News And Notes
Jan 21

Where There’s a Willie Nelson, There’s a Way

Willie Nelson photo by David McClister, courtesy of Lost Highway.

Willie Nelson photo by David McClister, courtesy of Lost Highway.

When he appeared in a video with Snoop Dogg, Willie Nelson found one way to get “street” cred. Now he’s got another. The City Council of Helotes, Texas, a San Antonio suburb, has voted unanimously to create Willie Nelson Way, according to The San Antonio Express-News.

Willie was able to play often during the early part of his career at the John T. Floore Country Store in Helotes, about 100 miles from Willie’s primary home in Pedernales. The city is remembering his contribution and hoping that having a street with his name on it might help tourism.

The designation affects Old Bandera Road, one of the town’s main drags, though it went through a bit of wrangling. Changing addresses would be difficult on local businesses, and one council member argued that giving the street two names would be confusing to visitors. Ultimately, the Willie signs will be posted along with the Old Bandera markers, but it won’t require any alterations in stationery or in maps.

Meanwhile, the woman for whom Willie wrote “Crazy” will not get a street in her honor in Nashville. At least the way it currently stands.

A bill was introduced in Music City to rename part of Music Square East as Patsy Cline Boulevard, which seems sensible enough. There’s already a Roy Acuff Place and a Chet Atkins Place. And Patsy’s former producer, Owen Bradley, has a nearby park name after him.

But the legislation was withdrawn, WSMV-TV reported, after a Music Square East resident complained.

“No offense to Patsy Cline,” Christina Lapoutre told the station. “I think she was an amazing, legendary musician. But part of the reason I live here is because it’s Music Square East… It’s a great landmark for Nashville, and internationally, it’s very well-known.”

The council member is going to reconsider other ways of honoring Patsy. In the meantime, it saves address changes for some of the businesses along that stretch of road. Among them are the performing rights organization BMI, which represents such Patsy-associated titles as “Crazy” and “I Fall To Pieces”; Warner Bros. Records, the recording home for Faith Hill and Blake Shelton; Curb Records, affiliated with Tim McGraw and LeAnn Rimes; and an office built on the grounds at the very corner where Patsy recorded all her hits.

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6 Comments

  1. By the way, if you like Willie Nelson, you'd probably really like the Crazy Heart Soundtrack! I just listened to it all the way through, and this is the theme song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIJTU9iY2iA

    Way to go Willie!
    -Madison

    Madison on January 24, 2010 at 7:30 pm
  2. willie's primary texas residence is in Spicewood, TX (the town mailing address), NOT Pedernales. he owns Pedernales Country Club (sometimes called Pedernales Golf Club) in Spicewood, and there is a Pedernales River nearby. but he does not live in Pedernales, TX. there appearently is no such place.

    JTFloore on January 22, 2010 at 5:40 pm
  3. where is "Old Bandera Way"? i know where "Old Bandera Road" is. but not "Old Bandera Way"?

    katy on January 22, 2010 at 1:18 am
    • Good catch Katy and so noted, we have updated the article to make that correction…Thanks!

      @gactv on January 22, 2010 at 6:18 am
  4. Oh that is Great!!! I love Wille,

    Sallyann on January 21, 2010 at 9:03 pm
  5. Willie I am so happy for you – you deserve tihis.. saw you in Aberdeen, Md. tihs summer. Great concert but was very sad the thunderstorm stopped you!

    Patsy deserves some memorial in Nashville. Come on people

    cathy on January 21, 2010 at 4:53 pm

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