At a glance
First published2015
AudienceAdult
About the Author
Willie Nelson1 book reviewed
It's a Long Story
My Life
by Willie Nelson
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for: Longtime Willie Nelson fans and country music history enthusiasts seeking the most comprehensive, publisher-sanctioned account of Nelson's life — from his pre-fame Texas hustle through decades as an outlaw country icon.
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It's a Long Story: My Life is Willie Nelson's second autobiography, co-written with David Ritz and published in 2015, covering his full life arc from a scrappy Texas upbringing — selling Kirby vacuum cleaners door to door — through his rise as one of country music's most enduring icons, with reflections on songwriting, marriages, and the outlaw country movement woven throughout. The book's greatest strength is its accessible, candid voice, which Lone Star Music Magazine calls "arguably the most authentic voice of the Willie Nelson autobiographies," though that breezy pace comes at a cost: many people and events are name-checked without the depth or psychological probing that a more confessional account would offer. It is best suited to devoted Nelson fans seeking the most comprehensive, publisher-sanctioned account he has authorized, as well as readers new to his life story who want a single, wide-ranging starting point.
- Is it worth reading?
- For devoted Willie Nelson fans or readers drawn to country music history, It's a Long Story delivers real value: it is the most comprehensive, publisher-sanctioned account Nelson has authorized, it moves at a brisk and entertaining pace, and the songwriting passages offer insight unavailable in a standard career retrospective. The key caveat is depth — reviewers consistently note that the book's easy-going manner means many people and events receive only surface-level treatment, leaving those who want a genuinely probing or confessional portrait somewhat underserved. Readers already steeped in earlier Nelson biographies and interviews may also find portions of the narrative cover familiar ground. For anyone coming to his life story for the first time, however, it remains the single most substantial starting point available.
- Similar books
- Readers who enjoyed It's a Long Story will find strong company in other candid, wide-ranging memoirs by legendary performers. Tina Turner's I, Tina: What's Love Got to Do with It? and Keith Richards' Life are both celebrated for capturing an unmistakable personal voice across a sweeping career — much as Nelson and David Ritz aim to do here. Jewel's Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story shares the specific combination of musical memoir and songwriting reflection that distinguishes Nelson's book. For a different kind of iconic American life told with late-career candor and breadth, Jimmy Carter's A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety and Paul Newman's The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man both offer the reflective, comprehensive quality that Nelson's publisher promised with "the definitive autobiography" framing.
- Who should read this?
- It's a Long Story is well suited to longtime Willie Nelson fans seeking the most comprehensive account he has been willing to put on record, and to readers drawn to country music history more broadly. Its accessible, conversational rhythm also makes it a natural pick for casual readers who enjoy celebrity memoirs but don't want a dense or laborious read. Those hoping for a genuinely confessional or psychologically probing portrait — given the weight of Nelson's tax troubles, multiple marriages, and decades of activism — may be left wanting more depth than the book's breezy pace allows.
- How does the co-authorship work?
- David Ritz, who co-wrote the book with Willie Nelson, is a veteran of major music memoirs — his collaborations include autobiographies with Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Buddy Guy, and Don Rickles. The co-authored format naturally raises questions about whose voice is truly on the page, and that tension is worth naming. However, Lone Star Music Magazine argues that the result carries "Willie's voice, humor, and spirit from beginning to end," calling it "arguably the most authentic voice of the Willie Nelson autobiographies" — a notable assessment given the volume of Nelson-adjacent books already in existence. Whether the seamlessness of that voice belongs to Ritz's craft or Nelson's own storytelling, the book was positioned by the publisher as the fullest, most authoritative account Nelson has ever offered.
- Does the book go deep enough?
- This is the book's central tension and its most consistent criticism. The autobiography covers an extraordinary breadth of life — Nelson's Texas upbringing, pre-fame working-class jobs, multiple marriages, tax troubles, the outlaw country movement, and decades of activism — but the fast pace means many of these subjects receive only surface-level treatment. As one reviewer at Mainlypiano.com put it, the book offers facts but gives "little detail about most of the people and events mentioned." Readers hoping for a confessional or genuinely probing account of Nelson's harder chapters may find the book's easy-going manner a limitation as much as a feature.
- How does it compare to his first autobiography?
- Willie: An Autobiography, Nelson's first memoir, was published in 1988 — meaning It's a Long Story covers the additional decades of life and career that had accumulated in the nearly thirty years between the two books. The publisher promoted It's a Long Story as "the definitive autobiography of Willie Nelson," positioning it as the more comprehensive and authoritative account. Lone Star Music Magazine notes that the 2015 book does revisit familiar stories from the earlier memoir, but argues that the authenticity of voice in the Ritz collaboration makes the overlap worthwhile. For readers who have not read the 1988 book, It's a Long Story stands on its own as the single most substantial account Nelson has authorized.
Summarize this book
Is it worth reading?
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How does the co-authorship work?
Does the book go deep enough?
How does it compare to his first autobiography?
Summarize this book
It's a Long Story: My Life is a 2015 autobiography by country music icon Willie Nelson, co-written with David Ritz and published by Little, Brown and Company. Promoted as "the definitive autobiography of Willie Nelson," it traces his full life arc from his early Texas years — including unglamorous stints selling Kirby vacuum cleaners and encyclopedias door to door — through his decades-long rise in country music. The book weaves in reflections on his songwriting philosophy, his many marriages, landmark friendships, the outlaw country movement, and the barrooms and wild times that shaped him. Song lyrics appear alongside the backstory behind them, giving fans an unusually direct window into Nelson's creative process.
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What does it say about his early life?
How does it handle his songwriting?
Is this his first autobiography?
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Age & Reading Level
Recommended age
Adult
Reading level
Adult
Skip if you want a confessional, psychologically probing memoir that lingers on the darker chapters of a complicated life.
Editorial Review
Published by Little, Brown and Company in 2015 and co-authored with David Ritz, It's a Long Story: My Life is Willie Nelson's second autobiography — promoted as the definitive telling of his life — covering his decades-long rise in country music, his songwriting philosophy, marriages, friendships, and the hard-won honesty of a man who had already lived eight decades by the time he put it all down.
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