Willie Hugh Nelson, born April 29, 1933, is now 91 years old. Given that he has spent around 81 of those years in the making of music (he joined his first band at 10), one may be hard-pressed to find someone who isn’t familiar with his name, if not his massive discography. And yet, given the genre he has largely stuck to, or the geographical boundaries within which country music tends to operate, this audience does exist. For them, this graphic history will serve as a great primer.
Written and illustrated by T.J Kirsch, along with artists Adam Walmsley, Jeremy Massie, Jason Pittman, Håvard S. Johansen, J.T. Yost, Coskun Kuzgun, and Jesse Lonergan, this sort of approach inevitably yields mixed results. This isn’t to say the narrative is at fault, as much as it is a comment on the sudden visual shifts as one artistic style clashes with the next. It is subjective, but the effect can be jarring when clean lines suddenly give way to rough ones even if the lettering stays consistent.
As a history, this is straightforward, beginning with Nelson’s early years in Hill County, Texas, before jumping rapidly to married life, his gradual rise as a singer, to eventual crowning as country’s elder statesman and spokesperson. The jumps make sense only when one considers that Nelson has been married four times, has eight children, and a filmography that is almost as long as his discography. One can imagine writers struggle to explain why he has won everything worth winning, or why there are multiple reasons for his induction into everything from the Country Music Hall of Fame to the National Agricultural Hall of Fame. Simply put, it’s a lot to explain, and not the medium to try and do it in.
One of the nicer things about this biography is how it manages to shine a light — if only for a while — on Nelson’s life as an activist. While fans know he set up Farm Aid, there may be a smaller number of people familiar with his work as co-chair of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, his advocacy for the better treatment of horses, or support for the LGBT movement. The book doesn’t get into details, but what one takes away from its anecdotes is his spirit of giving, his empathy, approach to life, and priorities that have driven his career choices.
For those who know of the highs and many lows that have followed Nelson on his path to royalty, there are slim pickings here. But these have been documented elsewhere, in solidly researched works that dive deep into his lawsuits, issues with the Internal Revenue Service, or the plane crash he once walked away from back in the 1970s. For everyone else interested in why Nelson continues to be an influential figure far outside Texas, this is as good an introduction as any.
T.J. Kirsch (writer) Adam Walmsley, Jeremy Massie, Jason Pittman, Håvard S. Johansen, J.T. Yost, Coskun Kuzgun, Jesse Lonergan, T.J. Kirsch (A) • NBM Publishing, £14.99
Review by Lindsay Pereira
