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At 93 years old, Willie Nelson released his 14th book, The Last Leaf: Reflections on Late-Life Creativity–and My Longest Love Affair, on November 10th.

In the 187 pages, Willie Nelson uses his trademark wit to explore that last 13 years of his life, discuss the grief he’s felt over losing his best friends, feeling as though he is the last leaf on the tree, but not ready to fall off yet.

Nelson details some of his most-talked about stories, including how he got the nickname “Shotgun Willie,” his tax trouble with the IRS, as well as some never-before-heard stories.

In the introduction, Nelson writes, “The back bone of this book is a love story. The heroine is my wife, Annie.”

Annie nursed him back to health when COVID nearly took him from us, even when he asked her to let him go…thrice. Annie wouldn’t let him.

The book is a story of love. It’s about the love Willie has for his family, his friends who are like his family, his fans, his beloved guitar Trigger, songwriting, and his “crazy” life he lives on the road.

After reading the book, which felt like a conversation between friends, we learned some new things about Willie Nelson that even the biggest country music fans will likely learn for the first time as well. Here are a few of those stories.

Willie Wanted To Record “Always On My Mind” With Merle Haggard

Willie Nelson named Chapter Three of his book “Hag” after his very good friend, the legendary Merle Haggard. He described Merle as “Every bit as simple and every bit as complicated as me.”

The two shared a close friendship and often spent hours talking about just about anything and everything. In their later years, many of their conversations turned to the health problems they had developed after decades on the road and years of smoking cigarettes.

They also loved laughing about Merle’s hit song “Okie From Muskogee” and the irony that he was actually from Bakersfield, California. They appreciated how the song brought people together, from hippies to rednecks, and joked that they considered themselves part of both groups.

In 1982, Willie was recording an album when someone suggested he include a cover of “Always On My Mind.” Merle happened to show up at the studio that day, and Willie suggested they record the song together as a duet.

“No. That’s no duet. You sing it alone,” The Hag told his buddy.

Willie took Merle’s advice, and the song took off like wildfire. It went on to win three Grammy Awards and became one of the biggest hits of his career.

The following year, however, the two finally recorded an album together: the iconic Pancho & Lefty.

Willie first heard the album’s title track shortly after midnight one night. Merle was asleep on his bus outside the studio, but that didn’t stop Willie from barging in to share the song with him. He practically dragged his friend out of bed, and the two recorded it in a single take.

The next morning, Merle asked if they could try another take. But Willie had already sent the recording to the record label, and plans were underway to release it as a single. The song went on to reach No. 1.

The longtime friends reunited in 2015 for Django and Jimmie, an album named after two of their musical heroes. Some of the songs reflected on missing old friends, while others, like “It’s All Going To Pot,” gave them plenty of reasons to laugh.

The album reached No. 1 and ultimately became the final album released during Merle’s lifetime. He passed away just ten months after its release.

Willie and Merle remained in close contact until the very end, speaking on the phone whenever Merle was well enough. As Merle began canceling performances due to illness, few people knew he was privately battling lung cancer for a second time. He eventually confided in Willie during one of their many phone conversations.

In April 2016, Merle Haggard passed away from complications of pneumonia on his 79th birthday.

How A Lie To Ray Price Nearly Cost Him His Life, But Also Saved Him

Along with reflecting on the final chapters of some of his friends’ lives, Willie also looked back on the early days of his own career. After moving to Nashville, he began making a name for himself as a songwriter.

His success came almost immediately. Faron Young recorded his song “Hello Walls,” and Patsy Cline released his now-iconic song “Crazy.” Another major turning point came when one of Willie’s heroes, Ray Price, recorded his song “Night Life.”

Those hits helped Willie land his own record deal. Although his debut album failed to make much of an impact, he was earning a healthy income from the royalties generated by those three songs.

One night, Willie was hanging out at Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge when Ray Price walked in. Despite having already recorded one of Willie’s songs, the two had never actually met. They struck up a conversation and discovered they shared similar backgrounds, having both grown up in small Texas towns.

During their conversation, Ray mentioned that his bass player had just left the band. He then asked Willie if he could play bass.

Willie, lying through his teeth, confidently answered, “Yes.”

He managed to fake his way through the first performance, and by the third show, he had found his footing. Suddenly, Willie was living the dream he’d always imagined: traveling the country, playing music alongside a successful band, hearing his songs on the radio, and making more money than ever before.

Unfortunately, he was spending that money just as quickly as it came in. Between expensive hotel suites and an increasingly heavy drinking habit, Willie blew through his earnings in just three weeks.

Ray continued looking out for him, allowing him to open some of his shows and eventually hiring him as a session musician for an upcoming recording.

Willie even found a way to get through that job despite not knowing the songs. He played an unamplified guitar so no one could hear him, since there wasn’t enough time to learn the material.

But the work still came with a paycheck, and when Ray handed it over, he gave Willie some advice that would stick with him.

“Take this money. Write me some songs, and leave the bottle alone.”

It took Willie some time to follow that advice, but Ray’s words eventually helped him recognize that he needed to make a change. He gave up alcohol and turned to cannabis instead, a decision he later credited with helping save his life and career.

The two men remained close friends for decades, maintaining their relationship until Ray Price’s death in December 2013 at the age of 87.

Willie Has Lost A Lot Of People He Loved – And The Grief Doesn’t Get Easier

During the chapter about Merle Haggard, the “Fightin’ Side of Me” singer asked Willie why he always ends his shows with a “happy song about death”: “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.”

Willie explained the deeper meaning behind the song, writing:

“When I sing that in my shows, I believe that the circle signifies hope – that family and communal connections, though fractured by death, are restored through their memory and their faith and the music. There’s eternal reunion in heaven.”

Willie has a unique perspective on death. He writes about it with a sense of certainty and even believes in reincarnation, explaining, “We move in, we move out, into this life and out – and then into another.”

In a recent interview with CNN, Willie even revealed that if he gets to come back in another life, he’d like to return as a rodeo cowboy.

Over the years, Willie has said goodbye to countless friends and fellow musicians. He captured some of that loss in his song “Last Man Standing,” which references Waylon Jennings, Ray Price, Merle Haggard, and songwriter and producer Norro Wilson, who had recently passed away when Willie and Buddy Cannon wrote the song.

At the time, Willie explained that the song wasn’t about being afraid of death or feeling sorry for himself. Rather, he wanted to celebrate all the wonderful things he still had to live for, including his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Still, being the “Last Man Standing” comes with a heavy price. As Willie puts it, “Every day it seems like another friend has passed.”

He also admitted just how difficult those losses have become, writing, “Grieving becomes a full-time job. I missed my buddies something awful.”

And it hasn’t just been friends and fellow musicians. Willie also endured the devastating loss of his son, Billy, in 1991 and his beloved sister Bobbie in 2022. Both losses deeply affected him.

Despite all the heartbreak, Willie holds firmly to his belief that death isn’t the end.

He quotes: “Death is not the end of anything. I believe all of us are energy that becomes matter. When that matter goes away, the energy still exists. You cannot destroy it. It never dies. It manifests itself somewhere else.”

That philosophy is part of what made the song “Last Leaf” resonate so deeply with Willie. Having lost so many people over the years, including Ray Price, Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, Leon Russell, Toby Keith, and his longtime drummer Paul English, the song’s message about being among the last of your circle to remain struck a particularly personal chord.

In fact, Willie connected with the song so deeply that he built an entire album around it. Released in 2024, Last Leaf on the Tree was produced by his son Micah, who took the lead on the project, from selecting the songs to arranging them.

The result was a deeply personal collection that explored mortality, loss, and the passage of time – themes Willie has spent much of his life reflecting on.

He has incorporated “Last Leaf” into his set lists, including at his most-recent Farm Aid performance in September.

How To Read The Last Leaf

The Last Leaf is now available for purchase for fans to read! But how can you purchase?

Place your orders on his personal website here for $30, or purchase on Amazon, at Barnes & Noble, and other book retailers here.

The book costs $30 and is the perfect gift for the Willie Nelson fan in your life.

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