Introduction:
Willie Nelson without Trigger is like a preacher without a pulpit.
That battered, hole-punched Martin N-20 classical guitar is more than an instrument. It is a holy relic. And for the 92-year-old outlaw who changed country music forever, it is the one thing that has kept him going onstage for over half a century.
But in his own words, the day Trigger goes is the day he walks away.
It is hard to believe that Willie Nelson ever considered retiring from music, but back in 1972, he came real close. After years of being wrangled by the polished and soul-sucking machine that was the Nashville system, Willie was burned out and beat down. RCA had stripped away everything raw and real from his sound, trying to fit him into a shiny mold that never fit. They wanted rhinestones and studio polish, but he wanted grit and truth. So he bought out his own contract, packed it up, and left Nashville in his rearview mirror.
He landed in Austin, Texas, with a busted recording career, a failed pig farm, and nothing but the clothes on his back. But Austin was different. The city welcomed his rough edges. The Armadillo World Headquarters did not want gloss, it wanted grit. Willie found a new scene of hippies and rednecks alike who loved him for exactly who he was. That is where the Fourth of July Picnic was born, and more importantly, it is where Willie dusted off Trigger, walked back on stage, and changed the game.
Fast forward to today, and that same guitar is still slung over his shoulder. Trigger has been through everything with him, including fires, floods, broken hearts, and thousands of shows. It has holes in it big enough to swallow a pick, and its fretboard is worn down to the bone. But it still sings like it did in 1969. And so does Willie.
Willie has made it clear that he is not retiring because of age, fame, or fortune. He is not slowing down because the world tells him to. He is not done until Trigger is done.
In his book The Tao of Willie, he put it plain and simple. That guitar is part of him. If you handed Willie a brand new high-end guitar, he said it would sound like him trying to copy himself. But Trigger is real. Trigger is original. Trigger is soul. It is the voice inside his voice. And if that ever goes silent, then so will he.
And maybe that is the most outlaw thing about him. Willie Nelson is not powered by fame or money. He is powered by loyalty. Loyalty to his music. Loyalty to his fans. And most of all, loyalty to a guitar that has been with him longer than most marriages last.
He has already said it once, and he will keep saying it. When Trigger goes, he will quit.
But as long as that beat-up six-string keeps singing, you can bet your boots that Willie Nelson will be right there next to it, singing just as strong, just as stubborn, and just as legendary as ever.
Here is to the last man standing. And here is to Trigger, the last guitar standing. May they both ride until the strings give out and the sky goes dark.
Because when Willie finally hangs it up, it will not be the end of a show.
It will be the end of an era.