The Merle Haggard thing got me going through some old and rather hated memories of ‘old-school’ country music. And through the wonder of Youtube, I learned something I had not known.
I always thought Willie Nelson wrote Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain. Not only not, but hell not. In fact according to Wikipedia it was first recorded by Roy Acuff before the end of WWII, six years before this Hank Williams version…
Willie’s old, but he’s not that old. He still did it better than Hank Williams, though…
Which in turn led to the album that made me rethink my hatred of country. Didn’t hurt that I was in the Texas panhandle at the time, and stuck with country whether I hated it or not…
Well I’m damn sure Willie wrote, just wasn’t the first to record it. Willie wrote many hit tunes that others sang, got pissed because nobody would record him and left for Austin. The rest is history.
Why Austin y’all ask? That’s where Bob Wills and “Texas Swing” music was real big.
Nobody wanted to record Willie because he always sang a half beat off the music. Don’t ask me where all this info came from, I just happen to know it. Not a big fan of Willie’s singing but he did write some great songs.
He’s 83 or so I believe.
Willie Hugh Nelson was born April 29, 1933
Nelson wrote his first song at 7 years old.
At just 13 years old, Nelson performed with Bob Wills, the inventor of Western swing music.
Read More: 25 Things You May Not Know About Country Icon Willie Nelson | http://theboot.com/willie-nelson-birthday/?trackback=tsmclip
Upon further investigation I find that you are correct he did not write it. My apologies..
“Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” is a song written by songwriter Fred Rose. Originally performed by Roy Acuff, the song was later recorded by Willie Nelson as part of his 1975 album Red Headed Stranger.