Country music legend Willie Nelson has a new memoir out. “The Last Leaf: Reflections on Late-Life Creativity–and My Longest Love Affair” reflects on his lengthy career in the entertainment industry and offers a glimpse into his personal relationships, battles, and lifelong lessons he learned along the way.
Ahead of the memoir’s release, Nelson opened up about his personal life and reflected on performing into his 90s.
Willie Nelson Reflects on His Battles With Addiction
Willie Nelson was born on April 29, 1933, in Abbott, Texas. This spring, he celebrated his 93rd birthday. Despite his advanced age, he still loves entertaining, performing, and imparting wisdom to others.
“I have a saying: imagine what you want and then get out of the way. And make sure that what you’re asking for is what you actually want,” the country star told The Guardian.
Willie Nelson is still performing. However, he admits that he never imagined he would still be alive into his 90s, let alone still entertaining fans.
“The way I was going, I never expected to be here,” Nelson shared with the outlet. “I don’t think anyone expected me to live beyond 21, the way I was going. I did everything wrong. If it was wrong, I did it. And if it was really wrong, I did it twice.”
When prompted to elaborate on his mistakes, Willie Nelson admitted he struggled with addiction throughout his career.
“Well, I drank too much, I smoked too much. I took too many pills,” he told The Guardian.
In particular, he struggled with whiskey, which he said made him a “mean drunk.” In 1978, he gave up drinking. Looking back, the singer believes choosing sobriety ultimately saved him.
The Country Music Star Reflects on Age & Loss
Many consider it a blessing to grow old. But at a certain point, people begin outliving their loved ones. Willie Nelson admitted that’s been a particularly difficult thing to deal with.
“Well, you know, I guess I probably am the last leaf on the tree,” he told the outlet. I’m lucky to be here. I’ve lost a lot of my good friends along the way. You know, Johnny [Cash], Waylon [Jennings], and Kris [Kristofferson]. I feel fortunate that I’m still here.”
Despite his age, Nelson admitted that dying isn’t really something that bothers him personally.
“Well, you know, everybody’s gonna die, so it ain’t no big deal how long we got. We live and we die, and I believe we come back again,” he shrugged.
Willie Nelson married make-up artist Annie D’Angelo in 1991. After all these decades, they’re still head over heels in love. Nelson describes her as his “best friend.”
“She does everything that I need to have done. She makes sure I do it or she does it for me. Yeah, for 40 years we’ve been together,” he reflected.
Fans are looking forward to seeing what projects Willie Nelson tackles as he enjoys his senior years.
“The Last Leaf: Reflections on Late-Life Creativity–and My Longest Love Affair” by Willie Nelson is now available for purchase.
Willie Nelson, 93, Reflects on Life Lessons in New Memoir