Willie the smoothie

*Duet with Lee Ann Womack

Hey – it’s Willie Nelson’s birthday

I seem to be in the mood for writing about music tonight. So to celebrate Willie’s birthday I’m reminded of one night he played in the Dundonald Ice Bowl on the outskirts of Belfast. The seating arrangement involved covering up the ice with a series of tarpaulins of some sort. Why didn’t they just melt it for the night, then make some more the next day? (There may be a pretty obvious technical reason for this, I don’t know).

Anyway, the upshot was the floor was freezing, and messy too, with the cold penetrating your shoes and working its way up your legs. Having sat through a support act, most people were getting hacked off with the prospect of frost bite. When Willie came on, people starting standing up, just to move their legs about I guess. Then lo and behold, everyone gradually moved up to the front of the stage despite the protests of the stewards.

I got up real close and a group of us were dancing down in front of the stage. As we smooched along to a slow one, I looked up at Willie and Willie looked down at me. Then Willie Nelson smiled at me – and winked.

Just one moment on a night when it was so cold we had to dance – but what a memory, and what a smile. Happy birthday Willie.