Stonewall
Expert Driver
I meant to post this yesterday but just did not get around to it. Billy Joe Shaver passed away Wednesday from a stroke. This guy was a real country outlaw no BS like these pretty boy wanna bees Trashville tries to conjure up today. Billy Joe was a Texas songwriter and performer in the mold of Townes, Guy Clark and Willie. He wrote hundreds of songs but his most recognizable songs are probably "Honky Tonk Heroes" (Waylon) and "Old Chunk of Coal" (John Anderson). True to form he once shot a man in the face for being rude to his wife. This was in Texas so he was tried and acquitted for self defense. Character witnesses at the trial included good friends Willie Nelson and Robert Duvall. No Texas jury is going to convict you with Willie as your witness. He threatened face to face to whip Waylon's ass if he didn't listen to one of his songs like he had promised. Waylon had blown him off after promising to give his demo a listen. BJ went to the studio and Waylon was surrounded by biker type body guards. BJ burst in a said he was there to whip Waylon's ass for lying to him. Waylon was so impressed he listened to the demo. The song was "Honky Tonk Heroes". Waylon recorded it and it was the title of his next album. He had great heartaches in his life. His son Eddy was a great guitar player (this is him in the clip) in BJ's band and died of a heroin overdose some years ago. He was raised by a mother who was a bar maid in some rough ass Texas bars in his youth where he saw some things a child should not see. He lost two fingers working in a saw mill. This guy was the real deal no BS. I have been a fan for years. RIP Billy Joe you were the real deal.