Naomi Weisman is a Canadian-Australian and mother of three, who loves to ramble with her dog, cook for family and friends, and laugh whenever possible.
Looking back at my young self and reflecting on what I considered “good” or “cool” is funny to think about.
As I’ve matured, I have become so much more open-minded and receptive to new ideas, people, food, and music. If I could go back and ask my 20-year-old self what I thought about Willie Nelson and country music, I would have made a face like I’d just sucked on a sour lemon and scoffed.
Well, here I am at the age of 56, with a deep appreciation for the music legends who have stood the test of time, no matter what the genre.
About five years ago, my partner Brian and I went to see Willie Nelson, who was headlining the Outlaw Music Festival, along with Sturgill Simpson. Willie was surrounded by his sons Lucas and Micah, who were playing and singing backup for him, as well as some other amazing country artists. It was a night to remember, and we were pleasantly surprised at how many songs of Willie’s we could sing along to.
So, when I saw that Willie’s 90th birthday celebration was going to be televised. I made sure to record it. I did not want to miss that!
I came home from an overseas trip last week and was suffering from jet lag. I was trying to keep myself awake for a while longer to acclimatize more quickly, so looked to see what recordings I had waiting for me on the PVR. You can imagine my delight when I saw that I had some awesome country music to entertain me!
Miranda Lambert is her usual badass self singing Mama Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys, George Strait sings a tribute song about Willie that was endearing called Sing One With Willie, and a duet with Snoop Dogg and Willie called Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die will leave you smiling.
There were two performances, however, that floored me. Kris Kristofferson and Rosanne Cash performed a duet Loving Her Was Easier together. Rosanne started out alone, and Kristofferson walked on after the first stanza. He was clearly frail, and it was so touching to hear him sing in a very wispy voice. It left Rosanne in tears and me as well. I dare you to be dry-eyed when you watch it!
The other two songs are ones that Willie performed with Keith Richards, We Had It All, and Live Forever. I must admit that I do not really know much about Richards as a vocalist. Watching him and listening to him blend his musicianship with Nelson was incredible. When he walked out onto the stage with his usual swagger and confidence, it was clear that he was so happy to be there. He said, “It’s good to be here. It’s good to be anywhere”. I just loved that.
If you have a chance to watch any of these performances on YouTube, please do. I smiled the whole time, and I even stayed awake!
READ MORE > Nomi's Pics, Rambler Cafe Blog
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