Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country singer, guitarist and songwriter. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restrictions of the Nashville sound. The critical success of his album Shotgun Willie (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger (1975) and Stardust (1978), made Nelson one of the most recognized artists in country music. Nelson has acted in over 30 films, co-authored several books, and has been involved in activism for the use of biofuels and the legalization of marijuana.
Merle Ronald Haggard was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler.
Outlaw country is a subgenre of American country music created by a small group of iconoclastic artists active in the 1970s and early 1980s, known collectively as the outlaw movement, who fought for and won their creative freedom outside of the Nashville establishment that dictated the sound of most country music of the era. Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Paycheck, and David Allan Coe were among the movement's most commercially successful members.
"Pancho and Lefty", originally "Poncho and Lefty", is a song written by American country music singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt. Perhaps his most well-known song, Van Zandt recorded his original version of this song for his 1972 album The Late Great Townes Van Zandt. The song has been recorded by several artists since its composition and performance by Van Zandt, with the Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard version selling the most copies and reaching number one on the Billboard country chart. In 2021, the Townes Van Zandt version was ranked number 498 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Asleep at the Wheel is an American Western Swing music group that was formed in Paw Paw, West Virginia, and is based in Austin, Texas. The band has won nine Grammy Awards since their 1970 inception, released over twenty albums, and has charted more than 21 singles on the Billboard country charts. Their highest-charting single, "The Letter That Johnny Walker Read", peaked at No. 10 in 1975.
Billy Joe Shaver was an American singer, songwriter and actor.
Contemporary Country is a 22-volume series issued by Time-Life during the early 1990s, spotlighting country music of the 1970s through mid 1990s.
Michael Siegfried Raphael is an American harmonica player, music producer and actor best known for his work with Willie Nelson, with whom he has toured as part of The Family since 1973.
The Longhorn Ballroom in Dallas, Texas (USA) has been called, Texas' Most Historic Music Venue and since its inception has had a colorful set of proprietors. Originally built by O.L. Nelms, an eccentric Dallas millionaire, for his close friend, western swing bandleader Bob Wills, the venue opened in 1950 as Bob Wills' Ranch House. When Wills left In the early 50s Nelms leased the sprawling venue to notorious nightclub owner turned assassin Jack Ruby. Mr. Ruby eventually had a nervous breakdown and lost the lease, but he is credited with hosting some of the best black entertainers of the day including Count Basie, Ruth Brown, and Nat King Cole. The Nat King Cole show took place in 1954 in the racially segregated Jim Crow South, where an affluent black audience sat in front, in the premium seats, while the white patrons stood in the back to listen to the legend.
Waylon Live is a live album by Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Victor in 1976.
"Mama Tried" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Merle Haggard and The Strangers. It was released in July 1968 as the first single and title track from the album Mama Tried. The song became one of the cornerstone songs of his career. It won the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1999, and was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry due to its "cultural, historic, or artistic significance" on March 23, 2016, just 14 days before Haggard's death. In 2021, it was ranked at No. 376 on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
A Portrait of Merle Haggard is the tenth studio album by American recording artist Merle Haggard and The Strangers, released September 2, 1969.
Live at Billy Bob's Texas is a 2004 album by country singer Willie Nelson. It was recorded at Billy Bob's, a popular country music nightclub in Fort Worth, Texas, United States.
The Legend and the Legacy is a compilation album by American country singer Ernest Tubb, released in 1979. The initial release was issued on LP as The Legend and the Legacy Volume 1. It was released on First Generation Records, but due to legal issues, was withdrawn and released on Cachet Records.
The Never Ending Tour is the popular name for Bob Dylan's endless touring schedule since June 7, 1988.
Willie Nelson's Fourth of July Picnic is an annual concert hosted by country music singer Willie Nelson. Nelson was inspired to create the annual concert after his participation in the 1972 Dripping Springs Reunion, that was hosted at Hurlbut Ranch in Dripping Springs, Texas. As part of the lineup, Nelson performed on the third day. The event failed to meet the expected attendance due to the concert being poorly promoted.
Neon Boots Dancehall & Saloon is a Country and Western bar/honky tonk that was founded as the Esquire Ballroom in 1955 by Raymond Proske in Houston, Texas, at 11410 Hempstead northwest of downtown Houston. In the 1970s and 1980s the club was considered the main rival to Gilley's Club across town in Pasadena.
Stagecoach Ballroom is one of the oldest night club, dancehall, ballroom, and/or honky-tonk venues in the state of Texas. The Stagecoach Ballroom is known for its commitment to country music and ballroom dancing.
Red Lane was an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist who was a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (1993). A self-taught musician, Lane began writing songs in the early 1960s and over his career wrote or co-wrote 60 songs that reached the U.S. top 100 country charts. Outside of country music, Lane's songs have been recorded by a diverse group of artists including Bob Dylan, Ray Charles and Solomon Burke. He has credits as composer or instrumentalist on at least 386 albums.
The following list shows the recipients for the Country Music Association Award for Vocal Duo of the Year. The award is based on the musical performance of the duo on solo country single or album release, as well as their overall contribution to country music during the eligibility period. For the purposes of the award, a duo is defined as "as an act composed of two people, both of whom normally perform together and neither of whom is known primarily as an individual performing artist", though this was not always the case.
