In “One by Willie,” host John Spong talks in each episode to one notable Willie fan about one Willie song they love, then runs down the kinds of rabbit holes that open up whenever the topic is Willie Nelson. But the series is about more than the songs; it's about the way music shapes our lives and connects us all.
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Nick Offerman on "Buddy"
The ‘Parks and Recreation’ star on “Buddy,” Farm Aid, and how a hippie like Willie became Ron Swanson’s favorite poet.
Lucinda Williams on “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground”
The beloved singer-songwriter, once a scrappy unknown living in a run-down apartment Willie owned, describes the wonder of later duetting with him on a song she wrote.
Lana Nelson on “Red Headed Stranger”
The unofficial family historian talks about listening to her dad sing “Red Headed Stranger” back before he’d ever even made it to Nashville.
Wade Bowen on “Me and Paul”
The Texas Country/Red Dirt star Zooms in to discuss Willie’s founding role in the singer-songwriters’ circuit, plus the gift of growing to love your dad’s music.
John Leventhal on “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain”
The six-time Grammy-winner discusses “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” and why Willie’s guitar-picking makes him think of Picasso.
Susan Tedeschi on “Somebody Pick Up My Pieces”
The Grammy-winning blues singer and guitarist on why she and her husband cover Willie almost every night with their Tedeschi Trucks Band—plus why she thinks Emmylou Harris is a Jedi.
Bruce Robison on “Walkin”
The Americana stalwart discusses Phases and Stages, Willie’s lost winter in Bandera, and covering his songs with big stars like Margo Price, Sheryl Crow, and Nathaniel Rateliff.
Lawrence Wright on “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die”
The acclaimed Austin author talks pigtails, hero statues, and “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die.”
Booker T. Jones on “Georgia on My Mind”
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer discusses “Georgia on My Mind”—and the highly improbable pairing and production that gave birth to Willie’s quintuple-platinum masterpiece.
Whoopi Goldberg on “Stardust”
The famed actor, author, and raconteur on why she loves “Stardust,” Leon Russell, Ray Charles, and Willie’s wife, Annie.