Willie Nelson’s inspiring Christmas fable, based on his holiday classic “Pretty Paper.”   More than fifty years ago, Willie Nelson’s beloved Christmas song “Pretty Paper” first hit the airwaves. And for all these years, Willie has wondered about the real-life Texas street vendor, selling wrappings and ribbons, who inspired his song. Who was this poor soul? What did his painful trials say about our loves, our hopes, our dreams in this holiday season—and in the rest of our lives?It’s the early sixties and Willie Nelson is down and out, barely eking out a living as a singer-songwriter. The week before Christmas, he spots a legless man on a cart, selling wares in front of Leonard’s Department Store in Fort Worth, Texas. The humble figure, by the name of Vernon Clay, piques Willie’s curiosity, but Vernon is stubbornly private and—despite Willie’s charming queries—has no interest in telling his story. Willie is tenacious, though, and he eventually learns that Vernon is a fellow musician, a fine guitarist and singer.When Vernon disappears, he leaves behind only a diary, which tells an epic tale of life-altering tragedies, broken hearts, and crooked record men, not to mention backroad honky-tonks, down-home cooking, and country songwriting genius. Deeply moved and spurred on by Vernon’s pages, Willie aims to give the man one last shot at redemption and a chance to embody the holiday spirit.From the Hardcover edition.

Product Description: This is the unvarnished, complete story of Willie Nelson s life, told in his distinct voice and leaving no moment or experience unturned, from Texas and Nashville to Hawaii and his legendary bus. Having recently turned eighty, Nelson is ready to shine a light on all aspects of his life, including his drive to write music, the women in his life, his collaborations, and his biggest lows and highs from his bankruptcy to the founding of Farm Aid...read more

From award-winning NPR producer Joe Bevilacqua comes a rare and exciting collection of radio documentaries, features, and dramas. [Narrated by Joe Bevilacqua and Barbara Bernstein and **Featuring** Louis Armstrong, Wynton Marsalis, Willie Nelson, Janis Joplin, Kenneth Threadgill, Eddie Wilson, Lorie Kellogg, Donald Newlove, Leonard Lopate, Joe Barbera, Leonard Maltin, Ray Campi, Burl Ives, Bud Abbott, and others] One Song at a Time: This radio performance includes many stories about the Kerrville Folk Festival, the longest continuously running music festival in North America. Lady Bird Johnson: One of the most licensed audio books on the Public Radio Exchange and iTunes, Lady Bird Johnson is an award-winning audio documentary examining the challenges and achievements of this extraordinary woman. From Moonshine to Armadillos: Veteran NPR producer Joe Bevilacqua hosts this hour long program outlining the history of Threadgill's and Armadillo World Headquarters, which contributed to the birth of the Austin music scene. Louis Armstrong's New Orleans, with Wynton Marsalis: Recorded in the French Quarter of New Orleans, this radio program features jazz great Wynton Marsalis, and others, who talk on the origins of jazz, and the life and music of legendary trumpeter, Louis Armstrong. Healthy Living in the Catskills: In this radio documentary, a husband and wife explore the rural byways within four miles of their home in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York, and find local business owners working to promote healthy lifestyles that have a national impact. Radio Tales for the Road, Volume One: Combining storytelling, documentary, radio drama, and original music, Radio Tales for the Road are vivid recollections of the 1960s. All Things Joe Bev: This radio production is a collection of sixteen short audio features created for public radio by award-winning producer Joe Bevilacqua, also known as Joe Bev. We Take You Now to Grover's Mill: This 1988 documentary looks at how the landmark broadcast came about and examines its impact on broadcast history. The program includes rare interviews with Mercury Theater producer John Houseman and writer Howard Koch, actor Arthur Anderson and the people of Grover's Mill, New Jersey who lived through the ''Martian invasion.''

Product Description: [LIBRARY EDITION Audio CD format in sturdy Vinyl Case with cloth sleeves that keep compact discs protected.] From award-winning NPR producer Joe Bevilacqua comes a rare and exciting collection of radio documentaries, features, and dramas...read more

Product Description: Braiding strands of earthen insight with uproarious storytelling, Texas Hill Country legendary author Becky Patterson recreates the history of the Steiler Hill Ranch in twenty-four anecdotal chapters interspersed with original artwork...read more

Country music icon Willie Nelson has evolved over the years from an outlaw swimming against a Whiskey River to a Zen-like figure of wisdom and contentment. In this autobiographical collection of life advice, one of America's truest hearts reveals the spiritual and practical lessons learned from decades of hard knocks and good bounces. This collection of 'Willie wisdom' takes us from his days as a young boy in Texas where he learned to respect his elders, to his roadhouse days when he united redneck rockers, long-haired hippies and straight-laced country music fans, to the mega-sized benefit concerts and environmentalism that define his boundless heart. And there are plenty of his favorite jokes along the way. Let Willie's common-sense approach to life awaken you to the happiness that already exists in your own heart.--From publisher description.The country-music singer and songwriter draws on the principles of ancient Chinese philosophy to share the lessons he has learned throughout his life and career, in a collection of insights that explores such topics as friendship, religion, and war.

Product Description: For more than 40 years, Willie Nelson has been a national treasure, contributing many memorable songs to our musical canon. His impact, however, extends far beyond the scope of his music. A champion of family farms, Nelson has helped mobilize support for the American farmer, both as a founder of Farm Aid and more recently as one of the nation's most knowledgeable and recognized advocates of the use of biodiesel—a clean-burning, renewable fuel made from vegetable oils or animal fats...read more

Product Description: (Guitar Recorded Versions). This 15-song collection contains many of Willie Nelson's great hits, including: Always on My Mind * Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain * City of New Orleans * Everywhere I Go * Georgia on My Mind * Good Hearted Woman * Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys * On the Road Again * Pancho and Lefty * Seven Spanish Angels * Uncloudy Day * Whiskey River * and more...read more

The iconic country-music singer and songwriter draws on the principles of ancient Chinese philosophy to share the lessons he has learned throughout his life and career, in a gentle and inspirational collection of insights that explores such topics as friendship, religion, and war. Simultaneous.

A two-part collection of classic Louis L'Amour stories includes seven tales, including 'The Black Rock Coffin Makers,' 'Dutchman's Flat,' 'Mistakes Can Kill You,' 'The NEster and the Piute,' 'Trail to Pie Town,' and Big Medicine,' all performed by Willie Nelson, as well as a full-cast dramatized performance of 'Riding for the Brand,' with Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson.

A celebration of the benefit's twentieth anniversary offers tribute to the many artists who have played on the Farm Aid stage and works to raise awareness about America's ongoing family farm losses, in a compendium of essays, interviews, poems, lyrics, fictional excerpts, and photographs.

Country singer and songwriter Willie Nelson recounts the ups and downs of his career and his personal life, and shares the lyrics of some of his compositions.

Presents eight stories dealing with the eternal themes of honor, deceit, passion, betrayal, loyalty, courage, and love.

In a candid, heartwarming memoir, the popular singer-songwriter tells the story of his life, from his childhood in rural Texas to his rise to success in the entertainment world, as he reflects on the things that matter most to him and shares his observations on such topics as love, marriage, children, success, ambition, and fate. Read by the author.

The songwriter and country singer who has transcended his background to become an American folk hero describes his poor childhood, his stormy marriages, and his wild experiences with drugs and alcohol (view table of contents)