The Night Willie Winked at Me

The Willie Nelson show at the Backyard is coming up in a couple of weeks. There's a link on our website that will take you to the ticket page, so you can be there to celebrate 20 years of the Backyard and 80 years of Willie Nelson on this planet! (His birthday is just a couple days later.) 

Last year, the Willie show was one of the first things I shot for KOKE. For Willie's first few songs, I was up front getting smushed by all the other photographers trying to get the spot I had secured at the center of the stage. But for shots like, this:

I guess I don't mind getting pushed around a little bit! I wouldn't say it was my favorite part of the night, though.

Willie cheesed for the camera a few times just like all the other artists do (we photographers appreciate that very much, by the way!), but even that wasn't my favorite part of the night.

My favorite part of the night was actually when I got done shooting. I was stuck in the middle of who knows how many other photographers, so it took me a little longer to move away from the stage than everybody else. Okay, maybe I lingered a little, but come on, who wouldn't?

Either way, I was watching Willie sing as I (slowly) made my way back to the sidelines, and in the middle of the song, he totally looked right at me! Normally, I would expect myself to offer some weird little wave or to just break eye contact immediately. But what came out instead was a wink. Yes, I did that. I winked at Willie Nelson. And yes, he is about to be 80.

But that didn't keep him from winking back at me! 

That, neighbors, was my favorite part of the night! I know better than to think that he remembers it (Daddy points out that he probably gets that a lot!), but I won't be forgetting it anytime soon!

See you soon, Willie! ;)

Jenni