I know who Willie Nelson is, maybe could name one or two of his songs, and I know he loves his pot, but that's probably about all I know. He is incredibly honest and forthright, holds nothing back, honest about his marriages and how he contributed to the failure, and how much he loves his children and family, that's his personal life. When talking about his professional life, he tells no tales that are gossip, only his story. This man worked for his fame and money, nothing was handed to him...I don't know that I would have the determination or fortitude that he had to continue working for my dream. Talks about his trouble with the IRS, his parents, beloved grandparents and sister, his ex-wives and how one of the worst decisions he ever made was trusting his manager. There is plenty more and I was never bored listening to the audio. Willie narrates the prologue and Christopher Ryan Grant narrates the book. He's great, sounds a lot like Willie Nelson, great job. ( )

I looked over some reviews of this book right before I finished it up. The negatives said it didn't really seem like a biography and that he glossed over his past misdeeds, especially how he treated his marital relationships. I agree, but think he did it more to maintain their privacy. He always seemed open to take the blame for anything negative or bad in his life and moved on.

But this really isn't like a normal biography and I don't know why anyone would expect this man to put out the expected. It was told as a tale and I thoroughly enjoyed his company the past few days. ( )

What I love most about Willie's autobiography is the attention he paid to telling the story of his younger years. Long before Honeysuckle Rose and Farm Aid, long before he became a target of the IRS and a spokesman for marijuana, before Austin and before Nashville even. Willie Nelson's is truly a long story, and it's a pleasure to hear it told from the beginning, in Willie's voice. My review is here. ( )

Digital audiobook read by Christopher Ryan Grant.

Oh, Willie! I’ve had a long-standing crush on the “red-headed stranger” and am glad to have learned more about him, because I like him even more now.

Willie lays it all out there. He talks about his childhood and the importance of church and faith in his upbringing. He talks about the poems he began writing when he was still in grade school, and how music filled his soul and helped him express himself. He talked about family and yet tried to maintain some privacy for his wives and children. He doesn’t shy away from chronicling his mistakes and owning them – from profligate spending to drinking to adultery – but he also celebrates his shining moments and gives credit to the many people who helped him along the way.

I listened to the audiobook read by Christopher Ryan Grant. I have to say that Grant’s delivery made me think that it was Willie, himself, relating the story. So I was somewhat disappointed that when he mentioned the lyrics of some of his more famous songs, they were spoken rather than sung. On the other hand, the audio does have a bonus at the end with a small section read by Willie and then a song. ( )

I enjoyed this narration of Willie Nelson's autobiography! I'm not a fan of most country music, but I find Willie to be an interesting man full of contradictions, so this audio book appealed to me.
 
I learned a lot about Willie and his life, much of which I did not know. For instance, Willie is a very spiritual man. (Despite this spirituality, he has had a difficult time being a faithful husband. There's one of those contradictions I mentioned above.) He loves and practices martial arts. He wrote the song "Crazy", that most people associate with Patsy Cline.
 
I also learned more about the things that I already knew: Willie loves his weed. Both of his parents died of lung cancer, and despite Willie's smoking weed all the time, he's still going strong in his 80's.  Willie supports the family farmer and he supports them not only with his money, but with his time. He also loves this earth and supports lots of endeavors to save and preserve her. Willie is a true and loyal friend, who did not dish the dirt on his fellow performers as much as he could have. He would just say things like "Waylon loved his cocaine", and leave it at that.
 
I learned a lot, I enjoyed listening and what more could I ask from an audio book? The narration was excellent and I enjoyed the life that Mr. Ryan brought to Willie's stories.
 
If you like Willie, or even if you would only like to learn more about him, I highly recommend this audiobook! ( )