willie nelson tour buses

Take a Tour of Willie Nelson’s Vintage Tour Bus

Trigger History Me & Paul , Paul English , Tour Bus , Willie Nelson --> 1 Comment

You may remember from early May when the sale of an old Willie Nelson tour bus on Craigslist erupted into its own viral event as pictures of the saloon-style interior with its custom wood paneling and crushed red velvet upholstery circled around the internet and a bidding war ensued for the piece of country music history. Originally nicknamed “Scout,” and later called “Me & Paul,” the 1983 Eagle tour bus was the rolling home for Willie Nelson’s long-time drummer and manager Paul English, purchased and customized with a Detroit Diesel engine, 3 separate rooms, a picture of Jimmie Rodgers and custom stained glass, and airbrushed designs on the sides and back.

The owner had purchased the bus three or four years before in Alabama and originally listed it on Craigslist for $29,999, hoping to at least recoup what he’d spent on his “hobby.” Eventually the bus sold for a whopping $80,000—gobbled up by a couple of private investors from Austin, TX. Taylor Perkins and Michael “Stix” Tashnick, one of which owns a company called Vintage Innovations that restores older vehicles and uses them for custom rentals, said they planned to restore the bus and use a portion of whatever proceeds to benefit Farm Aid.

“We are all huge Willie Nelson fans and have been our entire lives,” Taylor Perkins said at the time. “We felt this was a great way we could give something back to Willie, who has done so much for our state and the people in it.”

Now Taylor Perkins and Michael Tashnick have had their chance to restore and tastefully upgrade the bus, and it’s ready to serve as a fully immersive vintage country music experience for perspective renters. On the very first episode of Great American Country’s new show Celebrity Motor Homes that aired on November 26th, the “Me & Paul” bus was featured, giving country music enthusiasts an even more intimate glimpse into this piece of rolling piece of country lore.

Sorry GAC, I don’t think that rolling tray will see much “tobacco.”

Me & Paul , Paul English , Tour Bus , Willie Nelson

I love the last line of the article….exactly what I was thinking too!

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40 Years on the Road with Willie Nelson: Inside Bus Driver Tony Sizemore's Life with the Icon (Exclusive)

The music legend's bus driver Tony Sizemore has done it all during his 40 years of touring him, from meeting U.S. presidents to being locked up

Tony Sizemore

In 2019, Willie Nelson threw a retirement party for his longtime bus driver, Tony Sizemore. But before Sizemore could settle into a life of leisure, Nelson asked if he could stay on for just one more big show he had coming up in Tennessee.

One show quickly turned into dozens more, and four years later, Sizemore, 75, is still driving around the country legend — who turned 90 in April — on tour.

"Willie is just the kind of person that you can't get away from him," Sizemore tells PEOPLE with a laugh. "You talk about quitting, and he'll say, 'Wait a minute, wait a minute. Whoa, whoa. I'm 90. What are you talking about quitting for?' He won't let me quit, so I guess I just keep working."

A Marine Corps veteran, Sizemore first started driving for Nelson in 1983, after working for the likes of Bruce Springsteen , Queen , Foreigner, Tom Petty , Peter Frampton , Marvin Gaye, Rick James, Jackson Browne, Kenny Rogers , The Oak Ridge Boys and Jimmy Buffett. At the time, Nelson was looking for a temporary driver who knew how to work a manual shift bus.

"They brought me out to drive that bus for what I thought would be a couple of weeks, and after a couple weeks I said, 'Well, did you find anybody you like?' Willie said, 'Oh yeah, we like what we got. We're good right now,'" Sizemore recalls. "So that was it. I'm still here."

In his 40 years on the road with Nelson, Sizemore, a St. Cloud, Florida, resident, has had countless once in a lifetime experiences, like meeting everyone from Dolly Parton to U.S. presidents.

"I graduated from a high school in small town Indiana that had 100 kids," he says. "My class had seven boys and 20 girls. So, meeting the president was not on my priority list when I was in high school. When I was a kid, Mamie Eisenhower came through our town on the train, and my mother took us young kids out and waved at her. I figured that was about as close as I'd ever get to anybody."

He's also experienced everything from being locked up with Nelson for drug possession to witnessing the star autograph babies' heads. "You can't believe the stories," he says.

Through it all though, it's the moments with Nelson that Sizemore cherishes most.

"He'll make a cup of coffee, and he'll say, 'Here, I'll split this with you,'" he says. "He'll pour half of his coffee in my cup. Sometimes I'm almost at the hotel when he does it, but I just act like I'm going to drink it anyway."

"I turn 76 in September, and I still get happy talking about Willie," he continues. "If I quit today and somebody else called me up, I probably would not go out. Willie's the only person I want to work for, and he has been for years. It's just because he's such a nice man."

Here are Nelson's road rules, as told by Sizemore.

Treat Everyone Equal

We've had presidents, ex-presidents, want-to-be presidents, wrestlers, football players and movie stars on the bus, and Willie treats everybody the same.

We were playing some night shows in New York, and we parked in New Jersey. I went to the bus one day and Willie was sitting on the bus with this guy, I think he called him Louie. He said, "Hey, Tony, this is Louie. He lives in a box around the street there." They were having coffee. We got ready to go and he said, "Well, I'll see you later, Louie." We went to the city and did our show, and then at midnight, probably, we started back out of the city and Willie said, "Tony, if you can find a donut shop, pick me up a couple dozen donuts." Well, I've never heard Willie say that. I said, "You've got a donut thing going on?" He said, "No. Louie's coming back tomorrow to have coffee, and he said he's going to bring a couple of his friends." The next day, Louie did come back with a couple of his friends. So, everybody's the same to Willie. And I found the donuts. If Willie says, "I want a donut," I get a donut.

Open Door Policy

Dolly Parton is my all time favorite guest who has been on Willie's bus. But I've had so many of them.

Years ago, we used to play Universal Studios in California for two weeks at a time. Every night Angie Dickinson would come to the show, and every night before she left the show, she'd come around and hug everybody's neck and take care of everybody for being so kind to her. She always stuck out to me.

I took Melissa Etheridge in one time and introduced Willie to her. I met her at a truck stop one night, and she said, "Could I meet Willie?" I said, "Sure." I said, "Just a minute," and I went in and told Willie at 2 a.m., "Melissa Etheridge, she plays a really mean 12-string guitar and is a bluesy singer." And he said, "Oh, bring her in." I brought her in, and they talked for a few minutes, and he said, "Do you have any of your music I could get from you I could listen to?" She came out of the bus and she told her guys, "Tear that bus apart to find him a CD." She hugged my neck and said, "Wow, Willie Nelson wants my music."

Always Ask Annie

Willie's wife [Annie D'Angelo], if I need something, it's on my chair the next day. If I mention, "Oh, I lost my flashlight the other night," the next day there will be one on my seat. She's my best helper when I break down. If I have a problem, I want Annie helping me. She knows tools. She's better than any driver I've ever had, because she doesn't mind getting dirty and she'll help you if she can.

Everybody's Family

It's Willie Nelson and Family, and he really means Willie Nelson and Family. My son is 39, and he grew up with Willie. Every summer he'd ride the bus with me and meet all the entertainers. They'd always give him a little job on stage like setting up the water when he was little. As he got bigger, he'd move carts and things.

If Willie Can't Get You Out of Jail, He'll Get in With You

I've been busted with Willie a couple of times. I don't smoke, but they put us in jail in Sierra Blanca, which is about 80 miles outside of El Paso. Coming across I-10, they smelled pot in the bus and they arrested us and they put us in the holding cell, and Willie started singing, "Nobody knows the trouble I'm in."

We've been arrested a few times for pot over the years. In Louisiana, they got us. This police officer, the last thing he told us was, "Don't worry Mr. Nelson, we'll keep this off the news." He gave everybody a ticket in the bus and put our ages on it. My son was in the Marine Corps in Al-Fallujah, Iraq, at the time, and his friends were on the internet, and at the bottom of the screen it scrolled across, "Willie Nelson's been busted," and it told all our ages and names. One of the guys said, "Is this your dad?" He said, "Well, yes it is." So he called me from the company office and asked me if I was OK. I said, "Yes, I'm OK, son. I'm not even in Austin yet and it's already got to Iraq."

Willie told me one time, he said, "If I can't get you out of jail, I'll get in with you." If you go with Willie, you get out fast.

Take Care of Trigger

Willie's guitar, Trigger, can be sitting in the middle of the floor, and people — great entertainers, great guitarists — will walk around that guitar and look at it. They won't pick it up unless Willie tells them to. It's kind of funny to see that.

We played for Robert Redford at the Kennedy Center Awards [in 2005]. Every time I'd go through Secret Service, I'd take Trigger out of the case, show it to them, and then set it up for Willie. When we got ready to walk back out, I'd take Trigger with me, and this Secret Service guy said, "Why don't you just leave that guitar in here?" I said, "Well, you don't leave the President by himself, do you?" We guard Trigger with our lives. I've got a safe at my house that I bought just for Trigger. If Trigger's in my bus, I take Trigger out and put it in that safe. I don't want to be known as the guy that lost Trigger.

Willie says when Trigger quits, he quits.

Laughter Makes Life Go Round

My bunk used to be above Willie's sister Bobbie's (she died in 2022 ), and there used to be a space in the corner of the bunk where we had an air conditioner running up and down it. After we remodeled the bus, we took that out, and that little corner was open. I got in the bunk and pulled my glasses off, put them in the corner, and went to sleep. At about 4 a.m., it was my turn to drive, but when I got up, I couldn't find my glasses. I said, "Oh no."

I thought, "Shoot, my glasses must be in Bobbie's bunk." Bobbie was asleep. I asked Willie's daughter Lana, "Lana, could you check over there and see if my glasses are in Bobbie's bunk?" She said, "Well, I won't ask any questions, but I'll look." Bobbie woke up and she said, "Tony lost his glasses in your bunk, Bobbie." She said, "Well, he could have got in here and looked for them."

Later on that day we were parked and Lana said, "Well, Dad, I guess I might as well just tell you. Tony lost his glasses in Aunt Bobbie's bunk last night." He said, "I thought there was something going on." Bobbie said, "Don't you guys worry about it."

They all have a great sense of humor. Willie has the best. He's got a million jokes, which he'll tell me in the middle of the night.

Fans Come First

Everybody thinks marijuana is Willie's drug of choice, but the audience is. I said one time that you can get drunk and miss a show, that's OK. But if he catches you being rude to one of his fans, then that's a no-no.

Willie used to sign autographs for three or four hours every night after the show. He'd sign every autograph there and take pictures. He has this uncanny ability for that one moment he's talking to that person where he looks them right dead in the eyes. Older people and younger people both will walk off saying, "Wow, he talked to me."

One time we were in Indianapolis, and we were parked on grass. These buses don't like grass when it rains, and I could see the rain coming. Whenever he'd sign autographs, I'd always get the older people and the handicapped people up and say, "I'm with Willie, let me walk you up to the front of the line." He had a big line of people, so I got this lady who was pushing another lady in a wheelchair and brought them to the front. The lady said, "Thanks. This is my mother, and she's 100 years old." I'm still thinking it's going to rain, so I said, "Well, let's hurry. We don't have much time." The old lady shook her fist at me! I said, "No, no! I mean it's going to rain."

When we got there, Willie squatted down with them and took pictures. As they left, the old lady waved at me and told me goodbye. I have so many fun memories over the years, and I've even seen Willie sign babies' heads.

Once, some kid took a real thick piece of leather and tooled it. He put wrinkles in it and then he painted it. It was the most beautiful picture I've seen of Willie yet. The tooling, the wrinkles, and everything about it was just beautiful. Well, he gave it to me and said, "I know I can't give this to him, but would you give this to Willie?" I said, "Yes, I will. When I get time, I will."

About 3 a.m. I stopped, and I got fuel, and I said, "Oh, Willie, here's a picture this kid asked me to give you." I took it back to Willie and Willie said, "Well, this is really nice. Let me use your phone." He called this kid, because the kid's number was on the back of it. This kid said, "Willie Nelson! Willie Nelson!" I said, "Willie, you've just gotten this kid in a lot of trouble." He said, "What do you mean?" I said, "Well, tomorrow he's going to go to work and tell everybody you called him at 3 a.m., and you know what they're going to say. They're going to call him a liar." He said, "Oh yeah. Well, here, take a picture of me holding this up and send it to the kid." So I did. The kid wrote me the nicest thank you and said, "Thank you so much for doing that. I'll treasure this picture and that phone call for the rest of my life."

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Willie Nelson's Tour Bus

Even though he's a country star, Willie Nelson is the king of the rock-star bus. The singer who proclaimed, "like a band of gypsies, we go down the highway," is on the road a reported 135,000 miles each year. His bus is more than a means of conveyance, like many legendary tour buses, it's a rolling party. In 2006, Willie was busted in Louisiana with 1.5 lb. of marijuana and also mushrooms, and later on Interstate 10 outside El Paso, Texas, with 6 oz. of pot. Keeping it natural, in recent years Willie has used a bus fueled with "Biowillie," a biodiesel fuel made of soybeans and vegetable oils. (No word on whether the activities on board have changed.)

On the Road Again: You Can Buy One of Willie Nelson's Old Tour Buses Online

If you’re planning a trip down to the Whiskey River, it seems you could have your very own chance to take one of Willie Nelson’s former tour buses on the road again.

One of the former coaches of Willie Nelson and his Family Band is up for auction online . The bus in question, known as the “Me & Paul” bus – named after Nelson’s longtime drummer Paul English – was built in 1983 and served as the coach for its namesake and the Red Headed Stranger. 

The bus was purchased by a group of 12 Austinites in 2014. They found an ad on Craigslist from a buyer in White House, Texas and ended up renting out the bus for weddings, parties and events over the past couple of years through a company called Vintage Innovations.

"They’d already used it a lot and felt like it needed to get on the road again and let some more people enjoy it, so they decided to sell it,” said Michael “Stix” Tashnick, who represents the current sellers.

The bus is up for auction on eBay, Craigslist and a website made specifically for the auction, with bids of just over $75,000 on both the site and on eBay. But, Tashnick says, the investors expect to net around $200,000 on the sale – they paid around $100,000 for the bus and put $75,000 into it, he estimates. The auction runs until Nov. 7.

Still, Tashnick says, because of the bus’ history – and the fact that most bands don’t frequently build custom their own buses for tours these days – it’s hard to establish a baseline price for the bus.

As for the other three buses in the fleet, Tashnick says one is owned by Nelson’s son Lukas, one was destroyed and another one was sold to a buyer in Washington and completely overhauled in the early ‘90s. He estimates there are about a dozen buses from the same era as this one out there.

“It’s hard to do [comparisons] on it, because it’s so unique,” he said. “The other buses that even compare to this bus are Johnny Cash’s bus at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Dolly Parton’s never going to sell hers –she’s still using hers. Neil Young’s got one that’s pretty neat, but he’s still touring and he’s never going to sell it.”

As for Nelson's current ride, Tashnick reckons it costs around $3 million all told, so, he says, a buyer would be getting a deal for the '83 model. As for potential buyers, he says he expects an alcohol company or somebody famous with a lot of money to throw around. 

His first suggestion to come to mind? Matthew McConaughey.

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The vintage touring bus, which sold for $80,000, is like a time machine back to an era of headbands and wood panelling

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If my mom were still alive, she’d no doubt tell me to stay away from places like Craigslist. She would intuitively know that hanging out there would be the equivalent of hanging out at smoker’s corner at my old high school. You might pick up bad habits, you might see something scarring, or somebody else might see you there and decide you were bad.

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But if it weren’t for Craigslist, how else would I know that Willie Nelson’s tour bus was for sale?

10 reasons I want Willie Nelson's 1983 tour bus Back to video

I can think of 10 reasons why I must have this bus. The fact I don’t need a bus doesn’t matter. This bus was part of Willie Nelson’s very own entourage of buses. The fact it still exists, and wasn’t written off being rolled through a prairie ditch as it rambled between gigs, or jammed under an underpass when the driver lost the “think-we-can-make-it?” bet, is reason enough to want this vehicle. But here are 10 more:

10. It gets 7 mpg (33 L/100 km). There is nothing that says “shove it” to the world of rules and regulations than 7 miles to the gallon. It’s so bad it’s good.

9. It is a 1983 Eagle, and is a far worthier thing to be remembering about 1983 than A Flock of Seagulls . Think about it, Willie looked the same then as he does now. Hell, he probably looked the same when he was 10. If you passed Willie Nelson on the street, you’d yell, “Hey, there’s Willie Nelson!” If you passed the guy from A Flock of Seagulls on the street, you’d yell, well, nothing, because it’d just be some random guy walking down the street.

8. It has a button-tufted leather dashboard. This is the same thing your dad has on the bar in his basement, when your mom finally let him take over the space with a pool table and a dart board and a bar fridge. The bar where you swiped booze from when he wasn’t looking, and got sick because you grabbed the first bottle you could reach and it was dark rum and you’ve never drunk dark rum again since. Every time you see button-tufted leather, you wonder why you start feeling faintly nauseated. Now is the time to put that memory to rest, by putting your feet up on Willie’s dash next to the CB and the 8-track.

7. It has a rural mural painted on each side, and a giant bald eagle on the back. Everything about this bus will announce to people you are a real deal cowboy-type person. Whether you’re from Toledo or Toronto, you will board this bus and develop a southern drawl, and no doubt a sudden affinity for pot.

6. The interior features enough red velvet and dark woodwork to send out a subtle message of beer drinking saloon with a hint of brothel. If this was in any other vehicle, you might think it would seem tacky, but I defy you to lounge back against that bolstered velvet, listen to Willie sing Crazy and tell me it doesn’t all work. I wouldn’t have been surprised to see swinging saloon doors on it, and would have considered paying more if I’d found them.

5. That ad says it sleeps eight “depending.” Usually when you see “depending” in reference to sleeping arrangements, it means “depending” if grandma comes or not. I’m going to say “depending” means something very different in this scenario.

4. They only want $29,000 for it. Bids spiraled quickly, but they priced it according to what similar buses were worth. I don’t think the owner thought as highly of Willie Nelson as I do.

3. This ad is steeped in code. The next time you hear Willie sing If You’ve Got the Money, I’ve Got the Time, that means he knows you purchased this ride and will be joining you shortly.

2. See all that red velvet? No way could someone have thoroughly checked out all the nooks and crannies. I guarantee you there are headbands jammed in there, somewhere.

1. Willie is known to be a laid back kind of guy. Mostly, he’s known to be stoned more often than not. My master plan would be to drive this bus to wherever he’s playing and park it. When Willie emerges, he’s highly likely to recognize it and come ambling over. I think he ambles. With a little luck, it will be a concert where Kris Kristofferson shows up. We will toast Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings, and talk about the good old days.

My bus sold a few hours ago for $80,000. It appears I’ll be getting all my mileage in the pretending. Sorry, Willie. Guess I’m going to have to wait to be on the road again.

Original Ad Due to the extremely high demand and the amount of offers being thrown at us for this bus. We have decided to take offers all the way to 12:00 AM Central 5/3/2014 for this bus. We are planning to sell this bus this weekend. The current offer is $36,000 at this moment. As of 10:07am Central this morning. Feel free to contact via Call, Text, or Email. If no one answers we will try to get back to you ASAP

1983 Eagle Bus

Engine 92 Detroit Diesel Transmission Automatic Generator 15kW Diesel Generator The bus gets 7 mpg with the generator running. The bus sleeps about 8+ just depending the situation. It has 4 A/C Units on the roof with heat as well. This bus was built for Willie Nelson in the 80s. The bus is in great working condition without any issues. If you have any questions call or text show contact info. Cash is the preferred method of payment. No trades or financing.

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She is a prominent voice on radio stations across the country, and her debut novel, A Face in the Window, was released in July 2023.

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Texas Monthly

Willie Nelson Rode on Bus but Called Another Home

By Andy Langer

• June 7, 2014

The entertainer Willie Nelson has a ranch in Texas and a residence in Hawaii, but the place that he calls home is a bus named Honeysuckle Rose.

Joe Nick Patoski, in an interview for his 2008 biography, “Willie Nelson: An Epic Life,” asked Mr. Nelson where he considers home. “We were on his bus,” Mr. Patoski said. “He just pointed to the table, to say definitively that this — the bus — was home.”

Even when he is at his ranch in Spicewood, Tex., Mr. Nelson is said to often sleep on the bus, which is where he frequently engages in what he calls “adjusting his personality” — or smoking marijuana.

All told, there have been five buses named Honeysuckle Rose, according to representatives at Florida Coach, where Nelson has gotten his transportation since 1979. At least two are thought to be in the hands of private collectors, said Florida Coach’s general manager, Caleb Calhoun. And if a bona fide Honeysuckle Rose hit the market today, Mr. Patoski said that it could become a viable tourist attraction.

On May 1, in a post titled “Willie Nelson’s Old Tour Bus Is Being Sold on Craigslist,” The Village Voice suggested that such a vehicle had come up for auction. A seller in Whitehouse, Tex., had listed a 1983 Eagle tour bus on Craigslist for $29,000, describing it in the headline as a “Former Willie Nelson Tour Bus.”

The Craigslist ad never explicitly said that it was selling Honeysuckle Rose or that Nelson himself had ridden in it. (In fact, a plaque stating “This coach was designed for Paul English of the Willie Nelson band” was visible in Craigslist photos.) Still, The Village Voice piece spawned dozens of stories from outlets ranging from Gawker to Britain’s Daily Mail to the concert industry bible, Pollstar, that used the misleading phrase “Willie Nelson’s bus” in their headlines or text. (Full disclosure: Even Texas Monthly used the phrase “Willie Nelson’s custom-made bus” in a post about the auction .)

“The problem is that it’s not Willie’s bus,” said Tony Sizemore, who has driven buses on Willie Nelson tours for 31 years. “It was built for Willie’s drummer, Paul English. Willie rode on it from time to time to play dominoes or poker with Paul. But it’s flat-out not true to call it Willie’s bus. It’s Willie Nelson’s drummer’s bus. It’s sort of like me: I’ve been with Willie Nelson all these years, but I’m not Willie Nelson.”

Nevertheless, the auction closed on May 3 at $100,000 — presumably inflated by the international news media attention and perhaps by the confusion with a real Honeysuckle Rose. But by all accounts, the winners — Taylor Perkins and Michael Tashnick, Austin-based entrepreneurs who own Vintage Innovations, a company that restores and rents vintage Airstreams, buses and classic vehicles — knew what they were buying. Mr. Perkins said he spoke to Florida Coach before the sale to check its provenance.

“We knew from Day 1 that it was Paul’s bus,” Mr. Perkins said. (Despite accurate reports from The Dallas Morning News and Rolling Stone clarifying that the bus was assigned to Mr. English in the 1980s, Mr. Perkins’s purchase led to another round of misleading articles about “Willie Nelson’s bus.”)

“In publicizing our purchase, we’ve been very careful to explicitly say it’s a bus used by the Willie Nelson band in the early ’80s, that there were four created and this was one of them used primarily by Paul English. It’s Paul’s,” Mr. Perkins said.

Mr. Calhoun confirmed that the bus that Vintage Innovations owns is a Florida Coach custom coach originally called Scout but renamed Me & Paul, after Mr. Nelson’s 1984 song of the same name. In the 1980s, it rode alongside the crew bus, Warrior; another bus for the band named Red Headed Stranger; and Mr. Nelson’s Honeysuckle Rose.

Mr. Nelson’s first Honeysuckle Rose, a 1983 bus built by Florida Coach, was totaled in a 1990 crash in Nova Scotia, Canada — its interior was salvaged and placed into a 1990 model. Mr. Nelson upgraded in 1996 to a model that his son Lukas now tours in and again in 2005 to a bus that logged over 800,000 miles before being switched out last New Year’s Eve.

Now that he owns Me & Paul, Mr. Perkins said that finding and buying a Honeysuckle Rose has become a priority. In the meantime, Vintage Innovations plans to charter its bus to festivals, concerts and private events. Some of the proceeds will be donated to Farm Aid , which Mr. Nelson has supported. Although there is often a fine legal line between paying tribute to celebrities and using their names and likenesses for profit without permission, Mark Rothbaum, Mr. Nelson’s longtime manager, said he was largely indifferent to Mr. Perkins’s plans for Me & Paul.

“Go to a Willie show,” Mr. Rothbaum said. “Enjoy the concert. Willie is here. He’s on tour. He is absolutely a great entertainer. What would you rather pay to see? Willie or his friend’s bus? The answer seems simple enough to us.”

Andy Langer is the music columnist for Esquire and the midday D.J. on KGSR in Austin.

6 Driving Tips From Willie Nelson's Tour Bus Drivers

Gates "Gator" Moore and Tony Sizemore offer you their best advice on how to get around America.

Even at 84, Willie Nelson still spends about 150 days a year on the road (again). At the helm of the Honeysuckle Rose, his tour bus, are Gates "Gator" Moore and Tony Sizemore, who've split Willie's driving duties for nearly 40 years. Calling from a hamburger joint in Nebraska, they offered their tips on driving without GPS.

GATES: Don't be afraid to override the GPS. We did it last night. We'll go 30 miles out of the way to bypass a city we suspect will have heavy traffic by the time we get there.

TONY: If you're coming from Chicago to Nashville, people assume you come down 65 through Indianapolis. But if you take 57 on the Illinois side and hit 24, it's 20 miles faster with no major cities in between.

Use the Numbers

TONY: For interstates, generally, north–south routes have odd numbers, growing larger from west to east. East–west routes are even, getting bigger from south to north. That's not the kind of thing you're gonna learn from GPS.

Prepare to Overshoot

TONY: If I know I have to get off on Omaha Street, I study the map for street names just beyond Omaha. That way, if you see 'em fly by, you say, "Oh, I missed it, I have to go back."

When all else fails, FAKE IT

GATES: If you're lost, keep it to yourself. Act confident, even if you've got no idea where you are. Make a couple turns, make a few educated guesses, and more often than not you'll come out all right. If somebody asks why you're late, say you rerouted to avoid construction. Either way, you'll come out smelling like a rose.

Ask for Directions

TONY: I've never been afraid to call ahead. But asking for instructions is an art.

GATES: People say, "Head out on Main." Which way is out? Or, "Hit 27." Hit it how? Insist that they be as specific as possible.

Use Billboards

TONY: Even with GPS, read the signs. It's always nice to see "Holiday Inn, Exit 81," when that's your Holiday Inn. And if billboards are advertising the city you meant to leave behind, you know you might be headed the wrong way.

When I ask for directions, people want to help. No one asks why I don't just use my phone.

This appears in the September 2017 issue.

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"I saw where the farmers could actually benefit from growing their own fuel and we could benefit by not having to go around the world starting wars over energy," said the 74-year old musician from inside his tour bus on a recent stop in New York City. "You know, we could be growing our own energy at home."

Nelson said he's been a fan of biodiesel for the last few years.

"My wife, Annie, came to me and said, 'Hey, I want to buy this car that runs on vegetable oil,' and I was a little skeptical naturally," he said. "But she did. She bought a [diesel] Volkswagen Jetta. It ran so well on vegetable oil - clean running, good gas mileage - I bought a [diesel] Mercedes. I was sold."

Nelson was in town supporting the Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance, a non-profit group founded by his wife Annie and actors Daryl Hannah and Woody Harrelson, among others.

The alliance aims to create a certification standard for biodiesel to ensure the feedstocks are grown in an environmentally responsible mannner. With biodiesel use expanding - there were 1,000 pumps in the U.S. last year compared to 350 in 2005 - supporters say its important to ensure the budding industry doesn't cause environmental problems of its own.

The group recently kicked off its official launch with a concert at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square, where Nelson played until well past midnight.

Before the show, Nelson filled up his bus with cooking grease delivered from Tri-State Biodiesel, a Manhattan-based company that collects used cooking oil from restaurants, processes it, then delivers the fuel to its customers.

Brent Baker, head of the company, said processing the fuel means it can run in any diesel engine without any modifications.

The company, which began its delivery service just two months ago, has six trucks and collects oil from 850 restaurants in New York City.

"We sell to all kinds of companies that want to do the right thing for the environment," said Baker. 'It's a great urban solution."

Back on the bus, Nelson defended biodiesel from critics who say demand for the fuel is driving up the price of food. He said it wasn't practical for everyone to use it, and noted that if people have to pay a bit more for a box of cereal, it might be ok if the money is going to U.S. farmers.

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Willie Nelson's Tour Bus: An Inside Look

William Michael Smith December 13, 2010 4:20PM

As we reported to you Friday, Nashville writer, singer and bon vivant Marshall Chapman spent four days on Willie Nelson's tour bus two years ago as she gathered material for her book They Came To Nashville . As we flipped the pages, we couldn't wait to find out what kind of wild drug orgies take place on the nation's highways and byways once Willie sets his wheels in motion.

Sadly, it's not as wild as you think. In fact, it's not wild at all. As Willie recently remarked on Imus In The Morning , busting his bus was like busting an old folks' home. Willie's sister Bobbie is nearly 80 and has a pacemaker, the Red Headed Stranger is 77 and his drivers are in their late 50s.

Chapman describes being on the bus with Willie, who has just completed a Memphis concert in August 2008 and was waiting around to sing one song with the Dave Matthews Band. Willie and others are passing his guitar Trigger around, amusing themselves with music while they wait.

In her four days onboard the bus with Willie, Bobbie and Lana Nelson, plus a small rotating cast of guests, this is all Chapman has to say about Willie, the bus and ganja.

A part of me wishes I could smoke weed just to be sociable, but weed was never my thing. The few times I've smoked it, I ended up paranoid, locking myself in my room with a bag of tortilla chips, or driving 20 miles an hour on the interstate, thinking I'm speeding.

While we're certain there's more weed smoking than Chapman chooses to report, the scene on the bus is pretty bucolic. Willie usually sits at a small table either reading, emailing or listening to music.

The talk mostly seems to be about family and friends or Willie's countless projects. Willie drinks a little wine occasionally, he and Bobbie play jazz standards for fun. Chapman even has a song on her new album about Willie and Bobbie and the music they made during the trip from Memphis to Beaumont called "Riding With Willie."

Marshall Chapman, "Riding With Willie's"

It doesn't mention any dope smoking either.

Chapman's description of traveling with Willie just adds to our disgust with the Border Patrol for boarding Willie's bus and busting him. Low-hanging fruit, for sure, but absolutely no threat to anyone.

Meanwhile, as anyone who's seen No Country For Old Men knows, the truly evil criminal element continues to operate with virtual impunity. Somebody in command needs to get their priorities straight.

Austin musician Roger Len Smith came up with this little ditty that just about says it all.

Roger Len Smith, "Bio Willie Diesel (Leave Willie Alone)"

Marshall Chapman plays McGonigel's Mucky Duck Feb. 17. Hudspeth County court calendar permitting, Willie Nelson & Family play Verizon Wireless Theater Feb. 4.

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Watch Willie Nelson and His Sons Detail Unbreakable Family Bond on Tour Bus

By Patrick Doyle

Patrick Doyle

For many years, Willie Nelson worried that he wasn’t a great father. “I’ve been gone most of the time,” he admits of his grueling lifelong touring schedule. “They had their mother there, and I wasn’t there. So there were those situations, but that’s just the way it is.”

But Willie’s sons Lukas and Micah – plus their mom Annie D’Angelo Nelson – disagree with that notion. In Rolling Stone’s new mini-documentary  Willie and the Boys (their new album Willie Nelson and the Boys is out on Friday) the Nelson sons discuss how playing onstage with their dad inspired them to forge their own careers: Lukas with his country-rock band Promise of the Real, and Micah with his psychedelic-folk projects Insects Vs. Robots and Particle Kid. While those projects drift far from their dad’s unique mix of country and gypsy-jazz, the Nelson boys point to Willie’s freewheeling philosophy as their guiding light. Micah uses his 1975 album Red Headed Stranger as an example of how his dad influenced him: “To me, that’s a punk record, in the context of what country music was supposed to be back then: overproduced and shiny and rhinestones and strings. He was breaking down barriers and fearlessly doing his thing … For me, to fearlessly do my thing and be myself, I can’t think of any other way to respect and honor my dad’s legacy.”

Willie calls playing music with his kids “as good as it gets.” He’s been doing a lot of it lately: Lukas and Micah opened for their dad on last summer’s Outlaw Music Festival tour, and they are gearing up to release Willie Nelson and the Boys , a set made up of the classic country songs that Willie played for his kids growing up. Most of the artists they cover, it turns out, are named Hank: Hank Williams (“Mind Your Own Business”), Hank Cochran (“Can I Sleep in Your Arms”), Hank Locklin (“Send Me the Pillow You Dream On”) and Hank Snow (“I’m Movin’ On”). “We do a lot of traditional country stuff that I think a lot of Luke’s fans and Micah’s fans will be introduced to,” Willie says, comparing it to Stardust , his 1978 breakthrough album of American standards.

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Aboard Willie’s bus Honeysuckle Rose, the family talks about their dynamic. Willie and Annie share their household’s three rules, while the boys recall getting in trouble for sharing their dad’s dirty jokes in school. Willie and the boys also sat down with acoustic guitars for a remarkable performance of “Can I Sleep in Your Arms” – which Willie first recorded for  Red Headed Stranger – showcasing the family’s otherworldly vocal blend (the performance brought Annie to tears on the bus). They also play “Nuages” by Willie’s greatest guitar hero, Django Reinhardt.

Willie Nelson and sons, Lukas and Micah, perform “Can I Sleep in Your Arms.” 

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Music has long run in the Nelson family. Willie was raised by his grandparents, who were music teachers in Texas and got him started on guitar. He grew up playing in church alongside his older sister Bobbie, a pianist who still joins Willie on the road to this day. His other children, including daughters Paula and Amy, have had success as musicians. While launching a career with the Nelson name might seem intimidating, Lukas instead calls it “inspiring.” “I just kind of grew up believing I could because it was around me. It was like well if my dad can do it I can do it. That’s my own blood.”

It’s also a big season for the brood. Micah just released his new LP Everything is Bullshit as Particle Kid, while Lukas just released Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, their first album on Fantasy Records. Willie, meanwhile, is working on a tribute album to Frank Sinatra, who called Nelson his favorite singer. “We’ve got a lot of irons in the fire,” says Lukas. “And it’s all great.” 

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Willie Nelson Is Just Going To Keep Right On Touring

Willie Nelson still has no plans on retiring. Not for good anyway.

Last year, Nelson released an album to mark his 89th birthday. To celebrate turning the big 9-0 on April 29, Nelson is taking a page from one of his most beloved songs and heading out on the road again. Nelson will spend his 90th birthday at the famous Hollywood Bowl playing music with friends including Miranda Lambert, The Chicks, Chris Stapleton, Neil Young, Sheryl Crow, Kacey Musgraves, and even Snoop Dogg who are slated to perform with and celebrate Nelson. The two day celebration will run April 29 and 30 and while tickets are pricey, there are still some available. 

Gary Miller  / Contributor/Getty Images

The actor and activist has no plans to slow down just because of the number of candles on his birthday cake. "Norman Lear, a good friend of mine, turned 100 not long ago, and I told him, ‘I’ve been telling everybody it's just a number. Am I right?' And he said, 'Yeah, it’s just a number,'" Nelson told AARP in a recent interview. 

When asked if he's ever considered retiring from the road, Nelson can only laugh. "Jokingly, I retire after every tour," he told AARP . "But I’m always ready to go back again. I like the bus . I have everything I need on the bus. I never have to go into a hotel room anywhere. It’s not that bad."

So it’s clear that Nelson is going to keep on trucking. In fact, if anything, Nelson seems to be speeding up. “Working is really good for me,” he told AARP . In May, the Red Headed Stranger will be given the LBJ Liberty and Justice for All Award, before kicking off his Outlaw Music Festival Tour in June. He also released the album, I Don't Know a Thing About Love , last month. Then there was the five-part documentary about his life and work, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, and he won two more Grammy awards this year . Plus, he was nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year and may join his pal Dolly Parton in the storied space.

Keep on trucking indeed, Willie. We won’t stop you. Happy birthday!

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Watch CBS News

Country music legend Willie Nelson cancels tour performances

By Elias Lopez

June 26, 2024 / 6:30 PM EDT / CBS News

Country music icon Willie Nelson announced Wednesday that he will not be performing at a scheduled tour stop in Virginia Beach, according to a message posted  on the singer's Facebook page .

The cancellation comes after Nelson, who turned 91 in April, canceled his first scheduled performances in his  Outlaw Music Festival Tour  because of illness last week. 

"We regret to inform you that Willie Nelson is not feeling well and, per doctor's orders, has been advised to rest for the next four days," according to a statement posted on social media June 21. "He is expected to make a quick recovery and join the Outlaw Music Festival tour next week."

The Outlaw Music Festival, founded in part by Nelson, kicked off in Georgia. That was among the performances the singer missed, citing doctor's orders.

On Wednesday, the singer announced the latest cancellation. "Willie Nelson will not be performing at tonight's show in Virginia Beach," the Facebook post says. "We expect Willie to return to the tour shortly." 

The lineup of the Outlaw Music Festival tour includes other big names who were still scheduled to perform Wednesday, including Bob Dylan, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, and Celisse. Nelson's son, Lukas Nelson, and his band composed of other family members will also play their own set, along with some of Nelson's classics, the statement said. 

At 91, Nelson has been busy in recent years releasing new music, touring and collaborating with some of the biggest names in music. He released an album in May called "The Border," had a couple of cameos in Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter" country album and, last year, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame , where he performed with Chris Stapleton, Sheryl Crow and Dave Matthews.

"I haven't quit," Nelson told "CBS Mornings" last year . "Maybe I should, but … after every tour. I said, this is it. And then get the urge again to go back." 

• Entertainment

Elias Lopez is a senior editor at CBSNews.com. He covers a variety of news events and works with reporters on developing stories in politics, international news and more.

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Willie Nelson 'not feeling well,' cancels shows to rest

The 91-year-old country music legend is following doctor's orders.

Country music great Willie Nelson won't be performing this weekend after all.

His team announced in a social media post on Friday afternoon that the 91-year-old star was "not feeling well" and had been ordered by doctor to rest for four days.

"He is expected to make a quick recovery and join the Outlaw Music Festival tour next week," his team wrote in the X post below.

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Nelson had been scheduled to take the stage at the Outlaw Music Festival 's stops June 21 in Alpharetta, Ga.; June 22 in Charlotte, N.C.; and June 23 in Raleigh, N.C. Along with the "Always on My Mind" artist, Bob Dylan, Alison Krauss and Robert Plant, and Celisse had been set to headline the concerts, and the post from Nelson's team said they still would.

Nelson's son Lukas Nelson and "a few guests" were expected to "perform a special set to include Willie's classics and other songs."

Mike Coppola/WireImage

The elder Nelson, who has released 75 studio albums and twice that many overall since the '60s, told AARP in April 2023 that he had no plans to slow down when it came to touring.

"Jokingly, I retire after every tour," he said. "But I'm always ready to go back again. I like the bus. I have everything I need on the bus. I never have to go into a hotel room anywhere. It's not that bad."

A 12-time Grammy winner , Nelson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023, alongside Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, George Michael, Rage Against the Machine, and the Spinners.

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Willie Nelson pulls out of additional performance on Outlaw Music Festival Tour

Willie Nelson is bowing out of another performance on his ongoing Outlaw Music Festival Tour .

Nelson, who was scheduled to perform in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on Thursday, will not be playing the concert, according to a statement shared on Nelson's official Facebook page Wednesday.

The reason for Nelson's absence was not disclosed in the statement, but the singer’s team said they "expect Willie to return to the tour shortly."

Performers Bob Dylan , Robert Plant and Alison Krauss , and Celisse will perform at Thursday’s show, according to the Facebook post. Nelson’s son Lukas Nelson and the country icon’s touring band Family will fill in for Nelson during his set.

USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Nelson for comment.

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Nelson’s no-show follows a recent string of canceled performances for the singer amid health concerns.

Willie Nelson: Singer cancels Outlaw Music Festival Tour performances for health reasons

Willie Nelson cancels Outlaw Music Festival Tour performances for health reasons

Nelson canceled his appearance at the Outlaw Music Festival Tour on Friday for health reasons, a statement shared on his social media pages said.

"We regret to inform you that Willie Nelson is not feeling well and, per doctor's orders, has been advised to rest for the next four days," the  statement said , adding that Nelson was "expected to make a quick recovery."

Additional information about Nelson's health was not provided at the time.

More touring news: Neil Young and Crazy Horse cancel remaining 2024 tour dates due to illness

The “Always on My Mind” singer was scheduled to perform Friday in Georgia as part of the Outlaw Music Festival Tour, which he is headlining. He was also set to perform on Saturday and Sunday in North Carolina.

"I am thrilled to get back on the road again with my family and friends playing the music we love for the fans we love," Nelson  said in February  when the festival's lineup was unveiled.

Willie Nelson cancels another tour date amid health concerns

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (Gray News) - Willie Nelson will not be performing Wednesday night at the Outlaw Music Festival in Virginia Beach.

According to a social media post , the 91-year-old country music legend will miss Wednesday’s scheduled performance at the Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater.

The statement didn’t say why Nelson would not be performing but the announcement comes days after he had to cancel last week’s appearance with the Outlaw Music Festival in Georgia due to the singer “not feeling well.”

The country music star’s team said doctors informed him that he needed to rest for a few days.

Nelson is one of the main headliners for the Outlaw Music Festival.

Lukas Nelson, Willie Nelson’s son, and the family band along with other special guests are now scheduled to play in place of Willie Nelson, according to his representatives.

Bob Dylan, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, and John Mellencamp are expected to take the stage as scheduled.

Representatives for Willie Nelson said he is expected to rejoin the Outlaw Music Festival Tour shortly.

The tour’s next scheduled stop is Friday in Syracuse, New York.

Copyright 2024 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Willie Nelson offers health update after canceling concert appearances

Willie Nelson had to cancel concert appearances this past weekend due to illness.

The 91-year-old was due to kick off the Outlaw Music Festival Tour on Friday, June 21, but hours before showtime announced on social media that he could not perform on “doctor’s orders.”

“We regret to inform you that Willie Nelson is not feeling well and, per doctor’s orders, has been advised to rest for the next four days,” a statement posted to his official X account stated.

It continued, “he is expected to make a quick recovery and join the Outlaw Music Festival tour next week.”

Willie Nelson canceled his appearance at the kick-off shows for his Outlaw Music Festival Tour on “doctor’s orders.” (Gary Miller/Getty Images for Shock Inc)

WILLIE NELSON BELIEVES IN REINCARNATION, SAYS HE’LL ‘BE BACK IN A MINUTE’

They announced that Lukas Nelson and the Family Band, led by Willie’s son, would perform “a special set to include Willie’s classics and other songs.”

The other acts on the line up, Bob Dylan, Robert Plant and Alison Kraus, and Celisse, performed as planned.

Nelson’s representative released a statement, stating, “Willie will be fine. I live in Los Angeles and will fly next week to see the performances on the east coast. I can’t wait.”

Nelson’s representative released a statement, stating, “Willie will be fine. I live in Los Angeles and will fly next week to see the performances on the east coast. I can’t wait.” (Gary Miller/Getty Images)

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Though a specific return date was not given, the next show after Nelson’s break is scheduled for June 26 in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

The 2024 Outlaw Music Festival was announced in February on social media.

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On the tour’s website, Nelson wrote, “This year’s Outlaw Music Festival Tour promises to be the biggest and best yet with this lineup of legendary artists. I am thrilled to get back on the road again with my family and friends playing the music we love for the fans we love.”

Last year around his 90th birthday in April, Nelson told AARP he was happy to celebrate the milestone by being on tour, saying, “Working is really good for me, no matter what kind of show it is.”

Nelson said in an interview around his 90th birthday last year that though he jokes about retiring, “I’m always ready to go back again. I like the bus. I have everything I need on the bus. I never have to go into a hotel room anywhere. It’s not that bad.” (Katherine Bomboy/NBC via Getty Images)

When asked if he’s ever considered retiring from the road, Nelson said, “Jokingly, I retire after every tour.”

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He continued: “But I’m always ready to go back again. I like the bus. I have everything I need on the bus. I never have to go into a hotel room anywhere. It’s not that bad.”

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91-Year-Old Willie Nelson Shares Reasons for Canceling Upcoming Appearances

F ans became concerned when 91-year-old country superstar Willie Nelson had to cancel several appearances due to an unnamed illness. Just hours before the Outlaw Music Festival Tour was set to begin on Friday, June 21, it was announced on social media that he could no longer perform. The post read , “We regret to inform you that Willie Nelson is not feeling well and, per doctor’s orders, has been advised to rest for the next four days. He is expected to make a quick recovery and join the Outlaw Music Festival tour next week.”

Luckily, Nelson wasn’t the only person on the concert lineup. His son Lukas Nelson and the Family Band, Bob Dylan , Robert Plant , Alison Kraus and Celisse performed as planned and Lukas added a special set to perform some of Nelson’s classic songs.

During the show, his son stepped in and performed songs such as “Always on My Mind” and “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground,” reportedly bringing fans to tears with his versions.

Although Nelson’s team never shared what type of illness he is recovering from, it sounds like he will be okay. Several fans wrote panicked comments on the post, asking for the team to say that he is okay upfront instead of beginning with the dreaded, “We regret to inform you.”

Nelson was expected to return for a June 26 show in Virginia Beach. While Nelson may be in his 90s, he has no plans of slowing down. Whenever he is asked about retiring from tours, he jokes that he “retires after every tour.” He added that continuing to work has been good for him and his health and he loves to travel on the bus. Sadly he still wasn’t feeling up to par and cancelled.

The show picks up again on June 28 in Syracuse,  NY but it remains to be seen if Willie will be performing. Stay tuned for updates!