There isn’t a country music icon out there quite like Willie Nelson. And before he became the bandana-wearing outlaw country icon who sings about life on the road as we know him today, Nelson initially found success in the country music world as a songwriter. Plenty of his compositions, recorded by other artists, became huge hits. And I can’t help but think that Willie Nelson should have put a few of those songs in his pocket and recorded them himself first. Let’s take a look; you might just agree with me.
“A Place To Fall Apart” by Merle Haggard and Janie Fricke from ‘It’s All In The Game’ (1984)
Merle Haggard and Janie Fricke recorded this lovely little country tune back in 1984. It was quite a hit on the country charts, peaking at No. 1 in both the US and Canada. But Haggard didn’t write it alone. The song is actually a collaborative effort between him, Freddy Powers, and Willie Nelson. And yet, Nelson never recorded a version of his own. That’s a shame, because I know he would have nailed it.
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“Right To Dream” by Mariah Carey (2008)
I bet you didn’t know that Mariah Carey once collaborated with Willie Nelson. The two wrote the song “Right To Dream” together for the road drama Tennessee, but only Carey recorded the song. Her version is quite good, but I really could see this song working better as a duet between the two icons.
“Hello Walls” by Faron Young from ‘Hello Walls’ (1961)
Willie Nelson wrote the entirety of this smash hit song that was famously recorded by Faron Young. “Hello Walls” is a gorgeous country tune, one that hit No. 1 on the Hot C&W Sides chart and No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. The crossover hit would have sounded incredible as a Nelson-recorded original. Thankfully, though, Nelson being the sole songwriter helped give him some big exposure in the country music world early on in his career.
“Crazy” by Patsy Cline from ‘Showcase’
This might be a controversial entry. Nobody could sing “Crazy” quite like the incomparable Patsy Cline. But one can’t help but wonder if Willie Nelson would have reached similar charting heights by recording the song first. Who knows? Either way, “Crazy” is easily one of Nelson’s best compositions and one of Cline’s best performances.
“Family Bible” by Claude Gray (1960)
This very early songwriting effort from Willie Nelson has a gospel vibe to it, and it’s one of his earliest songs to find success through another artist’s recording. Nelson penned this tune while working as a DJ in Washington state. Sadly, due to financial problems, he sold the song to Paul Buskirk, and Buskirk gave it to Claude Gray to perform. Nelson would later record a version of his own decades later, but it didn’t chart nearly as well as Gray’s version. It’s a shame, because his version is actually fantastic.
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