Willie Nelson is a country music giant who not only changed the music of country music but also the business behind country music. He is a trailblazer, a country music maestro, and a man who has and will always march to the beat of his own drum. After all, he is Willie Nelson, he created the game many musicians play today.
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Given Nelson’s daunting influence and impact, many current country musicians are of course deeply influenced by his music and general manner. Some musicians might say they are influenced by Wille Nelson, and in a way, they surely are. However, there are a select few who view Nelson’s influence as a guiding star, and here are three of them who do.
Chris Stapleton
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Chris Stapleton called Willie Nelson a “Hero.” The comment checks out, as everything about Stapleton’s look, sound, and lyrics eerily resemble Nelson’s style. In regards to his music, Stapleton’s culmination of country, rock, blues, and bluegrass is a direct pull from Nelson’s song catalog.
Stapleton has acknowledged and paid homage to Nelson on several occasions. Particularly when he covered “Always On My Mind” at Willie Nelson’s 90th birthday concert. Additionally, he also covered Willie Nelson’s “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground” on the Howard Stern Show.
Sturgill Simpson
If you know and listen to Sturgill Simpson, you already know how many parallels he and Willie Nelson share. Besides their outlaw-esque presence in the world of country music, like Nelson, Sturgill pushes genre boundaries in the same way Nelson did in his prime. Furthermore, and also like Nelson, Simpson has a good many songs that one likely wouldn’t even call country music.
In an interview with Qobuz, Simpson praised Nelson by stating, “Willie is a great example. He was in Nashville for a long time, and they just didn’t know what to do with him.” He added, “They didn’t understand the esoterics of art that he had inside of him.”
Jamey Johnson
“Whatever Willie is, he is a part prophet but he is also a wizard. His perspective on life is a little bit different from everybody else’s” and “There isn’t any room for against with Willie, it’s all for,” Jamey Johnson told the Country Music Hall of Fame.
In addition to the comment, Johnson has shown his admiration for Willie Nelson by collaborating with him on numerous occasions. He has played alongside Nelson most notably on Bob Dylan’s classic song, “Gotta Serve Somebody,”
Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images
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