Legacy Recordings Set to Release Willie Nelson and the Boys (Willie’s Stash, Vol. 2)

Legacy Recordings will release Willie Nelson and the Boys, the eagerly-awaited second installment in the acclaimed Willie’s Stash archival recordings series, on Friday, October 20.

Following in the musical footsteps of 2014’s December Day, the first volume in the Willie’s Stash series (featuring Willie’s Sister Bobbie), Willie Nelson and the Boys is another family collaboration, this time showcasing Willie and sons, Lukas Nelson and Micah Nelson, performing a selection of well-loved American country music standards and classics, including seven penned by the immortal Hank Williams Sr.

The Willie’s Stash series will present a variety of archival releases, each personally curated by Willie Nelson, culled from decades of recording and touring, providing unique perspectives on one of America’s most vital musical forces.

Consisting mainly of studio recordings laid down during the extraordinary 2011 sessions for Heroes, Willie’s Legacy debut, Willie Nelson and the Boys (Willie’s Stash, Vol. 2) is produced by Willie’s longtime friend and collaborator Grammy-winning Buddy Cannon and recorded by Steve Chadie at Pedernales Recordings Studio in Austin, Texas.

Musicians on the album include Willie Nelson (vocals, Trigger), Lukas Nelson(vocals, electric guitar, resonator guitar), Micah Nelson (vocals), Mickey Raphael (harmonica), Kevin “Swine” Grantt (bass), Bobby Terry (acoustic guitar, electric guitar), Jim “Moose” Brown (piano, B-3 organ, Wurlitzer), Mike Johnson (steel guitar), Tony Creasman (drums), Barry Bales (upright bass on “My Tears Fall”) and Lonnie Wilson (drums on “My Tears Fall”). “Move It On Over” featured background vocals by the Spur Of The Moment Singers: Buddy Cannon, Mickey Raphael, Kevin “Swine” Grantt, Bobby Terry, Jim “Moose” Brown, Mike Johnson, Tony Creasman, Melonie Cannon, and Shannon Finnegan.

According to Willie, the album is “….kinda like the country version of ‘Stardust.’ Where you have all these great songs and standards that the young people have never heard, then all of a sudden you have a whole new audience out there.”

“I really love the live element of this record,” said producer Buddy Cannon. “There was a fire in the studio during those sessions, especially on these particular tracks. It was as though the band was in a Nashville honky tonk and Willie and Lukas strolled in and jammed with the band for an hour. That’s what this record is. It’s honest excitement. I’ve never cut a record before that has this element…. It’s a great joy to see Willie, Luke and Micah all equally part of a record that I love so much.”

Born in Austin, Texas and raised in Maui, singer/songwriter/guitarist Lukas Nelson entered the music scene as a youngster and, by the age of 13, had joined his father Willie Nelson’s band, touring as rhythm guitarist and honing the stagecraft that lead to his own career. Moving to Los Angeles, he launched in own ensemble, Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real (POTR) in 2008; POTR served as Neil Young’s back-up group on The Monsanto Years album and subsequent tour. Lukas and his father worked together on Willie’s 2012 Legacy album, Heroes, which featured a number of father-and-son vocal-and-guitar duets.

Micah Nelson has performed with a variety of artists at events including FarmAid, Neil Young’s Bridge-School Benefit, Desert Trip festival, Lightning in a Bottle, Coachella, Bonnaroo Festival as well as on TV shows such as Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and more. Micah has been involved in the ensemble Insects vs. Robots, recorded and toured with Neil Young and made multi-instrumental contributions to the 21st century post-modern American rock band Promise Of The Real. Micah is currently the singer/songwriter/guitarist in his future-folk project Particle Kid.

Willie Nelson and the Boys (Willie’s Stash, Vol. 2) is the artist’s 10th release since signing to Legacy Recordings in 2012. His last Legacy album, God’s Problem Child, was released on April 28, 2017 (the eve of Willie’s 84th birthday on April 29) and promptly entered the Billboard Country chart at #1, making it the artist’s second US country chart-topper in less than two years; Nelson’s 6th Legacy release, Django and Jimmie, an unforgettable musical collaboration with Merle Haggard, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country chart in June 2015.

Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin, Willie’s 7th Legacy album, took home the Grammy for 2016’s Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. That album debuted at #1 on both the Top Current Jazz chart and the Top Traditional Jazz chart following its release in February 2016.

Willie Nelson has reached No. 1 on US album charts with his Legacy titles Band of Brothers (2014, #1 Country), Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin (2016, #1 Top Current Jazz and #1 Top Traditional Jazz), God’s Problem Child (2017, #1 Country).

Willie Nelson and the Boys (Willie’s Stash Vol. 2)
Track List
1. Move It On Over (Hank Williams Sr.)
2. Mind Your Own Business (Hank Williams Sr.)
3. Healing Hands Of Time (Willie Nelson)
4. Can I Sleep In Your Arms (Hank Cochran)
5. Send Me The Pillow You Dream On (Hank Locklin)
6. I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry (Hank Williams Sr.)
7. I’m Movin’ On (Hank Snow)
8. Your Cheatin’ Heart (Hank Williams Sr.)
9. My Tears Fall (Alyssa Miller)
10. Cold, Cold Heart (Hank Williams Sr.)
11. Mansion On The Hill (Hank Williams Sr. and Fred Rose)
12. Why Don’t You Love Me (Hank Williams Sr.)

Willie Nelson & Legacy Recordings

In February 2012, Willie Nelson entered into an historic new record deal with Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, marking a label homecoming for Nelson, who, from 1975-1993, had cut a phenomenal string of top-selling singles and albums for Columbia Records, beginning with 1975’s seminal smash Red Headed Stranger. New titles by the artist under the Legacy imprint will include newly recorded songs and performances as well as archival releases, personally curated by the artist, drawn from all phases of his career including his recordings for RCA Records and others.

God’s Problem Child, his 9th album for Sony/Legacy entered the Billboard Country chart at #1, making it the artist’s second US country chart-topper in less than two years. Nelson’s 6th Legacy release, Django and Jimmie, an unforgettable musical collaboration with Merle Haggard, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country chart in June 2015. Nelson’s third Legacy album to break into the Top 10 pop charts, God’s Problem Child was Willie’s first album to debut all-new songs since Band of Brothers (his 4th Legacy release) reached #1 on the Billboard Country chart (and #5 on the Billboard 200) in June 2014. Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin, Willie’s 7th Legacy album, took home the Grammy for 2016’s Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. That album debuted at #1 on both the Top Current Jazz chart and the Top Traditional Jazz chart following its release in February 2016.

Since signing with Legacy, Willie Nelson has sold more than 1 million albums for the label.

Nelson’s album releases for Legacy Recordings have included:

God’s Problem Child (2017)
For The Good Times: A Tribute To Ray Price (2016)
Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin (2016)
Django and Jimmie (2015) (with Merle Haggard)
December Day: Willie’s Stash, Vol. 1 (2014) (with Bobbie Nelson)
Band of Brothers (2014)
To All The Girls… (2013)
Let’s Face The Music And Dance (2013)
Heroes (2012)