One by Willie
Texas Monthly
Each week, music writer John Spong talks to one notable Willie Nelson fan about one Willie song that they love, leading to highly personal looks at the life, art, and legend of a genuine American folk hero. Listen here.
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Top 10 One by Willie Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best One by Willie episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to One by Willie for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite One by Willie episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Brené Brown on "Amazing Grace"
One by Willie
06/09/23 • 47 min
Dr. Brené Brown is a researcher, storyteller, and best-selling author known for her work on vulnerability, shame, and empathy—though many of her fans just call her “an inspiration.” On this week’s OBW, she talks about Willie’s 1976 cover of “Amazing Grace” and the way her life was completely transformed the first time she heard it...before we move into the song’s history; her lifelong love of Willie; the concepts of faith, grace, and acceptance, more generally; and the most powerful performance of “Amazing Grace” she’s ever heard.
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Introducing: State of Mind
One by Willie
06/14/21 • 2 min
Lee Ann Womack on "Three Days"
One by Willie
11/20/20 • 24 min
Country music star Lee Ann Womack has been singing along to “Three Days” since she was a little girl raiding the record collection of her dad, who disc jockeyed at a small country radio station in East Texas. It’s a deep cut off Willie’s 1962 debut album, and it prompts thoughts from Lee Ann on the unexpected places where songwriters find the lines to write old-school country songs, the difference between Texas country music and the rest of it, and the lessons that she and her two daughters—who are also both singer-songwriters—learned from going on tour with Willie. Songs from this and all episodes of One By Willie can be found on our Apple Music playlist at https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/one-by-willie-a-texas-monthly-podcast/pl.u-b3b8VdgFKWje4Wv
Shakey Graves on "Always on My Mind"
One by Willie
03/30/21 • 26 min
Singer-songwriter Shakey Graves—who answers to Alejandro Rose-Garcia when he’s not onstage—discusses Willie’s biggest pop hit singing solo, “Always on My Mind.” It had been one of Elvis Presley’s signature songs of the '70s before Willie covered it in 1982, and Alejandro explains how Willie managed to pull off the impossible: stealing a song from Elvis. Then he describes the undying appeal of a good power ballad and that surreal time he signed Willie’s guitar.
T Bone Burnett on "I Just Can't Let You Say Goodbye"
One by Willie
03/09/21 • 26 min
Acclaimed producer T Bone Burnett (Counting Crows’ August And Everything After; the Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack; dozens of others) discusses one of the darkest songs Willie ever wrote: the early-60s murder ballad “I Just Can’t Let You Say Goodbye.” The song debuted on Willie’s 1966 album Live at Panther Hall in Fort Worth, Texas, and T Bone talks about being in the audience that night—because of course he was; he’s T Bone Burnett—along with what it was like to produce Willie himself (2010’s Country Music), and why he calls Willie a holy man.
Steve Earle on "Local Memory"
One by Willie
02/16/21 • 24 min
Singer-songwriter Steve Earle was a longhaired, seventeen-year-old San Antonio kid when he first heard “Local Memory,” a deep cut off 1973’s Shotgun Willie. He calls it the song that first taught him that a country lyric could read like literature. Steve goes on to describe the very real tension that still existed between hippies and rednecks when Willie played outside Austin in the early 70’s, and Willie's wonderfully off-color nickname for him.
04/03/24 • 33 min
This week, one of America’s greatest living poets, singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, celebrates the easy beauty of one of Willie’s most cherished songs, “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground.” From there she’ll get into how inspiring it was to first see Willie do his thing when she moved to Austin in 1974; how weird it was, when she moved back to Austin in the 80s, to live in a run-down apartment complex-cum-artist’s colony that Willie owned on South Congress—sharing it with the old boyfriend, Clyde Woodward, she would immortalize in her song, “Lake Charles”—and what an absolute honor it was, twenty years later, to cut a duet with Willie on another of her songs, “Overtime.”
Sonny Throckmorton on "What a Way to Live"
One by Willie
11/13/20 • 26 min
Sonny Throckmorton is one of the greatest country songwriters who ever lived. He's the man who wrote “If We’re Not Back in Love By Monday” for Merle Haggard, “Why Not Me” for the Judds, and “The Cowboy Rides Away” for George Strait, among hundreds of others. On this episode, Sonny discusses a little-known, early Willie composition, “What a Way to Live”; the famous picking parties Willie used to host with legendary UT football coach Darrell Royal; the song Willie stole from Elvis Presley; and why it’s best not to play poker with Willie, no matter how nicely he asks you to. Music featured in this and every episode of One by Willie is available on our Apple Music playlist https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/one-by-willie-a-texas-monthly-podcast/pl.u-b3b8VdgFKWje4Wv
Jack Ingram on "I'd Have to Be Crazy"
One by Willie
10/30/20 • 19 min
The first song that country star Jack Ingram ever taught himself to play on guitar was Willie’s #11 country hit from 1976, “I’d Have to Be Crazy.” On this episode, Jack talks about how learning it clued him into the complex simplicity of the best country songs, from which point he goes into the fundamental question—“To smoke, or not to smoke?”—that anyone has to ask themself the first time they get to meet Willie Nelson, and his song selection that time he played an informal, private set for former president George H.W. Bush. Songs featured in episodes of One By Willie are available on our Apple Music playlist https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/one-by-willie-a-texas-monthly-podcast/pl.u-b3b8VdgFKWje4Wv
10/09/20 • 18 min
The Grammy-nominated Americana singer-songwriter takes a look at Willie's #1 country hit from 1980, "Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground," a topic that prompts her to do some deep thinking on the difference between writing a sad song and feeling the need to just sit and listen to one. From there, she goes on to describe what it was like to record a duet with Willie on one of her own sad songs, “Learning to Lose"—and then offers up one of Willie’s favorite dirty jokes.
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FAQ
How many episodes does One by Willie have?
One by Willie currently has 58 episodes available.
What topics does One by Willie cover?
The podcast is about Music, Podcasts and Music Commentary.
What is the most popular episode on One by Willie?
The episode title 'Brené Brown on "Amazing Grace"' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on One by Willie?
The average episode length on One by Willie is 27 minutes.
How often are episodes of One by Willie released?
Episodes of One by Willie are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of One by Willie?
The first episode of One by Willie was released on Sep 25, 2020.
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