In the Willie Way

Seventeen years ago I wrote a piece about Willie Nelson's long-running Fourth of July picnics for the New York Times when Willie was a mere 74 years old. Much like his biographer, Joe Nick Patoski, I figured he was near the end of a iconic career. I never dreamed I would be going to see his annual July 4 picnic (in Camden, New Jersey, of all places) in 2024 and writing about it. But that's exactly what happened. I very much appreciate The Bitter Southerner including my essay "Stay a Little Longer" in print edition No. 9 and publishing online. I'm happy to be in the Bitter Southerner again, where I published a piece about Hank Aaron ten years ago, long before the they had a print edition. I also was fortunate in the writing of this story to connect with Joe Nick, a Texas music writing legend I've long admired.