Country

Before he became a country outlaw legend, Willie Nelson was already shaping the sound of American music—writing some of its most enduring songs, including a defining hit for Patsy Cline.One of his earliest triumphs? “Crazy.” Though forever associated with Patsy, the haunting ballad was penned by Willie himself.“We went over to [Patsy’s] house and had a couple of beers,” he recalled. “I didn’t get out of the car. Charlie [her husband] went in, and Patsy came out and made me get out. I went in and sang it for her—and she recorded it the next week.”From a reluctant parking-lot serenade to a timeless classic—that’s the quiet, unmistakable magic of Willie Nelson.

Introduction Before He Was an Outlaw: How Willie Nelson Quietly Gave America One of Its...