The Will of God
I always knew that the work my dad did as an Episcopal priest and grief counselor was important. But I didn’t understand how important until the birth of my son.
John Spong is a Texas Monthly senior editor who writes primarily about popular culture, and he hosts the magazine’s popular music-history podcast One by Willie. He has been nominated for three National Magazine Awards, most recently in 2021 as coeditor and lead writer on two large Willie Nelson projects: “Willie: Now, More than Ever,” a special issue that was a finalist for best single-topic issue; and “All 146 Willie Nelson Albums, Ranked,” which was nominated for best digital storytelling. He has twice won the Texas Institute of Letters’ O. Henry Award for magazine journalism—for “Holding Garmsir” (January 2009), about a month he spent with a U.S. Marine platoon fighting in Afghanistan, and for “The Good Book and the Bad Book” (September 2006), about a censorship battle at an elite private school in Austin. He is the author of A Book on the Making of Lonesome Dove, and his stories have been collected in The Best American Food Writing and The Best American Sports Writing, among others. He lives in Austin with his wife, Julie Blakeslee, and their two boys, Willie Mo and Leon.
I always knew that the work my dad did as an Episcopal priest and grief counselor was important. But I didn’t understand how important until the birth of my son.
By John Spong
When parents at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, in Austin—where the Capital City’s moneyed elite have educated their kids for more than fifty years—rebelled against the teaching of ‘Brokeback Mountain,’ it was, you might say, a learning experience for everyone involved.
By John Spong
My best friend from high school is no longer the uncool, baseball-card-collecting goofball he once was. He’s a Navy surgeon and commander, and for two horrific weeks I got to watch him calmly and bravely save lives in wartime—not just Americans’ and not just soldiers’—in one of the most dangerous
By John Spong
He asked me if I was going to be white my whole life. I was, of course. But because of our friendship, I’m no longer the clueless upper-middle-class kid I once was.
By John Spong
Elmo Henderson’s entire life story can be summed up in a single moment: when he stepped into the ring in San Antonio one night in 1972 and knocked out Muhammad Ali. At least that’s the way he tells it. And tells it.
By John Spong
He’s the brashest, most generous, most foul-mouthed trial attorney in the country. And at 89, Joe Jamail can still command a courtroom, mother%*!$#@.
By John Spong
How did Guy Clark become the most revered songwriter in Nashville? One hard-won tune at a time.
By John Spong
A veteran Hollywood screenwriter couldn’t have come up with a better narrative arc: Seeking redemption, 59-year-old reenrolls at university he was once asked to leave, tries out for football team, makes it, becomes one of oldest-ever players in NCAA history. Or at least that’s how the hero wants it to
By John Spong
The tragedy of the Von Erichs—the state’s first family of pro wrestling—is well known not just to fans of the sport but to the many groupies who oohed and aahed at the matinee-idol athletes over the years. Still, you haven’t really heard the story until it’s told by the sole
By John Spong
As a kid I was the pickiest eater you have ever seen, and family meals gave new meaning to the words “food fight.” But I gritted my teeth and overcame it.
By John Spong
‘The Border,’ coming May 31, finds the Red Headed Stranger in better voice and more active on Trigger than he’s been in years.
By John Spong
The beloved singer-songwriter, once a scrappy unknown living in a run-down apartment Willie owned, describes the wonder of later duetting with him on a song she wrote.
By John Spong
The unofficial family historian talks about listening to her dad sing “Red Headed Stranger” back before he’d ever even made it to Nashville.
By John Spong
The Texas Country/Red Dirt star Zooms in to discuss Willie’s founding role in the singer-songwriters’ circuit, plus the gift of growing to love your dad’s music.
By John Spong
The six-time Grammy-winner discusses “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” and why Willie’s guitar-picking makes him think of Picasso.
By John Spong
The Grammy-winning blues singer and guitarist on why she and her husband cover Willie almost every night with their Tedeschi Trucks Band—plus why she thinks Emmylou Harris is a Jedi.
By John Spong
The Americana stalwart discusses Phases and Stages, Willie’s lost winter in Bandera, and covering his songs with big stars like Margo Price, Sheryl Crow, and Nathaniel Rateliff.
By John Spong
The acclaimed Austin author talks pigtails, hero statues, and “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die.”
By John Spong
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer discusses “Georgia on My Mind”—and the highly improbable pairing and production that gave birth to Willie’s quintuple-platinum masterpiece.
By John Spong
The famed actor, author, and raconteur on why she loves “Stardust,” Leon Russell, Ray Charles, and Willie’s wife, Annie.
By John Spong
The ‘Parks and Recreation’ star on “Buddy,” Farm Aid, and how a hippie like Willie became Ron Swanson’s favorite poet.
By John Spong
Before his anthems had listeners raising their longnecks and singing along, Charlie took me on road trips and taught me there was more to music than country.
By John Spong
A supergroup of strings player helps take a mix of Willie anthems and deep cuts to a whole new, banjo-picking level.
By John Spong
The Nashville superproducer on “Time of the Preacher” and the one thing artists like Brandi Carlile and Jason Isbell all say about Willie.
By John Spong
It was October 1992 and the Irish singer, who died earlier this week, was being excoriated in the press following her appearance on ‘Saturday Night Live.’
By John Spong
The singer-songwriter talks about growing up as country royalty and Willie’s cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now.”
By John Spong
The Foos’ lead guitarist and ‘Shred With Shifty’ podcast host discusses an outlaw anthem and the technical specs of a great Willie guitar solo.
By John Spong
The Grammy-winning founder of Asleep at the Wheel on fifty years of friendship with Willie, with cameos by George Gershwin, Floyd Tillman, and Robert Duvall.
By John Spong
The singer-songwriter and virtuoso fiddle player talks faith, family bands, and her new album of duets with Willie Nelson’s late sister.
By John Spong
On this special Father’s Day episode, Micah Nelson describes his dad’s “face-melting” guitar playing, plus his favorite sixties-era Willie song that most fans have forgotten.
By John Spong
The revered researcher, author, and TED Talker discusses faith, grace, acceptance, and the world’s favorite gospel hymn.
By John Spong
The legendary producer discusses art that exists only in shadows and the way U2 tries to summon Willie when they write songs.
By John Spong
The legendary singer-songwriter and longtime Willie buddy discusses a song many consider the national anthem of Texas, plus why drummer Paul English was not a fan of the Eagles.
By John Spong
After years of struggle, Charley Crockett is on the verge of stardom. The story of how he got here would be unbelievable if it weren’t true.
By John Spong
On this special birthday episode, Lukas Nelson talks about truly timeless songwriting—and the song that first made Leon Russell a Willie fan.
By John Spong
Willie Nelson covers ten songs written by his late friend Harlan Howard in ‘I Don’t Know a Thing About Love.’
By John Spong
Here’s what Steve Earle, Vince Gill, Margo Price, Kacey Musgraves, and the Austin-born actor told us to cue up—and why.
By John Spong
Decades after Willie Nelson performed on the pilot, the show is now a national institution—but not too national.
By John Spong
The author of a 2014 Texas Monthly profile of King George explains why it was among the few stories in his career that made him cry while writing.
By John Spong
‘Live at Budokan’��is a mythical lost recording of Willie at the height of his powers.
By John Spong
The musician, author, and columnist needed an idea. Texas Monthly’s then–editor in chief said, “Make something up.” The rest is history.
By John Spong
It’s a song the California-based singer-songwriter has loved since she was a young girl—but she didn’t really get to know it until she heard Willie’s version.
By John Spong
How Texas Monthly’s Paul Burka held the powerful to account—and made Texas a better place.
By John Spong
The Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter and virtuoso guitarist celebrates two of the greatest players he’s ever heard.
By John Spong
The hard-core honky-tonker talks to us live from Luck, Texas, about “Face of a Fighter” and the other Willie songs he leaned on when he was homeless.
By John Spong
Creating Texas Monthly’s special podcast series ‘One By Willie: Live From Luck!’ showed me that, like Willie himself, the Luck Reunion is all about family.
By John Spong
The three-time Grammy nominee talks to us live from Luck, Texas, about definitive covers, Billie Holiday, and building her family with Willie records playing in the background.
By John Spong
Willie’s longtime producer and writing partner talks about how “Something You Get Through” came together and the way Willie changed country songwriting.
By John Spong
The four-time Oscar nominee talks “Too Sick to Pray” and the way Willie’s music has helped him build his family.
By John Spong
The nine-time Grammy winner talks “Permanently Lonely,” jazzy Django chords, and Willie’s beautifully harsh poetry.
By John Spong
Muscle Shoals bass player David Hood on ‘Phases and Stages,’ producer Jerry Wexler, and “(How Will I Know) I’m Falling in Love Again.”
By John Spong
The Americana singer-songwriter discusses one of Willie’s first iconic cover songs.
By John Spong
Willie’s longtime harmonica player discusses joining the band, stowaways on the bus, and “The Words Don’t Fit the Picture.”
By John Spong
One of America’s greatest songwriters talks Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, and Willie Nelson . . . and the surprising debt they owe “My Sharona.”
By John Spong
On the 50th anniversary of his eponymous 1972 record, five renowned singer-songwriters—including Jimmy Buffett and Lyle Lovett—celebrate Willis Alan Ramsey.
By John Spong
The 22-time Grammy winner talks faith, Ray Price, and the power of an irresistible first line in a lyric.
By John Spong
‘A Beautiful Time’ picks up where his "mortality trilogy" of albums left off, with an especially off-the-wall cover and new songs reflecting on life and death.
By John Spong
On this special birthday episode of ‘One by Willie,’ Paula Nelson talks about “Devil in a Sleepin’ Bag,” a song her dad wrote about his longtime drummer, Paul English—who happens to be her namesake.
By John Spong
The singer-songwriter talks about “Are You Sure,” getting her granddad into Willie’s poker game, and a gift Willie gave her that she’ll never smoke.
By John Spong
Our latest season of interviews with notable Willie Nelson fans debuts April 20.
By John Spong