Refusing bankruptcy during his IRS troubles
Nelson says advisers urged him to declare bankruptcy over his multi-million dollar tax bill, but he refused because it would have meant cheating other people he owed money to.
Willie Nelson
American
Born 1933
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor, and activist. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restrictions of the Nashville sound. The critical success of his album Shotgun Willie (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger (1975) and Stardust (1978), made Nelson one of the most recognized artists in country music. Nelson has acted in over 30 films, co-authored several books, and has been involved in activism for the use of biofuels and the legalization of marijuana.
On LuvemBooks, we've reviewed It's a Long Story.
1
Books ReviewedIn Willie Nelson's own words
Willie Nelson joins CBS This Morning to discuss his memoir 'It's a Long Story: My Life', looking back on his life, music, and career.
Uploaded by CBS Mornings, 2015 · Watch on YouTube ·
Marijuana replacing other addictions
Nelson rejects the argument that marijuana serves as a gateway to harder drugs, arguing that in his own experience it eliminated other destructive habits like cigarettes and heavy drinking.
Writing "Crazy"
Asked which song he feels is most significant from his catalog, Nelson singles out "Crazy" as one of the best songs he ever wrote.
Also in this interview
Ask LuvemBooks about Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, actor, and activist whose writing brings the same plainspoken honesty to the page that defines their music. We have reviewed 1 book by Nelson so far: It's a Long Story: My Life, a memoir co-authored with David Ritz that traces their decades-long rise in country music, their songwriting philosophy, marriages, and friendships with hard-won candor. That memoir holds a reader rating of 4.5/5 from 6,870 Amazon ratings, reflecting how strongly readers have responded to Nelson's unvarnished first-person storytelling.
- Where should I start?
- Start with It's a Long Story: My Life — it's the one Willie Nelson book we've reviewed, and it was promoted as the definitive telling of their life. Co-authored with David Ritz, it covers Nelson's rise in country music, songwriting philosophy, marriages, and friendships across eight decades. Readers have rated it 4.5/5 from 6,870 Amazon ratings, so it's a well-validated entry point.
- What's their writing style?
- Based on the 1 book we've reviewed, Nelson writes in a candid, first-person memoir voice, working with co-author David Ritz to keep the storytelling conversational. It's a Long Story: My Life is marked by hard-won honesty — Nelson revisits marriages, friendships, and their songwriting philosophy without sanding down the rough edges. The result reads like a long, direct conversation with someone who has lived eight decades and sees no reason to varnish any of it.
- Books we've reviewed
- We've reviewed 1 Willie Nelson book. It's a Long Story: My Life (2015, co-authored with David Ritz) is Nelson's second autobiography, promoted as the definitive telling of their life — it covers the rise in country music, the songwriting philosophy, and the marriages and friendships behind it all, and holds a reader rating of 4.5/5 from 6,870 Amazon ratings.
- What genre do they write?
- The Willie Nelson book we've reviewed, It's a Long Story: My Life, is a memoir — a first-person account of Nelson's life in country music, their songwriting, and their personal relationships. Nelson's broader catalog isn't confined to one shelf: On the Clean Road Again, another of their notable works, grows out of their activism. If you know Nelson as a musician, the memoir is the most natural entry into their writing.
- What should I read after It's a Long Story?
- It's a Long Story: My Life is the only Willie Nelson book we've reviewed so far, so we can't yet point you to a second reviewed title. Within Nelson's own bibliography, On the Clean Road Again is listed among their notable works and would take you from the life story into their activism. We'll update this page as we review more of Nelson's writing.
Who is Willie Nelson?
Where should I start?
What's their writing style?
Books we've reviewed
What genre do they write?
What should I read after It's a Long Story?
Who is Willie Nelson?
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor, and activist, best known as one of the defining figures of country music. Beyond music, Nelson has written books, including the memoir It's a Long Story: My Life and the notable work On the Clean Road Again. On LuvemBooks, we have reviewed 1 of Nelson's books.
Follow up
What is Willie Nelson known for besides music?
Has Willie Nelson written a memoir?
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