cannabisnews.com: Q & A With Willie Nelson 





Q & A With Willie Nelson 
Posted by FoM on September 10, 2000 at 10:38:07 PT
By Aidin Vaziri
Source: San Francisco Chronicle 
Willie Nelson is on the road again. And he's as busy as ever. Next week, the 67-year-old singer-songwriter releases an album called ``Milk Cow Blues,'' on which he teams up with luminaries such as B.B. King, Dr. John and Jonny Lang for an all-blues set. Next Sunday, Nelson presides over the 15th annual Farm Aid concert and follows that with a two-CD compilation of tracks recorded at the benefit show over the years, including a Nelson and Beck duet of the Jimmie Rodgers classic ``Peach Picking Time Down in Georgia.'' Q: You've been an outlaw, drunk and pothead. Why do you think so many people still love you? 
A: (Laughs) My fans are very forgiving. So are my wives and my kids. Q: Anything you do on a daily basis would destroy a lesser man's career. A: I think there must be safety in numbers. If you f-- up enough times, they forget which one you really did. They start thinking, ``Well, nobody can be that bad.'' Q: So the secret is to keep messing up. A: Yeah. Do it a thousand times and it's no big deal. Everyone just goes, ``Willie f-- up again.'' Q: I heard that when cops pull you over, instead of arresting you they just share a joint with you. A: Well, that will happen in the future, I hope. I'm looking forward to that. Q: What's the worst you've ever been hassled? A: I've been put in jail. That's the worst they can do. I've never been beat up or mistreated or anything. Q: That's better than James Brown can say. A: Yeah, that's better than a lot of guys. Q: I also understand you are a big marijuana advocate. A: I like it because it keeps me from killing people. And I think there are a lot of people out there who are just like me. The reason it's not legal is because most people get up in the morning and get high, then forget to go out and vote for it. Q: So it's kind of a self-defeating drug. A: It is. If you want to make it legal, you've got to stay straight long enough to f-- vote. But it's not necessarily just that. I think hemp is one of the greatest plants that God put in the ground, and I don't think anybody has the right to eradicate it. Just because somebody wants to get high with a joint, that's no reason to throw him in jail and take his damn belongings. He's just trying to get well. The mother--'s sick. That's why people drink beer when they come home from work. They're stressed out. That's all grass does. It's a big stress reliever. Q: Why did you stop drinking? A: Well, if I started drinking again, there would be a lot of people bringing me pot because I can't handle alcohol. . . . I just am not a good drinker. I get a little alcohol in me and I start trying to change the world, and that's not good. A lot of people are the same way. So that's why I don't drink anymore. Q: Did you think you would still be doing Farm Aid after all these years? A: No, I just thought if we talked to the American people one time and they could see that we're screwing over our family farmers and small-business men in this country, the next thing you know there would be legislation to cover it and everything would be fine. I didn't realize that there would be a conspiracy to keep the farmer down. Q: Is it hard to keep people interested in the cause? A: Probably, but this year is different. This year the farmers are realizing they have the power to swing the vote. Q: Are you voting for Ralph Nader? A: Well, I like Ralph. I think he's got the right idea, but I don't think he's got a shot in hell at winning. I think what he needs to do is muster some backing, then he has to throw it behind whatever party supports the farmer. Whoever supports the farmer is the guy for America, and that's the guy I want in there. Q: Do you feel more radical as you get older? A: I've always been radical. It's just that a soldier needs a good fight, and this is a good fight. You're in the right, you know the farmers are getting screwed, and you know you could stick with them a long time. Q: What happens when you and the rest of the Highwaymen -- Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson -- get in a room together? A: It's funny. Q: That must be an understatement. A: It's hilarious when just two of us get in a room together, much less all four of us. We're all very much alike, and we're all very different. We all have our own egos as big as our buses, so you put four of us in one small room and it's hilarious. Q: Have they ever tried to stick frogs down your pants while you were sleeping? A: That happens on the buses out here anyway. I never did joke around with the Highwaymen that much because you never know what mood they're in. Q: You never know if they're packing. I've seen those movies. A: Yeah, really. You don't want to piss them off. Published: Sunday, September 10, 2000 Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)Copyright: 2000 San Francisco ChronicleContact: chronletters sfgate.com Website: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/Forum: http://www.sfgate.com/conferences/Related Article:Willie Nelson Records NORML PS Announcement http://cannabisnews.com/news/5/thread5327.shtml
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