Piece image

Amazing Grace: The Story of Willie Nelson

From: KUT
Length: 00:53:45

Winner of the 2009 Headliners' Awards "Best Feature Documentary" and "Grand Prize for Radio" Read the full description.
${title}
To hear the full audio, sign up for a free PRX account or log in.

More from KUT

Caption: Susanna and Guy Clark, Credit: Music Road Records

West Texas 1941: The Story of Guy Clark (00:53:47)
From: KUT

Join a who's who of Texas Music, including Jerry Jeff Walker, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Willie Nelson and many, many more in a 70th birthday celebration of one of the greatest ...
Caption: PRX default Piece image

Portrait of an Artist: Elisabeth Perez-Luna (00:12:21)
From: KUT

Listen to veteran journalist Elisabeth Perez-Luna talk about her life, work and perspective as an artist.
Piece image

The List: A Guide to ACL Fest 2011 (00:56:26)
From: KUT

Stevie Wonder, Coldplay, Kanye West, My Morning Jacket, Arcade Fire...the headliners are impressive. But musical discovery is the heart and soul of the Austin City Limits ...
Caption: The Shade Tree at Zilker Park

Stages: 10 Years of ACL Fest (00:55:44)
From: KUT

September 2011 marks the 10th anniversary of the Austin City Limits Music Festival. What started out as a modest two day affair heavy on regional artists has become one of ...
Caption: Stephen Bruton, of the 10 Austin Aces

The Austin Aces (01:00:00)
From: KUT

Janis Joplin. Roky Erikson. Doug Sahm. Stevie Ray Vaughan. Names like these helped establish Austin’s global reputation as hothouse for great musical talent. Who are the most ...
Piece image

Hard Times, Great Music? (00:57:46)
From: KUT

Volatility on Wall Street, talk of a double dip recession---bad news for the markets. But good news for music? During times like these, we witness not only a devolution in ...
Caption: Whut are YOU lookin at?

Sounds Like Summer 2011 (00:55:18)
From: KUT

You know what it 'feels' like. You might even know what it smells like, or tastes like. Let's focus on what it sounds like, shall we? Join the award-winning music ...
Piece image

10 Touchstones of the Texas Blues (00:54:39)
From: KUT

It got its start in the oilfields, ranches, and lumber camps of the early 1900s. And it went on to reshape American music. Join music historian Alan Governar and host David ...
Piece image

100 Songs that Messed with Texas (00:56:24)
From: KUT

On this episode, we explore songs that challenged the stereotypes of Texas music. Though "country" music may be what the Lone Star State is most well known for, over the ...
Piece image

"A Backstage Pass at Austin City Limits" (00:54:27)
From: KUT

On this edition of Texas Music Matters, we take a behind the scenes tour of the award-winning PBS show Austin City Limits. This show features rare performances by Johnny ...

Piece Description

He was abandoned by his parents as a toddler. As a young struggling songwriter, he crisscrossed the country playing honky tonks and selling encyclopedias door-to-door just to feed his family. Today, Willie Nelson is an American icon and a true Texas iconoclast--but how he got there is a tale that's little-known. Join Kris Kristofferson, Norah Jones, John Mellencamp, biographer Joe Nick Patoski and many others as we trace the life and times of a Texas legend. It's a one hour special from KUT's Texas Music Matters. Amazing Grace: The Story of Willie Nelson.

3 Comments Atom Feed

Caption: PRX default User image

Amazing Grace

The first time that I ever saw Willie in concert I was amazed at the variety of people in the crowd. And I think that the most interesting part of this documentry for me was learning that he has always reached out to a wide variety of people. I think the clips of him performing were a wonderful way to communicate a part of him that is hard to touch on with words alone.

User image

Review of Amazing Grace: The Story of Willie Nelson

There is no question that America would be a different place without Willie Nelson's "On The Road Again." There is no question but what Willie Nelson is admired and appreciated by millions.

We can, therefore, thank the producers for The Story of Willie Nelson and hope that it will make many more people familiar with the life and times of this American Icon.

Willie Nelson's music is what it is, and adults with a firm background in Bach, Mozart and Count Basie would let it go at that. But gifted children might not be so kind. While still in grade school, my brother's daughter listened to Willie Nelson on television for a few minutes, then turned to her father and said, "He doesn't seem to get any better, does he?"

Run this piece. I don't know anyone who wouldn't enjoy hearing it.

The humble Farmer

User image

Review of Amazing Grace: The Story of Willie Nelson

This is an excellent doc. Congratulations to David Brown on a job well done.

For those of us, myself included, who only know a little bit about the life and music of Willie Nelson, this is a great learning experience that is also compelling radio.

The biographical info, with a good narrative arc, combined with the rare music clips, provides good public service. The early recording of Willie is a real gem, one I would bet most people have not heard.

I would recommend this special anytime, not just around Willie's birthday.

Broadcast History

First broadcast on KUT 90.5 Sunday, April 27th on "The Best of Public Radio"

Timing and Cues

Show Open is 1:00, and can be followed by five minutes of NPR News.
Show Body should begin rolling at 06:10.
One-minute breaks with music bed at 19:00 and 39:00 (built-in).
Cue: "Stay with us"
Show concludes at 59:00.

Images

Related Website

http://texasmusicmatters.kut.org