Willie Washing in Austin: South Congress Avenue and Elizabeth Street include a large electric guitar mural in poor condition. Trigger, Willie Nelson’s guitar, is this one. The Texas flag’s bright picture on a stone wall draws attention. Underneath this tribute, rich folks wearing Hermès and Love Shack Fancy bags head to their fashionable Teslas.
This painting portrays Austin’s “Willie-Washing.” trend. The number of paintings honoring the city’s most famous artist, Willie Nelson, has surged 900 percent in the past decade. Even $400 cowboy boot stores are joining the trend.
A new term, Willie-Washing, will catch on. It means exploiting the fact that everyone loves the Red-Headed Stranger to connect and sell. It’s a popular marketing approach, like when a posh Southern California boutique decorates their storefront with Willie Nelson photos or a mural of him sporting an Astros t-shirt.
You can almost imagine corporate leaders discussing these marketing plans in plain meeting rooms using “brand positioning” and “organic marketing.” They may only know Willie’s hit “On the Road Again.”
A local men’s apparel store had a mural painted in 2016. It read, “Willie for President.” This mural started this trend. Willie’s influence spread across the city soon after. In the recent year, three new works have honored him. The SoCo shop sells $40 T-shirts with the painting.
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A strange business on North Lamar showed a mural of Willie wearing an Astros t-shirt and urging the city to “Have a Willie Dope Day.” If you look closely, his hat has the brand’s name. Despite not speaking to Mr. Nelson, this brand that sells kimonos, “fun stuff,” and “house vibes.” may be unfamiliar to him. The “house vibes” aspect suggests they have a $85 French press for looks rather than coffee.
Hippie icon Willie Nelson would never have condoned such trash. Relaxed, rule-avoidant people enjoyed his music. They enjoyed the Fourth of July with cheap coolers from Lone Star. He changed country music by helping rebels and others outside the Texas establishment. Austin is growing more like Dallas and Los Angeles. Interestingly, Austin’s reputation is helping this shift.
No one likes Willie Nelson like Austin. New Jerseyans love The Boss almost as much as Austin loves Willie Nelson. When do we have enough? I had just relocated to Austin from California, so I hadn’t heard Red-Headed Stranger songs. I adore listening to his music with my French bulldog, Willie, and I feel relaxed.
Our Reader’s Queries
Why is Willie Nelson famous in Austin?
After relocating to Austin, Texas, Nelson found new inspiration in the thriving hippie music scene, particularly at the Armadillo World Headquarters. His unique blend of country, folk, and jazz music propelled him to stardom in Austin, where he gained a devoted following.
When did Willie move to Austin?
In 1972, Nelson relocated to Austin, Texas.