The Opus is still in Texas. What does Willie Nelson’s Red Headed Stranger have in common with Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot? How does that commonality change the course of music history ever? And just how close did Willie Nelson come to slipping into total obscurity. Red Headed Stranger launched an improbable career, created a genre, and changed the world forever. In this installment of The Opus, we get a first-hand look at the massive, culture-shifting changes that came from one pivot, one moment, one record, one man’s faith in his own work. Host Andy Bothwell, along with legendary Texas historian Joe Nick Patoski, takes you through the most pivotal time in Willie Nelson’s life, and just how close we came to never knowing Willie at all. Next year marks the 45th anniversary of Willie Nelson’s breakthrough country outlaw album, Red Headed Stranger. To celebrate, you can preview or stream music from Willie Nelson here. Bonus: We’re giving away a 14-LP Willie Nelson vinyl prize pack!