Willie Nelson has shared many personal thoughts in his new autobiography, Me and Paul: Untold Stories of a Fabled Friendship. Those who love Nelson and anyone interested in music history were looking forward to the book and it is a touching salute to his lifelong pal and drummer Paul English.
The book tells of seventy years in the lives of the Hollies, sharing stories both musical and personal rarely seen by the public. Even so, Nelson always faces the negative moments of his life openly during his shows.
An important point in the memoir is when Nelson tells about having tried to kill himself in a time of major personal stress. In these words, he tells of a night when he was so depressed that he told a bar customer he would lie down on a train track and end his life.
Much to everyone’s relief, he walked through the bar again after 15 minutes, still alive but understandably shaken and starting his recovery. Admitting this clearly shows how much sorrow Nelson experienced in his past and how tough he has been to weather the tough conditions of pop music over the years.
Nelson, although admitting much, is not somber in the book or in recent interviews. He is still completely dedicated to life, music and everyone who loves them at age 91.
He explains that he’s unafraid to quit, but instead wants to experience and develop the great life he’s made. For him, staying healthy and active is central to his thinking. He says he does a little singing and runs each day which he feels helps his breathing and his spirits.
It seems that Nelson is not stopping anytime soon. He looks forward to sharing his music live and feeding on the energy of his followers as he has on many roads over decades. He is still joyfully passionate about performing and he sees every concert as a time to share, to help and to draw happiness from the music he has always turned to.
The book isn’t only a memoir; it proves the strength of friendship, the difficulties we deal with and the efforts needed to hang on through it all. All things considered, Willie Nelson appears as a real and kind human being with plenty of grace. By reading his story in his words, you realize that no one is safe from hard times and it is resilience, humor and love that get us through.