Willie Nelson at 70 by Gene Santoro

This article can be found on the web at thenation.com
Willie Nelson at 70 by Gene Santoro
[from the November 17, 2003 issue]
On April 30, Willie Nelson turned 70, celebrating with the release of his latest greatest-hits collection. The Essential Willie Nelson (Columbia/Legacy), a two-CD set, has an intriguing 1970s-vintage cover shot that sets exactly the right tone for forty years of selective tracks. A collapsed lung, a pot bust, induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, an ersatz acting career - Nelson is now legend enough to have songs written about him. Like Charles and Dylan, he's grown so powerful and centered in his artistry that even his lesser efforts outgun the best of others.