He’s written thousands of songs, radically changed the landscape of country music, gone green way before green was cool and has maintained his street cred into his 75th year. Y’all know who we’re talking about — Willie Nelson. And, this year, he did us the honor of packing up his Fourth of July picnic and bringing it to town. In return, we asked local musicians just what they think of the man and the Texas icon he’s become. Here’s to you, Willie.

Chris Dor Lutz, guitarist and vocalist for the rock quartet Snowbyrd

Outlaw influence: “When Scott and I were young (Scott is my brother, he plays steel guitar in Snowbyrd), we would go out to my Uncle Don’s ranch house out between Boerne and Comfort. My dad and uncle would drink scotch late at night in the den and listen to Willie, Waylon, Merle, George, Conway, Ray Price, Gary Stewart, etc. ..... I remember them sitting quietly and listening to the words, closing their eyes and thinking, crying inside, to some very powerful music. ‘Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground’ was a song that would give me goosebumps, even at the age of 7.”

Best Willie in-person-ation: “Once in Luckenbach, he stood outside his bus after the show for two hours signing autographs and talking with fans. He signed my Zig-Zag papers, then told me to keep an eye on them cuz they would disappear. He was right: Someone used the papers at an afterparty, and I never saw them again.”

Kids today: “I can really relate to this man, he is a legend ..... an outlaw ..... We played at Floore’s Country Store last spring and got to hang out in the ‘green room’ (the dressing room), and there was a real spiritual feeling in there. The old fliers and photos of him and Ray Price had us starstruck. He’s old school and new school, he is the school, he’s forever.”

Mitch Webb of the country rock group Mitch Webb and The Swindles

Outlaw influence: “Willie is so positively all-encompassing it’s hard to know where to start. I’ll narrow it down. I really love watching him phrase his guitar with his voice while he performs by himself. It’s beyond jazz. It’s beyond our living spectrum; he’s channeling like some kind of country Buddha. I’ve seen thousands of singer/songwriters, and no one can send chills up my spine like incomparably modest Mr. Nelson. He is the consummate musician of my time and a good joke-teller to boot.”

Best Willie in-person-ation: In 1973, “my family attempted to go to the first Willie Nelson Picnic (in Dripping Springs). My sister Cassell (Webb) was (singing) with B.W. Stevenson (another country performer who co-wrote the song ‘My Maria’)! So, we packed some baskets of food, grandma, my Air Force colonel dad, my sweet mom and three more siblings in our ’59 hardtop Cadillac and left for the ‘picnic’. We had no idea. My sister got helicoptered in, so she was fine. We were stuck on a road with hundreds of cars in the middle of the Hill Country. Hippies were everywhere! Nude redneck hippie chicks were in every creek! We drove at a snail’s pace, so my dad let me ride on the roof for an hour or so as a cornucopia of humanity walked past our car and to the ‘picnic.’ If I ever meet Willie, I will thank him for that moment. It was ethereal. We finally got to a spot where we could turn the Caddy around and off we went to Landa Park for a more traditional Fourth of July picnic with grandma’s fried chicken.”

Jered Stephens, guitarist for the alternative/folk rock group Blowing Trees

Outlaw influence: “I think he’s influenced everybody as far as songwriting ..... from the songs that he’s written for himself, from the songs that he’s written for other people. There are a lot of great songs that he’s written. I’m always a big fan of ‘On the Road Again.’ I pop that song in when we hit the road.”

Best Willie in-person-ation: “I actually got to see Willie Nelson at Coachella Music Festival in 2007 in California. And he had his son onstage playing guitar. It was really impressive. I wasn’t aware that his son was a musician as well.”

Kids today: “I think younger kids lean toward a liberal, not just political view, but world view. He’s green ..... alternative energy and that kind of stuff. That’s definitely something he can relate with people from a younger generation. I know he smokes a lot of pot; I’m not by any means advocating that people should or should not partake in that, but ..... it’s cool that there’s somebody that can come out and ..... be like, ‘I smoke weed.’ I think that definitely legitimizes it for a lot of other people.”

Lesti Huff of the Americana/folk rock Lesti Huff Band

Outlaw influence: “Willie is one of those guys, when he sings, he’s like Bob Dylan. Bob Dylan doesn’t have the greatest singing voice in the world but his heart is behind it. ..... To me, it makes a beautiful song, better than (the best ‘American Idol’ contestant). He’s also part of a dying breed, the singer/songwriter that is the true outlaw country artist. He’s one of my heroes because he’s one of the founding fathers of that movement when the hippie met the redneck ..... I like their rebel attitude, you know, it’s total Texan.”

Best Willie in-person-ation: “My friend made a sign for me to wear around my neck,” said Huff, who saw Nelson in concert at Floore’s Country Store for her birthday in the fall of 2007. “I don’t think he ever saw it. It had a picture of Willie Nelson, and it said, ‘I want to touch (a picture of Willie) on my birthday.’..... He’s such a cutie pie, he really is. I wish he was like my granddad or something, or my dad.

“Man, that guy has been rode hard. You can tell he’s got a lot of miles on him. But he’s up onstage, and he’s an inspiration to me, I’m 45; to see somebody that has the tenacity that Willie Nelson has ..... He’s a real gem of our time.”

Kids today: “He’s really gotten involved with younger artists, like done a lot of duets ..... You’ve got the old and the new all wrapped up in Willie. ..... He’s definitely a blessing to country music, particularly Texas music.”

DJ Jester

Outlaw influence: “He’s one of my favorite musicians/singer/ songwriters. ..... What’s funny is ..... I probably know more words to Willie songs than Run DMC songs. ..... He not only represents Texas, but he embodies what it means, in my mind, to be an American. He’s been rich. He’s been poor. He’s well-traveled. He was ‘green’ when it wasn’t ‘cool’ to be green. He’s done what he wants to do his whole life and is truly doing what he is supposed to be doing. Sometimes when I’m like, ‘I think I’m too old for this ..... maybe I should just get a job or something,’ I think about my favorite Willie album, Red Headed Stranger, and I’m like, man, Willie was already in his 40s when that came out! And he’s 75 now!’

Best Willie in-person-ation: “I’ve seen him play at least a dozen times and have brought numerous ex-girlfriends to his shows. Now, I don’t bring girls to his shows. Instead, I prefer to go alone. Back in ’98, this girl broke up with me right before a Willie show, but I insisted we still go since I spent all that money on the tickets. It was like, Willie was talking directly to me, as if he was saying with his songs, ‘I know what you’re going through, brother, and you’re gonna make it.’ I met him a couple of times after his shows. There is usually a line ..... like a long line, but Willie stops to talk to everyone, usually. I remember once he was wearing a track suit and leather Reeboks when he got off the bus to sign autographs, looking more like Snoop Dogg than the Willie we see onstage. But yeah ..... I even have a sample of his voice saying ‘Hi, I’m Willie Nelson, and I’m listening to DJ Jester’ on my River Walk Riots CD.”

Kids today: “I used to close my DJ sets with Willie’s version of ‘A Song for You,’ from his album Shotgun Willie. It’s powerful but even more when I remix it with a beat behind it. It’s sort of my way to pay tribute. It’s hard to describe what I feel when I play that ..... in that moment. With his lyrics behind the beat, I really ‘feel’ the song, and it hits me right here, and I’m pointing to my heart as I say this. Maybe it just brings back memories of that girl.”

Tomcat Miller, stand-up bass player for Lil’ Bit and the Customatics

Outlaw influence: “Willie is one of the most prolific songwriters in American history to this day. Being from Texas, I see his influence everywhere. I feel it’s a shame that so many took advantage of his works and didn’t reward him amply for his contributions. ..... It’s quite a sad tale when you hear about all the times he sold a huge hit for a few dollars just to put food on the table. I also don’t think he gets enough credit for his guitar-playing, but I suppose it’s rather overshadowed by his songwriting career. He really can make that instrument sing. Speaking of which, his meter when singing is interesting because it’s just all over the place yet still falls into acceptable parameters for the tune he happens to be performing. A rare talent that’s very interesting when experienced.”

Kids today: “He’s done a lot of things for up-and-coming artists that needed that extra little push to make their careers skyrocket and, since I’d like to consider myself up and coming, I’m certainly all for that. Willie is so amazing, he didn’t have to wait until his passing to reach fame in music, and his timeless chart-toppers will live on forever. I’m glad that Nashville told him he’d never make it cuz it just convinced him to come on home to Texas where he’s been a legend nearly ever since.”

Jennifer Lloyd and Jessica Belasco | 210SA