Willie Nelson: "Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Toll Roads"
Published May 09, 2005
As Dave Nalle mentioned here , a bill in the Texas Senate to name a 49 mile section of new State Highway 130 after local legend Willie Nelson became a political football. Nelson's outspoken support for Democratic Party causes and reefer madness didn't sit well with some senate Republicans and ultimately Democratic sponsor Gonzalo Barrientos withdrew the bill.
That's okay with Willie, who, while flattered to find out the Texas
Senate was endeavoring to name a highway in his honor, was troubled by the route's distinction as a toll road. He envisioned motorists taking his name in vain every time they forked out cash for the drive. Nelson told the Austin American-Statesman, "I don't really need that. If they want to give me a piece of it, that's a different deal."
In a letter sent to a state senator dated April 13, his attorney politely declined the distinction: "Willie simply does not feel that the naming of a toll road in his honor comports with his worldview, on either a personal or an artistic level."
Unless they gave him a piece of the action, of course.
On the Road Again
Willie's almost non-stop touring schedule includes his annual Fourth of July Picnic in Ft. Worth, and he is also reprising his nationwide tour of minor league baseball parks with Bob Dylan.
05/11/2005 Campus Union Ballroom-NM Portales,NM
05/13/2005 La Villa Real McAllen,TX
05/14/2005 Concrete Street Amphitheater Corpus Christi,TX On-Sale Now
05/15/2005 Beaumont Civic Center Beaumont,TX On-Sale Now
05/25/2005 Hammond Stadium Fort Myers,FL
05/26/2005 Fort Lauderdale Stadium Fort Laudersale,FL
05/28/2005 Osceola County Stadium Kissimmee,FL
05/29/2005 Bright House Networks Field Clearwater,FL
05/30/2005 Metropolitan Park Jacksonville,FL
05/31/2005 Pensacola Civic Center Pensacola,FL On-Sale Now
06/01/2005 BellSouth Park Chattanooga,TN
06/03/2005 Coastal Federal Field Myrtle Beach,SC
06/04/2005 Historic Grayson Stadium Savannah,GA
06/05/2005 Hoover Metropolitan Stadium Birmingham,AL
06/07/2005 Greenville Municipal Stadium Greenville,SC 04/30/2005
06/10/2005 Salem Memorial Stadium Salem,VA 04/30/2005
06/11/2005 First Horizon Park Greensboro,NC 04/23/2005
06/12/2005 Five County Stadium Zebulan,NC 04/23/2005
06/14/2005 Prince Georges Stadium Bowie,MD 04/30/2005
06/15/2005 FirstEnergy Park Lakewood,NJ 04/30/2005
06/16/2005 Campbells Field Camden,NJ 05/04/2005
06/19/2005 Clipper Magazine Stadium Lancaster,PA 05/04/2005
06/21/2005 Dodd Memorial Stadium Norwich,CT 04/30/2005
06/23/2005 Wahconah Park Pittsfield,MA 04/23/2005
06/24/2005 Yogi Berra Bowl Seats Little Falls,NJ 04/30/2005
06/26/2005 Eastlake Ballpark Eastlake,OH 05/04/2005
06/28/2005 Greer Stadium Nashville,TN 05/04/2005
06/29/2005 Louisville Slugger Field Louisville,KY 05/11/2005
07/01/2005 AutoZone Park Memphis,TN 05/18/2005
07/02/2005 Ray Winder Field Little Rock,AR 05/11/2005
07/04/2005 4th of July Picnic Fort Worth,TX Pre-Sale Now
07/06/2005 Drillers Stad. Bowl Seats Tulsa,OK 04/30/2005
07/08/2005 GMC Stadium Sauget,IL 05/07/2005
07/09/2005 Veterans Memorial Stadium Cedar Rapids,IA 05/07/2005
07/12/2005 Midway Stadium Saint Paul,MN 05/14/2005
07/13/2005 MTS Centre Winnipeg,N/A On-Sale Now
07/14/2005 Credit Union Centre Saskatoon,N/A Pre-Sale Now
07/16/2005 Rexall Place Edmonton, AB,N/A Pre-Sale Now
07/17/2005 Enmax Centre Lethbridge,N/A Pre-Sale Now
07/18/2005 Saddledome Calgary, AB, Canada,N/A Pre-Sale Now
07/20/2005 Prospera Place Kelowna,N/A Pre-Sale Now
07/21/2005 General Motors Place Vancouver,N/A Pre-Sale Now
08/14/2005 Embassy Theatre Fort Wayne,IN Pre-Sale Now
08/15/2005 Clio Area Amphitheater Clio,MI On-Sale Now
08/18/2005 Fraze Pavilion Kettering,OH 05/14/2005
08/31/2005 La Crosse Center La Crosse,WI Pre-Sale Now
- Willie Nelson: "Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Toll Roads"
- Published: May 09, 2005
- Type: News
- Section: Music
- Filed Under: Music: News, Politics: U.S.
- Writer: Eric Olsen
- Eric Olsen's BC Writer page
- Eric Olsen's personal site
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Comments on this articleComments
they're going for some kind of Cannonball-esque continuity, it would seem
Any post featuring gratuitous Daisy Dukes is OK with me.
It seems like a sly joke to name a toll road after Willie, One thing I am sure is he will stick to the two-laner in order to avoid paying a dime.
that picture looks like a willy nelson action figure
If you haven't seen the man live, do yourself a favor and catch this tour. The man's like 900 years old and he can still play a guitar like a ringin' a bell. I've seen him a couple of times and they were some of the best concerts I've ever seen.
Oh, and while your seeing his show, check out his guitar. Sucker is about as old as he is. Raggedy thing with a giant hole torn into its side.
love the Willie, a redwood of an American icon and musical polyglot - dude rules
great line Duke!
Second your opinion on Willie in concert, Mat. He puts on a great show. He can also play some fantastic guitar, without even looking like he's trying the throws off licks that are astounding and just perfect for the tune.
Last time I got to see him, he had a little unknown band called Los Lonely Boys open for him, so it was a double treat.
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(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/29220)
Willie is really getting the branding game going - BioWillie, the biodiesel sold in TX under his name is doing well, and now this stretch of road thing.