leon Russell a Willie fan.
Listen NowLive From Luck!
September 15, 2022
Weyes Blood on Willie Nelson, Frank Sinatra, Lindsey Buckingham, and Kurt Weill’s “September Song”
It’s a song the California-based singer-songwriter has loved since she was a young girl—but she didn’t really get to know it until she heard Willie’s version.
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September 1, 2022
Steve Gunn on Django Reinhardt, Trigger, and Willie Nelson’s “Hands on the Wheel”
The Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter and virtuoso guitarist celebrates two of the greatest players he’s ever heard.
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August 18, 2022
How a Willie Nelson Song Almost—But Not Quite—Kept Charley Crockett Out of Jail
The hard-core honky-tonker talks to us live from Luck, Texas, about “Face of a Fighter” and the other Willie songs he leaned on when he was homeless.
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August 4, 2022
Allison Russell on Soothing Her Newborn Daughter With Willie Nelson’s ‘Stardust’
The three-time Grammy nominee talks to us live from Luck, Texas, about definitive covers, Billie Holiday, and building her family with Willie records playing in the background.
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June 22, 2022
Buddy Cannon on Taking Life Lessons From Willie Nelson Songs
Willie’s longtime producer and writing partner talks about how “Something You Get Through” came together and the way Willie changed country songwriting.
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June 15, 2022
Ethan Hawke on Visions of the Divine and Willie Nelson’s Earlobes
The four-time Oscar nominee talks “Too Sick to Pray” and the way Willie’s music has helped him build his family.
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June 8, 2022
Norah Jones on How Willie Nelson Songs Saved Her When She Moved to New York
The nine-time Grammy winner talks “Permanently Lonely,” jazzy Django chords, and Willie’s beautifully harsh poetry.
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June 1, 2022
How a Legendary R&B Band Helped Willie Nelson Cut His Best Album
Muscle Shoals bass player David Hood on ‘Phases and Stages,’ producer Jerry Wexler, and “(How Will I Know) I’m Falling in Love Again.”
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May 25, 2022
Nathaniel Rateliff on Willie Nelson’s “A Song for You,” Leon Russell, and Biker Funerals
The Americana singer-songwriter discusses one of Willie’s first iconic cover songs.
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May 18, 2022
Mickey Raphael on How Willie Nelson Songs Are Cheaper—and More Effective—Than Therapy
Willie’s longtime harmonica player discusses joining the band, stowaways on the bus, and “The Words Don’t Fit the Picture.”
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May 11, 2022
Jimmy Webb on Writing “Highwayman” and the Birth of Country Music’s First Supergroup
One of America’s greatest songwriters talks Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, and Willie Nelson . . . and the surprising debt they owe “My Sharona.”
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May 4, 2022
Vince Gill on Willie Nelson’s “Healing Hands of Time” and Finding Salvation in Song
The 22-time Grammy winner talks faith, Ray Price, and the power of an irresistible first line in a lyric.
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April 27, 2022
Willie Nelson’s Daughter Paula on Gunfights, the Devil, and Sister Bobbie
On this special birthday episode of ‘One by Willie,’ Paula Nelson talks about “Devil in a Sleepin’ Bag,” a song her dad wrote about his longtime drummer, Paul English—who happens to be her namesake.
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April 20, 2022
Kacey Musgraves on Making “Real-Ass” Country Music With Willie Nelson
The singer-songwriter talks about “Are You Sure,” getting her granddad into Willie’s poker game, and a gift Willie gave her that she’ll never smoke.
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April 15, 2022
Announcing Season 3 of ‘One by Willie’
Our latest season of interviews with notable Willie Nelson fans debuts April 20.
Listen NowSeason 2
April 29, 2021
Sheryl Crow on ‘Crazy,’ Patsy Cline, and the Dream of Writing a Standard
With Willie Nelson turning 88 this week, One by Willie celebrates with one of his biggest fans and most frequent duet partners, singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow, who will talk about what may be the single best-known song he ever wrote, “Crazy.” Like the rest of the world, Sheryl initially fell in
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April 13, 2021
Rodney Crowell on Bloody Mary Mornings and Recording With Willie Nelson
Plus, you’ll never guess who was doing doughnuts outside the studio during a recording session in Bogalusa, Louisiana.
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April 6, 2021
Robert Earl Keen’s Car Caught Fire at Willie’s Fourth of July Picnic
In our latest episode of ‘One by Willie,’ Keen tells a whole host of entertaining stories while explaining his connection to Nelson’s “Mr. Record Man.”
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March 30, 2021
Shakey Graves on How Willie Nelson ‘Stole’ a Song From Elvis
On our latest ‘One by Willie,’ the Austin native talks ‘Always on My Mind’ and getting to scratch his name into Trigger, Willie’s beloved guitar.
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March 23, 2021
Rosanne Cash on How the Depression Shaped Artists Like Willie Nelson and Her Father
On the latest ‘One by Willie,’ Cash talks about that and much more while digging into Willie's 1959 hit ‘Night Life.’
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March 9, 2021
T Bone Burnett on Murder Ballads and Willie Nelson, Holy Man
On our latest 'One by Willie,' the celebrated producer and songwriter discusses one of Willie's darkest songs.
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March 2, 2021
How Willie Nelson Came to Cover Kermit the Frog
On the latest ‘One by Willie,’ Amy Nelson tells of a twenty-year quest to get her dad to record a beloved song from her childhood.
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February 23, 2021
Storied Record Producer Don Was on the Fragile Magic of a First Take
On the latest ‘One by Willie,’ Was talks Ringo, Bob Dylan, Sinead O’Connor, and ‘Across the Borderline’—his favorite of all the tracks he’s worked on.
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February 16, 2021
Steve Earle on ‘Local Memory’ and Lyrics as Literature
For our Season 2 premiere of ‘One by Willie,’ Earle takes us back to his days as a longhaired, seventeen-year-old San Antonio kid.
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February 3, 2021
Announcing Season 2 of ‘One by Willie’
Listen as our new season’s lineup of distinguished guests talks about their favorite Willie Nelson songs, from an outlaw classic to a Kermit the Frog cover.
Listen NowSeason 1
November 27, 2020
‘One by Willie,’ Episode 8: Wesley Schultz on ‘Pretty Paper’
The Lumineers lead singer and cofounder on the power of lonesome songs during the holidays, and an apples-to-apples comparison between Willie and Bruce Springsteen.
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November 20, 2020
‘One by Willie,’ Episode 7: Lee Ann Womack on ‘Three Days’
The Texas singer-songwriter and country music star on a song she’s been singing since childhood, the origins of inspired lyrics, and how Texas country songs are designed for dancing.
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November 13, 2020
‘One by Willie,’ Episode 6: Sonny Throckmorton on ‘What a Way to Live’
The lauded songwriter behind many of country’s greatest hits talks Willie's picking parties with Darrell Royal and why you should never beat Willie Nelson at poker.
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November 6, 2020
‘One by Willie,’ Episode 5: Wynonna Judd on ‘Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain’
The country music legend remembers hearing it on the radio in rural Kentucky and describes Willie's kindness to her grandmother backstage at the CMAs.
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October 30, 2020
‘One by Willie,’ Episode 4: Jack Ingram on ‘I’d Have to Be Crazy’
The singer-songwriter talks the surprising complexity of Willie’s songwriting and a special request President George H.W. Bush made while Ingram was playing for him.
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October 23, 2020
‘One by Willie,’ Episode 3: Alejandro Escovedo on ‘Half a Man’
For Escovedo, the song conjures memories of his father, as well as ghost stories, old pot dealers, and a cowpunk music video.
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October 16, 2020
‘One by Willie,’ Episode 2: Lyle Lovett on ‘Hello Walls’
The four-time Grammy winner talks the solitary nature of songwriting and a big wet kiss Willie once planted on Faron Young.
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October 9, 2020
‘One by Willie,’ Episode 1: Margo Price on ‘Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground’
In the first episode of our new series, the Grammy-winning artist talks about writing sad songs and tells a great dirty joke she learned from Nelson himself.
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September 28, 2020
Announcing Our New Podcast ‘One by Willie’
Join senior editor John Spong and artists you love for intimate conversations about the Willie songs that mean the most to them.
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