For Willie, it's all peaches and creams.Byline: Serena Markstrom The Register-GuardLegend, legend, legend. We understand why Willie Nelson doesn't want to give an interview to a small city paper, but we still wanted to get someone from his camp to talk to us. There's probably not much we could ask the icon of the so-called outlaw country Outlaw country was a significant trend in country music during the late 1960s and the 1970s (and even into the 1980s in some cases), commonly referred to as The Outlaw Movement (both by fans and by people in the music industry) or simply Outlaw music [1]. movement that he hasn't already answered. He's 74 years old. His career spans five decades. He's starred in movies, been on more than 250 albums, written a few books, co-founded Farm Aid and most recently ventured into the energy sphere with his BioWillie fuel. We might have asked him about his arrest last year on drug charges, or what Jessica Simpson is like in person, or how it must be nice to live in Maui part of the year. But we didn't get that chance. Luckily, Willie Nelson's Country Peach Cobbler, the ice cream flavor Ben & Jerry's launched in March to help raise money for Farm Aid, did agree to sit down for an interview. In its short life, the ice cream flavor already has paralleled the sometimes controversial life of its namesake. It came out about the same time as television star Stephen Colbert's AmeriCone Dream, and the prickly Colbert did not take the news well. In March, Colbert got Nelson on his program, "The Colbert Report," for a showdown. The Redheaded red·head·ed adj. 1. Having red hair. 2. Having a red head: a redheaded woodpecker. Adj. 1. Stranger wore his trademark long braids, a black leather jacket (Zool.) A California carangoid fish (Oligoplites saurus). A trigger fish (Balistes Carolinensis). See also: Leather Leather and cowboy hat. At the beginning of the interview, Colbert tried to be civil, but then broke down in a whine complaining that Nelson has everything. "This is my ice cream time, not yours," he said. "Why'd you ride my coattails coat·tail n. 1. The loose back part of a coat that hangs below the waist. 2. coattails The skirts of a formal or dress coat. Idiom: on the coattails of 1. , man? You've got everything. You've got a whole career. You're a legend. But no! `Give me more. Everything for Willie; nothing for Stephen. Answer! Answer for your crimes!" At this point, Colbert called upon United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. diplomat Richard Holbrooke Richard Charles Albert Holbrooke (born April 24, 1941) is an American diplomat, magazine editor, author, Peace Corps official, and investment banker. He is also the only person to have held the Assistant Secretary of State position for two different regions of the world (Asia and to mediate the heated discussion. Once they came to a peaceful resolution, Nelson tasted Colbert's flavor and said it was quite good. Then Nelson's sister Bobbie accompanied the two ice cream heroes in a rendition of "On the Road Again." We couldn't find a cold-enough room to make our pint of Willie Nelson's Country Peach Cobbler very comfort- able, and we think that explains some of his reticence. Still, we pressed on. Question: Hello. First, let me just apologize for temperature swings you've had to endure to be here for this interview. I understand the photo shoot was quite hot and you were then quickly subjected to the freezing conditions of The Register-Guard news refrigerator. We'll try to make this quick. Answer: (Just a blank stare. We'll take that as forgiveness.) Question: Willie Nelson has recorded some impressive duets. Frank Sinatra, Toby Keith <noinclude></noinclude>  The introduction of this article is too short.To comply with Wikipedia's lead section guidelines, it should be expanded. , Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (b. April 2, 1947, Birmingham, Alabama) is a country, folk and alternative rock musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and , Waylon Jennings Waylon Arnold Jennings (June 15 1937 – February 13 2002) was a respected and influential American country music singer and musician. A self-taught guitar player, he rose to prominence as a bass player for Buddy Holly following the break-up of The Crickets. , Ray Charles For the composer and conductor of the Ray Charles Singers, see . Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) known by his stage name Ray Charles, was a pioneering American pianist and soul musician who shaped the sound of rhythm and blues. and Julio Iglesias Noun 1. Julio Iglesias - Spanish singer noted for his ballads and love songs (born in 1943) Iglesias to name a few. Would you ever consider working with Stephen Colbert's ice cream flavor, "AmeriCone Dream"? Answer: (A light frost formed around Willie Nelson's photo on the pint. Irritation? Offense? Hard to tell.) Question: Oh, I forgot. That might have been a sore spot. I know you have to be loyal to Willie, and it's not fair to either of you ice creams that Mr. Colbert is being such a baby about Ben & Jerry's dual release. You'd think Colbert would just be proud to be a part of the ice cream company's legacy of celebrity flavors that raise money for good causes. Please accept my apologies for bringing it up. I gotta say, though, I was impressed with Willie when he defended you on Colbert's show. Answer: (We saw what looked like approval for the first time in this interview, so we figured we'd toss out another softball question to keep things collegial col·le·gi·al adj. 1. a. Characterized by or having power and authority vested equally among colleagues: "He . . . .) Question: Of Willie's advocacy work, what makes you most proud? Is it his 22-year commitment to Farm Aid, helping to raise millions to prevent foreclosure on farms, thus supporting local economies? Or his partnership to bring BioWillie to truckers across North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. ? Or his work with the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the legalization of marijuana. Founded in 1970, NORML remains the leading national advocate for legalization. ? Answer: (Judging by the condensation dripping from the bottom of the carton, we'd say he's proud of all three.) Question: In the 1980 film loosely based on Willie's life, "Honeysuckle honeysuckle, common name for some members of the Caprifoliaceae, a family comprised mostly of vines and shrubs of the Northern Hemisphere, especially abundant in E Asia and E North America. Rose," were you just a little jealous during the scene where Buck Bonham Bonham can refer to:
Answer: (He said nothing, but we have reason to believe he is not threatened by these scenes; Willie was, after all, just acting.) Question: Moving right along. In light of Paris Hilton's recent brush with the law, do you think the nation would be as captivated cap·ti·vate tr.v. cap·ti·vat·ed, cap·ti·vat·ing, cap·ti·vates 1. To attract and hold by charm, beauty, or excellence. See Synonyms at charm. 2. Archaic To capture. if Willie had to go to jail for violating his probation? Answer: (Small beads of moisture formed on the lid of the pint. We sense we may have hit another sore spot.) Question: Let's talk about music. Before he started to get famous in the late 1960s and early '70s, Nelson wrote "Crazy," which Patsy Cline immortalized. Do you think most people know that he wrote this song? Answer: (No comment. Figures, most people just open the ice cream and take a bite without sharing any information about how they feel about Mr. Nelson. How rude.) Question: Willie Nelson's latest release is a double disc with Merle merle a pattern of coat color pigmentation with dark, irregular blotches on a lighter background. Seen in some Collies and Welsh corgis. In shorthaired dogs, e.g. Great Danes and Dachshunds, the similar pattern is called dapple. Haggard and Ray Price called "Last of the Breed," on which the three do classic songs from greats such as Gene Autry, Lefty Frizzell and Floyd Till- man. Do you think this is a nostalgia project? Answer: (Doesn't even seem to be paying attention any- more.) Question: Do you think people crave a simpler life, simpler music, music without any pretention? Is that part of Willie Nelson's enduring appeal - that in this hurried society, young people want to experience some shred of what it used to be like, and their grandparents grandparents npl → abuelos mpl grandparents grand npl → grands-parents mpl grandparents grand npl just want to relive a simpler time? Answer: (Again, no comment. Maybe at less than a year old, the ice cream's ability to analyze our culture has not yet developed.) Question: A bio for the album, which took two days to record, says, "The making of 'Last of the Breed' is about as action-packed as a trip to the grocery store." That's got to sting just a little bit. Do you think the writers forgot you were at the grocery store, waiting to be purchased and taken home for less than $4 a pint? Answer: (We peeked under the lid and saw the peach chunks, shortbread bits and flavor swirls were barely staying in place in a soup of melted ice cream.) Question: Boy, I guess it's time to wrap this up. What about you? Is there anything you'd like to add about yourself? Answer: (He still didn't take this opportunity to speak out, but we learned from the container that four servings of the stuff has a whopping 880 calories and 44 grams of fat. You'll have to do a lot of dancing to "On the Road Again" and "Whiskey River" tonight at the Cuthbert Amphitheater to work that off.) Trust us, you don't want to eat the whole carton. This has to be the first time that an interviewee has made me sick. CONCERT PREVIEW Willie Nelson and His Family Band What: Outlaw country With: 40 Points Band When: 7 p.m. today Where: Cuthbert Amphitheater, 555 Day Island Road Tickets: Reserved seating $64, general admission $39 You can call Serena Markstrom at 338-2371 or e-mail her at smarkstrom@guardnet.com. |
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