Since his stage debut way back during World War II, Willie Nelson has laid claim to being one of our greatest singer-songwriters. He's beloved across genres and by people of all political stripes. Simply put, he's an icon, a living legend, and deservedly so. What you may not know about him is he recorded his first song, "No Place for Me," in Vancouver, Washington, where he worked as a disc jockey for KVAN. This was only a few years before he wrote "Crazy," arguably one of our greatest country songs. It's been said, in fact, that Patsy Cline's cover of "Crazy" is the biggest jukebox hit of all time, but that was no beginner's luck.

Read Christian Carvajal's full feature on Willie nelson in the Music & Culture section.

WILLIE NELSON, 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29, Emerald Queen Casino, 2024 E. 29th St., Tacoma, $65-$175, 888.831.7655