Willie Nelson a.k.a. Shotgun Willie is known for a lot of incredible escapades, but did you know he once stopped a police shootout? Picture this: It’s the late ’70s in Birmingham, Alabama. Willie and his band just wrapped up a show at the Birmingham Coliseum and were loading up the bus when chaos broke out in the parking garage.
Randy “Poodie” Locke, Willie’s long-time stage manager and bus driver, recounts the explosive scene in Willie’s autobiography. Guns blazing, echoes like howitzer shells, and a woman chasing a man through the parking deck with a pistol. The cops show up, guns drawn, and the entire area turns into a war zone.
Just then, Willie steps off the bus with his signature coolness. Wearing cutoffs and tennis shoes, with two massive Colt .45 revolvers sticking out, he asks the simple question, “What’s the trouble?” Magically, this aura of calm that Willie has made the cops lower their weapons. The chaos dissipated, and soon Willie was back to signing autographs as if nothing had happened.
Willie Nelson: Peacemaker, country music legend, and the guy who can stop a shootout by just showing up. This tale may not be why they call him Shotgun Willie, but it’s a perfect example of why nobody messes with a legend.
Sandman
