You can understand Willie Nelson’s life as an exercise in storytelling. His music traffics in characters and scenes, tragedies and triumphs. And his legend grows from eight decades of tall tales about the man himself.
Of the stories he’s told on wax over the years, some of our favorites at Freedom Solar are “Red Headed Stranger,” “Pancho and Lefty” and “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain.” But our favorite stories from his life come from time spent offstage and out of the spotlight. That’s where he genuinely tries to make the world a better place.
At Live Aid 1985, Bob Dylan questioned onstage whether any of the money the concerts raised would go to struggling American farmers. Willie took that as a call to action, inaugurating Farm Aid with John Mellencamp and Neil Young. In its first year, the concert raised $9 million for farmers across America.
Willie stayed with Farm Aid as the president of the board. He’s been fighting for the rights of small farmers ever since.
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Getting Into Clean Energy
In the mid-2000s, while oil prices skyrocketed and the media publicized the effects of global warming, Willie Nelson decided to do something about it.
In 2004, he founded Willie Nelson Biodiesel. The venture produced diesel fuel from soy and vegetable oils, and he sold it under the name “BioWillie.” BioWillie’s depot in Carl’s Corner put rural Texas on the cutting edge of sustainability. Willie was ahead of his time with BioWillie, but his independent flair and intent to make a better world only grew stronger.
These days, Willie is a big believer in solar. His solar-powered Hawaii compound is entirely off the electrical grid. Last year, he donated barns with solar roofs to the Standing Rock protestors. And in Texas, he recommends Freedom Solar.
Just like Willie, we’re trying to make the world a better, greener place. But we don’t let that quest stand in the way of our independent streak.
We strike the balance between a Texan sense of self-reliance and a drive to help our neighbors find the cheapest, cleanest alternative energy source available.
Schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our trusted solar experts. You’ll experience the quality of service and Texas pride that Willie sees in us!