To celebrate this great event there was a comprehensive, career boxed set of his music, a special issue of Texas Monthly and this biography, Willie Nelson: An Epic Life.

Willie Hugh Nelson is a born performer and self-confirmed outlaw. He gave his first performance at the age of 4. Willie was raised in Texas, encouraged by his grandparents to pursue a music career.  His rise to fame was a slow one and he often worked other jobs to support himself.

Willie's major breakthrough came not as a singer but as a songwriter in 1961, at the age of 28, when two of his songs became hits. These were Faron Young's version of his song, "Hello Walls" and Patsy Cline singing "Crazy."

However Willie could not get recorded himself because the sound at the time was very pop and Willie like Western Swing and Honky-tonk, with a bit of his own style injected.

When Willie at last gained a contract it was with Atlantic Records, where in 1974 Willie recorded Phases and Stages, a well put together album that was never fully appreciated.

It was only when Willie signed with Columbia and released Red Headed Stranger that he final came into the limelight, selling over a million copies.

As they say, the rest is well-known history. The author, Joe Nick Patoski, had written several published articles about Willie and used the over 100 interviews with Willie, his family, and his friends, to put together this wonderful book about a man who bucked the country music norm and made himself a legend while doing so.