Alejandro Escovedo on "Half A Man"

For Escovedo, the song conjures memories of his father, as well as ghost stories, old pot dealers, and a cowpunk music video.

By John Spong

John Davisson/Invision via AP

Singer-songwriter Alejandro Escovedo is almost surely the only artist to have shared bills with both Willie Nelson and the Sex Pistols. But while his West Coast punk rock roots in the seventies and longtime status as a hard-rocking, driving force on the Americana scene might suggest he has little in common with Willie, the opposite is true. He’s made his career through relentless touring and by sticking to his guns creatively, upending the expectations of fans, critics, and record labels alike. Does any of that sound familiar?

On this episode of One by Willie, Alejandro talks about one of Willie’s early Nashville singles, “Half a Man.” It’s a song that peaked at number 25 on the country charts for Willie back in 1963, and for Alejandro it conjures memories of his father, as well as ghost stories, old pot dealers, and the left-field, cowpunk music video he made in the eighties that first put him on Willie’s radar.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgNkHtej_5U&w=560&h=315]

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