I always like to research a little about the person/group we have just seen in concert before doing a post about them and the concert. Even though I thought I knew a lot about Willie, I found out a lot of interesting things about Willie! To start off with, he was raised by his grandparents who gave him music lessons via mail. Apparently you could order music lessons through the mail – more or less self-taught from sheets. Both he and his sister were taught music this way. Willie learned to play the guitar, while his sister was taught to play the piano.
It wasn’t until we bought a book at the concert did we find out that the piano player on the stage was Willie’s “older” sister, Bobbie. She could really make that piano talk!!!! She has taken a back seat to the “lime light” and let Willie take all the fame and glory! It wasn’t until she was 76 that she actually had an album produced which show cased her talents. That was a couple of years ago. You could never guess that it was a 70’ish lady playing the piano on the stage! She was fantastic.
Willie’s voice is not where it what it us to be, but then whose is when they are 76 years old and has been performing continuously since hitting it big back in the mid 70’s. I will never forget the year he was chosen male vocalist of the year – 1975. Mom could not believe he was the winner! She was going more by his looks (long stringy hair and a bushy face) than his musical abilities.
Another tidbit learned from researching Willie was very interesting. The guitar which he uses the most has a name. He calls it “Trigger” which he named after none other than Roy Rogers’s horse. Due to the constant strumming with a guitar pick, he has worn large holes into the guitar near the sound hole. The guitar has been signed over the years by hundreds of Willie’s friends, associates, which included fellow musicians to lawyers and football coaches. When looking closely at some of the pictures we took, you can see the holes and autographs!!
September 22, 2009 was a beautiful evening. Bill and I ate at Bella Fonte Italian Restaurant which across the street from the parking lot next to the Paramount Theater in Ashland. It was a great dinner with a fantastic show to follow. The first thirty minutes of the show was started by an opening act by Billy Joe Shaver. Personally, I felt it was a little long and the audience was beginning to get a little restless. We had come to see and listen to Willie. Shaver did well and was given a round of applause when he had completed his performance.
We had an intermission for the stage crew to change the stage. Willie would soon be on the stage. Willie was soon on stage and was backed up by his sister Bobbie at the piano; brothers, Paul and Billy English; and Mickey Raphael who was a harmonica whiz! As the band started playing a giant Texas state flag unfurled behind them which engaged the audience from their seats with a round of cheers! The audience was then getting to hear Willie deliver non-stop many of hits! Following is a list of the ones we could remember!
SETLIST (not necessarily in order of performance)
BLOODY MARY MORNING
BLUE EYES CRYING
CRAZY
FUNNY HOW TIME SLIPS AWAY
IF YOU’VE GOT THE MONEY
MOMAS DON’T LET YOUR BABIES . . .
NIGHT LIFE
THE PARTY’S OVER
STAY ALL NIGHT, STAY A LITTLE LONGER
UNCLOUDY DAY
WHISKEY RIVER
ALWAYS ON MY MIND
ANGELS FLYING TOO CLOSE TO THE GROUND
MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN COWBOYS
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
MILK COW BLUES
NOTABLE NO PLAYS
ME AND PAUL
LAST THING I NEEDED
Once again, we were able to see a legend perform. We would like to share some of our photos from that night with you!
The state flag of Texas had just been unfurled behind Willie and his band!
Willie's black hat soon became someones prize!!!
Gone is the hat and on is his bandanna!
Now his bandanna is some one's prize!!!!
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