Willie Nelson Reflects on Darkest Day: A Suicide Attempt in Nashville
Looking back over my life, my early days in Nashville were a definite low point. Throwing back Bourbon on a freezing cold night at Tootsie’s, I thought about an old song I’d heard Lightnin’ Hopkins cut back at Gold Studios in Houston. He sang about feeling so bad until he laid his head on some lonesome railroad line and let it ease his troubled mind. So, why not?
It had started snowing. There wasn’t any railroad in sight, but there was Broadway – the city’s main thoroughfare. Why not go out there, lie down in the middle of the street, and let some souped-up Plymouth Barracuda ease my troubled mind?
So I did. I lay, prepared to stay. Eyes closed. Ready to move on and move out. If this world wasn’t working, maybe the next one would. I lay for five minutes, then 10, then 15. Don’t know why – maybe it was the bad weather and the late hour – but there was hardly any traffic. If one or two drivers saw me, they swerved out of the way. Was I relieved? Was I disappointed? Can’t say for sure. All I know is that I got up, went back to Tootsie’s, and had another drink.
The next day, his friend Paul English – a country singer/songwriter he’d met at a small Texas radio station in 1955 – paid him a visit.
Nelson recalled: “It was four in the afternoon, and I was barely awake. It was the day after I’d tried to ease my troubled mind on Broadway. Paul’s timing was uncanny.”
This harrowing experience serves as a reminder of the struggles and pain that even the most successful and beloved individuals can face. It sheds light on the importance of reaching out for help and finding solace in the support of friends and loved ones. Willie Nelson’s resilience and ability to overcome such dark moments in his life are a testament to the strength of the human spirit.
As we continue to admire and celebrate Willie Nelson’s legendary career and contributions to the world of country music, let us also remember the challenges he has faced and the battles he has fought. It is a powerful reminder that behind the glitz and glamour of fame, there lies a complex and vulnerable individual who, like all of us, grapples with the darkness that life can sometimes bring.
