Willie Nelson

Deep in the Heart 1992

Willie Nelson, Saratoga, CA 1991

photo by Susana Millman ©1991

You used to be in the Air Force—what was your job?

I went to military school to study radar, but I got out of there before I had a chance to become famous as a radar mechanic.

Was working as a radio announcer your inroad to the entertainment world?

It was just sort of a way to make a living until I could get back out there playing the guitar.

Did you start playing the guitar as a kid?

Yes, that was the first thing I picked up. My grandparents were music teachers, and my older sister knew music real well. She played the piano and I played the guitar, so I learned a lot from just the two of us playing together.

You’ve been compared with Sinatra, even called “The Sinatra of Country.” In your mind, why is that?