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How did Willie Nelson become the man he is? It's a long story.

Willie Nelson new memoir chronicles his early years and how they shaped him as an artist and a man.
It's hard to imagine a time when Willie Nelson was not an iconic figure. Over six decades, the celebrated country singer has put out more than two hundred albums. (Gerald Herbert/Associated Press)

Mellow country superstar Willie Nelson calls Shad from his tour bus to reflect the journey that's made him the man he is today. 

As an artist, the prolific country star has released more than two hundred albums — eight in the last five years alone. As an activist, he's shown his support for family farmers, marijuana legalization and LGBT rights.

But before all that, Nelson was a boy from Abbott, Texas with a dream and a love of music. He sheds light on those formative years in his new memoir, It's a Long Story.

WEB EXTRA | Watch a Willie Nelson classic, Always on My Mind, as well as the first single from his new record, Django & Jimmie by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard.