Willie Nelson had long achieved outlaw-country icon status by the summer of 1980—both with original tracks like “Red Headed Stranger” and heartfelt covers such as the Fred Rose-penned “Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain”. Seeing the perfect time for a career pivot, Nelson landed his first lead acting role in the romantic Western drama Honeysuckle Rose. The film premiered in Austin, Texas, on this day (July 3) in 1980.
While Honeysuckle Rose wasn’t exactly a biopic, the script did draw heavily from Nelson’s own life experiences. The outlaw country legend starred as Buck Bonham, a hard-partying country singer struggling to balance achieving his dream of musical stardom with responsibilities to his wife and son.
The film also featured Academy Award nominees Dyan Cannon as Bonham’s wife, Viv, and Amy Irving as Lily Ramsey, the daughter of Buck’s former guitarist who joins him on the road.
Additionally, Nelson’s fellow country stars Emmylou Harris, Jeannie Seely, Johnny Gimble, and more all made cameo appearances.
‘Honeysuckle Rose’ Gave Us Some of Willie Nelson’s Best Work
Willie Nelson’s role in Honeysuckle Rose opened the door for more lead acting gigs, such as 1982’s Barbarosa and Stagecoach (1986).
However, it’s the soundtrack where the Red-Headed Stranger truly shines. While not necessarily remembered for its cinematic value, Honeysuckle Rose gave us two priceless gems in the form of “On the Road Again” and “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground”.
Nelson wrote and performed both songs specifically for the soundtrack. “On the Road Again” also won a Grammy Award for Best Country song the following year.
Rarely does a film find itself nominated for both an Academy Award and a Golden Raspberry (think the opposite of the Oscars). However, that’s exactly what happened in this case.
Irving won the Worst Supporting Actress trophy for her role as Lily. Meanwhile, “On the Road Again” landed a nod for Best Original Song, although it lost to “Fame” from the film of the same name.
He Wrote the Song on What?
Inspiration doesn’t always strike when it’s convenient.
For years, rumors circulated that Willie Nelson penned “On the Road Again”—one of his most recognizable songs—on an airline “barf bag.” The 12-time Grammy winner confirmed this story in a 2015 interview with Uncut magazine.
“I was on an airplane with Sydney Pollack and Jerry Schatzberg, who was the director of the movie Honeysuckle Rose. They were looking for songs for the movie and they started asking me if I had any idea,” Nelson recalled. “I said, ‘I don’t know, what do you want the song to say?’ I think Sydney said, ‘Can it be something about being on the road?’”
At that point, “It just started to click in my head,” he continued. “I said, ‘You mean like, ‘On the road again, I can’t wait to get on the road again’?” They said, ‘That’s great. What’s the melody?’ I said, ‘I don’t know yet.’”
Featured image by Robert Ware/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images
The post Premiered 46 Years Ago in Texas, the Willie Nelson Western Film Nominated for Both an Academy Award and a Razzie appeared first on American Songwriter.
Author: Erinn Callahan
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