Paula Nelson

HOME: OCTOBER 10, 2008: MUSIC

Black Belt of the Rodeo
Paula Nelson's 'Standing Tall'

BY MARGARET MOSER

Photo by Shelley Hiam

Here's a life lesson Paula Nelson learned the hard way: When your father's modern country's most famous rebel and your mother's a spitfire mover and shaker, life's journey is guaranteed to be hairpin curves, roadblocks, and miles of open highway.

As the first child of Willie Nelson and his third wife, Connie, Paula was born in the emotional crossfire of the singer's crumbling second marriage and new love with his future spouse, a scene repeated cinematically and in her own life. Behind her father's fame, the brutal glare of publicity took a predictable toll on Paula, but her mother's persistence and her own desire to shed the drugs of her teenage years paid off: She discovered she could sing.

Yet stepping up to the microphone in the long shadow of a famous legacy presents its own problems. Just ask those whose last names are Cash, Lennon, Jennings, or Dylan. Nelson chose a lower-profile approach in her willingness to learn to crawl before she could rock.

Make no mistake. Paula Nelson's a sweetheart, but this isn't her first time at the rodeo.
Cheaper Than Therapy

Minutes before her 2:30pm set on opening day of Austin City Limits 2008, Paula Nelson, 38, walks between a monitor and the microphone on the BMI stage. A hot-pink flower nestles behind her ear in a soft mane spun in a multitude of blond shades. It frames her face prettily, much as the celadon green of her bell-sleeved blouse matches her feline eyes. It doesn't look like she's running on four hours of sleep.

Her set weaves favorites "Standing Tall" and "Baby You're Mean" from her recent CD, Lucky 13, with cover "It Ain't Me, Babe," new tune "Riddles and Rhymes," and classic duet "Jackson." Backed by guitarists Landis Armstrong and George Devore, plus drummer Kevin Remme and bassist Chris Johnson, Nelson's twangy roots groove resounds with veteran precision. It's the sound of someone bottle-fed country but who developed a taste for singing and writing blues.

"It's such therapy to get a song on paper," explains Nelson of the process. "The songs on Lucky 13 are already the last chapter; I've written nine new songs for the next CD I'm calling Little City's Last Call. I decided I shouldn't have any limitations about what I write about, just write what I feel. And it's cheaper than therapy."

And rehab. Nelson was a toddler when her father led the outlaw country movement. Willie Nelson's ascent into superstardom came with its own set of difficulties, including a celebrated showdown with the IRS and so many busts his name became synonymous with high-dollar weed. After her parents' divorce – a sequence of events mirrored in the not-so-fictional 1980 film Honeysuckle Rose in which actress Amy Irving co-starred both on- and offscreen – Paula moved with her mother back to Austin and enrolled in the notoriously snobby Westlake High School.

"It was tough going to Westlake. I was 16 and had been living in Colorado since grade school where it didn't matter, but to be Willie Nelson's daughter in Texas was huge. [By 12th grade], I was doing a lot of coke, anything I could get my hands on, really. Adolescent angst. I got tired: tired of the scene, tired of it all."

Enter former Dallas Cowboy Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson, who stood by her mother, Connie, when she steered the high school senior into a San Diego treatment center. Not only did she complete treatment, but she graduated via correspondence courses, thus becoming the first Nelson to earn a high school diploma. Like many recovering addicts, she became a counselor, thriving in balmy Southern California. A visit to Austin changed her direction, thanks to Clifford Antone's encouragement.

"I went back to San Diego with a fire under me," recounts Nelson, beginning to giggle. "I started going to karaoke bars. I'm 20 years old singing 'Crazy' in a karaoke bar because it was safe to sing, like 'Love Will Keep Us Together.' On the monitor it said, 'Crazy, written by Willie Nelson.' Get outta town! I felt like such a schmuck! I thought Patsy Cline had written it. I had no clue my dad wrote it."
Black Belts and Outlaw Blues

At Satellite Cafe in Oak Hill, a short drive from her home in Dripping Springs, Nelson orders fish tacos, "because I'm a creature of habit and always order the same thing."

Maybe that's one way of keeping a handle on things when other aspects of life derail. Not long ago, she moved to Colorado and married. Putting her career on the back burner, she became a massage therapist. Then the marriage fell apart.

"I moved back here, got divorced, and said, - The Austin Chronicle

HOME: OCTOBER 10, 2008: MUSIC

Black Belt of the Rodeo
Paula Nelson's 'Standing Tall'

BY MARGARET MOSER

Photo by Shelley Hiam

Here's a life lesson Paula Nelson learned the hard way: When your father's modern country's most famous rebel and your mother's a spitfire mover and shaker, life's journey is guaranteed to be hairpin curves, roadblocks, and miles of open highway.

As the first child of Willie Nelson and his third wife, Connie, Paula was born in the emotional crossfire of the singer's crumbling second marriage and new love with his future spouse, a scene repeated cinematically and in her own life. Behind her father's fame, the brutal glare of publicity took a predictable toll on Paula, but her mother's persistence and her own desire to shed the drugs of her teenage years paid off: She discovered she could sing.

Yet stepping up to the microphone in the long shadow of a famous legacy presents its own problems. Just ask those whose last names are Cash, Lennon, Jennings, or Dylan. Nelson chose a lower-profile approach in her willingness to learn to crawl before she could rock.

Make no mistake. Paula Nelson's a sweetheart, but this isn't her first time at the rodeo.
Cheaper Than Therapy

Minutes before her 2:30pm set on opening day of Austin City Limits 2008, Paula Nelson, 38, walks between a monitor and the microphone on the BMI stage. A hot-pink flower nestles behind her ear in a soft mane spun in a multitude of blond shades. It frames her face prettily, much as the celadon green of her bell-sleeved blouse matches her feline eyes. It doesn't look like she's running on four hours of sleep.

Her set weaves favorites "Standing Tall" and "Baby You're Mean" from her recent CD, Lucky 13, with cover "It Ain't Me, Babe," new tune "Riddles and Rhymes," and classic duet "Jackson." Backed by guitarists Landis Armstrong and George Devore, plus drummer Kevin Remme and bassist Chris Johnson, Nelson's twangy roots groove resounds with veteran precision. It's the sound of someone bottle-fed country but who developed a taste for singing and writing blues.

"It's such therapy to get a song on paper," explains Nelson of the process. "The songs on Lucky 13 are already the last chapter; I've written nine new songs for the next CD I'm calling Little City's Last Call. I decided I shouldn't have any limitations about what I write about, just write what I feel. And it's cheaper than therapy."

And rehab. Nelson was a toddler when her father led the outlaw country movement. Willie Nelson's ascent into superstardom came with its own set of difficulties, including a celebrated showdown with the IRS and so many busts his name became synonymous with high-dollar weed. After her parents' divorce – a sequence of events mirrored in the not-so-fictional 1980 film Honeysuckle Rose in which actress Amy Irving co-starred both on- and offscreen – Paula moved with her mother back to Austin and enrolled in the notoriously snobby Westlake High School.

"It was tough going to Westlake. I was 16 and had been living in Colorado since grade school where it didn't matter, but to be Willie Nelson's daughter in Texas was huge. [By 12th grade], I was doing a lot of coke, anything I could get my hands on, really. Adolescent angst. I got tired: tired of the scene, tired of it all."

Enter former Dallas Cowboy Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson, who stood by her mother, Connie, when she steered the high school senior into a San Diego treatment center. Not only did she complete treatment, but she graduated via correspondence courses, thus becoming the first Nelson to earn a high school diploma. Like many recovering addicts, she became a counselor, thriving in balmy Southern California. A visit to Austin changed her direction, thanks to Clifford Antone's encouragement.

"I went back to San Diego with a fire under me," recounts Nelson, beginning to giggle. "I started going to karaoke bars. I'm 20 years old singing 'Crazy' in a karaoke bar because it was safe to sing, like 'Love Will Keep Us Together.' On the monitor it said, 'Crazy, written by Willie Nelson.' Get outta town! I felt like such a schmuck! I thought Patsy Cline had written it. I had no clue my dad wrote it."
Black Belts and Outlaw Blues

At Satellite Cafe in Oak Hill, a short drive from her home in Dripping Springs, Nelson orders fish tacos, "because I'm a creature of habit and always order the same thing."

Maybe that's one way of keeping a handle on things when other aspects of life derail. Not long ago, she moved to Colorado and married. Putting her career on the back burner, she became a massage therapist. Then the marriage fell apart.

"I moved back here, got divorced, and said, - The Austin Chronicle

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Paula Nelson makes state debut — twice

BY JACK W. HILL

Posted on Sunday, August 31, 2008

Being a child of a star is a mixed blessing, embraced by some, spurned by others. Some try to avoid the trappings and then reverse course.

Paula Nelson readily acknowledges she has a father named Willie. Nelson, that is. But she’s out to make her own kind of music, and is bringing it to Arkansas for the first time. Now on tour to promote her third album, Lucky 13, Nelson has lined up shows in central and Northwest Arkansas.

“The difference in what I’ve done and the latest is the band I now have,” Nelson says. “We’ve been together about three years and we all just work so well together.” Nelson’s band members are George Devore on acoustic guitar and vocals, Landis Armstrong on electric guitar and vocals, Matt Hubbard on keyboards, harmonica and vocals, Chris Johnson on bass and Kevin Remme on drums and vocals.

While her dad is renowned for his guitar playing, she is content to play keyboards and sing, and in person, singing is enough for her.

“I write with guitar and piano, and when I play, my musicians are so great, there’s no need for me to play piano on stage,” she explains. “I used to bring my keyboards with me to shows, but they’re heavy, and I wouldn’t want anyone to have to carry my stuff. And when I’m playing piano, I’m thinking, ‘Oh, God, I don’t want to mess up here !’” Before she realized that music was perhaps her true calling, she tried other pursuits in her rebellious years.

“I worked as a vet tech for a while, and I went to massage school,” she says. “And I was giving massages six days a week and I wanted to be on the table. Then I was a terrible waitress. I had to get away from music for a while to appreciate it.” As some might expect, Nelson declines requests to perform songs associated with her father’s career, although she’s found that many fans are not shy about requesting them.

“It depends on the bar I’m in, or what part of the country or how drunk the people are,” she laughs. “But I am reminded of that old joke: ‘How many girl singers does it take to sing “ Crazy” ?’ Apparently all of them ! I even was one of them years ago when I was 19 — I’m 38 now — and it was a karaoke scene, and I would sing it, thinking it was Patsy Cline who wrote it.

“I did do a couple of dad’s songs for a big celebration about his 75 th birthday, where folks picked their favorites and my picks were ‘I Never Cared for You’ and ‘Don’t Wake Me Till It’s Over,’ and I found out the hard way that my favorite, ‘I Never Cared for You,’ was almost harder to sing than the national anthem.” Her sound has been called “a little yodel mixed with jazz, blues, country and kick-butt rock ’n’ roll,” says the Texas Music Times magazine, as it praises five of the 13 songs on her Lucky 13 CD: “Fire Below,” “ Baby You’re Mean, ” “Find Your Way” and “Day to Day Love.” And speaking of “kick-butt rock ’n’ roll,” Nelson has a reputation for her skills in tae kwon do and also in stock car racing.

“Eight years ago, my dad got into tae kwon do, and now he’s a black belt and I am, too,” she says. “And I’ve always thought of a car as my sanctuary, and when the producer of Friday Night Lights, which is filmed here, called and asked me if I would be interested in a celebrity-type race, I jumped at the chance, and I came in second, beating seven guys and three girls. It was wonderful. I loved it, but it’s way more expensive of a hobby than I can afford.” If musical fame eludes her, she now has hope that maybe acting in movies is her ticket to fame. She has a part in Conflict of Interest, a movie due out next year in which she plays the mistress of Michael Madsen.

“My jaw dropped and hit the floor when I heard what my role would be,” she confesses. “I didn’t have to act at all for a love scene with him.” Paula Nelson Band 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sticky Fingerz Chicken Shack, 107 Commerce St. Tickets: $ 5 (501 ) 372-7707 9: 30 p.m. Thursday, George’s Majestic Lounge, 519 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville Opening act for Charlie Robison Admission: $ 15 (479 ) 442-4226

- Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Paula Nelson makes state debut — twice

BY JACK W. HILL

Posted on Sunday, August 31, 2008

Being a child of a star is a mixed blessing, embraced by some, spurned by others. Some try to avoid the trappings and then reverse course.

Paula Nelson readily acknowledges she has a father named Willie. Nelson, that is. But she’s out to make her own kind of music, and is bringing it to Arkansas for the first time. Now on tour to promote her third album, Lucky 13, Nelson has lined up shows in central and Northwest Arkansas.

“The difference in what I’ve done and the latest is the band I now have,” Nelson says. “We’ve been together about three years and we all just work so well together.” Nelson’s band members are George Devore on acoustic guitar and vocals, Landis Armstrong on electric guitar and vocals, Matt Hubbard on keyboards, harmonica and vocals, Chris Johnson on bass and Kevin Remme on drums and vocals.

While her dad is renowned for his guitar playing, she is content to play keyboards and sing, and in person, singing is enough for her.

“I write with guitar and piano, and when I play, my musicians are so great, there’s no need for me to play piano on stage,” she explains. “I used to bring my keyboards with me to shows, but they’re heavy, and I wouldn’t want anyone to have to carry my stuff. And when I’m playing piano, I’m thinking, ‘Oh, God, I don’t want to mess up here !’” Before she realized that music was perhaps her true calling, she tried other pursuits in her rebellious years.

“I worked as a vet tech for a while, and I went to massage school,” she says. “And I was giving massages six days a week and I wanted to be on the table. Then I was a terrible waitress. I had to get away from music for a while to appreciate it.” As some might expect, Nelson declines requests to perform songs associated with her father’s career, although she’s found that many fans are not shy about requesting them.

“It depends on the bar I’m in, or what part of the country or how drunk the people are,” she laughs. “But I am reminded of that old joke: ‘How many girl singers does it take to sing “ Crazy” ?’ Apparently all of them ! I even was one of them years ago when I was 19 — I’m 38 now — and it was a karaoke scene, and I would sing it, thinking it was Patsy Cline who wrote it.

“I did do a couple of dad’s songs for a big celebration about his 75 th birthday, where folks picked their favorites and my picks were ‘I Never Cared for You’ and ‘Don’t Wake Me Till It’s Over,’ and I found out the hard way that my favorite, ‘I Never Cared for You,’ was almost harder to sing than the national anthem.” Her sound has been called “a little yodel mixed with jazz, blues, country and kick-butt rock ’n’ roll,” says the Texas Music Times magazine, as it praises five of the 13 songs on her Lucky 13 CD: “Fire Below,” “ Baby You’re Mean, ” “Find Your Way” and “Day to Day Love.” And speaking of “kick-butt rock ’n’ roll,” Nelson has a reputation for her skills in tae kwon do and also in stock car racing.

“Eight years ago, my dad got into tae kwon do, and now he’s a black belt and I am, too,” she says. “And I’ve always thought of a car as my sanctuary, and when the producer of Friday Night Lights, which is filmed here, called and asked me if I would be interested in a celebrity-type race, I jumped at the chance, and I came in second, beating seven guys and three girls. It was wonderful. I loved it, but it’s way more expensive of a hobby than I can afford.” If musical fame eludes her, she now has hope that maybe acting in movies is her ticket to fame. She has a part in Conflict of Interest, a movie due out next year in which she plays the mistress of Michael Madsen.

“My jaw dropped and hit the floor when I heard what my role would be,” she confesses. “I didn’t have to act at all for a love scene with him.” Paula Nelson Band 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sticky Fingerz Chicken Shack, 107 Commerce St. Tickets: $ 5 (501 ) 372-7707 9: 30 p.m. Thursday, George’s Majestic Lounge, 519 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville Opening act for Charlie Robison Admission: $ 15 (479 ) 442-4226

- Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Nelson in a happy, busy place

Web Posted: 06/12/2008 01:52 PM CDT

By Hector Saldaña
Express-News Staff Writer

It's just another manic Wednesday for Austin singer Paula Nelson as she preps for her regular midweek gig at hometown music landmark Saxon Pub.

“I've been running around trying to figure out what I'm going to wear and trying to write a song in the middle of running around trying to put curlers in my hair,” said Nelson breathlessly. “Just a normal day here at my house.”

Nelson opens for Charlie Robison at the County Line, 10101 I-10 W., at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Willie Nelson's daughter even manages to mix in martial arts and stunt-car driving between gigs and promoting her excellent new album, her third effort, “Lucky 13.”

Charlie Robison, Paula Nelson
•Where: County Line, 10101 I-10 W.
•When: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday
•Admission: Free
One of its highlights is “Baby You're Mean,” that recalls Delbert McClinton at his sassy, swaggering best.

“I've gotten a lot of response on that one,” she said. “It seems to fit a lot of people's feelings about someone or many someones.”

Nelson, 38, has been on the scene for about a dozen years. At the beginning, her last name presented a challenge.

“I was so timid,” she said. “I was afraid of people thinking of me as Dad or listening really hard to see if I sounded like him or just comparing me in any way. It would just terrify me because I really didn't have the confidence yet. I really went though that in the beginning.”

She has developed her own fun, rollicking style. Nelson credits her band for her sound. “It's the way that you feel if you've got your buddies with you. It makes it fun rather than work. That's what made the record the most special. This record is so much fun.”

Nelson is close to her parents, especially her legendary dad, who she said is always there for her and supportive.

“At the beginning of my career, he said jokingly, but with a little hint of seriousness, ‘Watch everything I've done and do the exact opposite,'” she said. “Everybody laughed and said, ‘That's funny.' But there's probably some truth to that.”

Mostly there is pride in her voice as she talks about the not-so Red Headed Stranger. “We have a bond like no other,” she added.

Her father and her younger brother, Luke Nelson, guest on the latest album. They sing harmony on “Day to Day Love.”

Nelson learned how to play piano from her aunt — pianist Bobbie Nelson — but she leaves that task to her band. The majority of her songs (she's a bluesy rocker and traditional country stylist) are about “love that's gone good or gone bad.”

“That's kind of a given, but I'm trying to break out of that,” said Nelson. “I'm not in a place right now where I have to write about being happy or sad in a relationship.”

Make that a fun place.

She and her dad have black belts in tae kwon do. An ex-boyfriend got her into stunt driving (good enough for NBC's “Friday Night Lights”). She's driven NASCAR, too.

“Why not? They're fun things to do, and I definitely like driving fast,' she said.

Living in Austin, Nelson can act her age. There was a time when some tried to doll her up.

“In the beginning, yeah. That was when I was in the naïve, insecure stages,” she said. “There were a few club owners that said, ‘Hey, you've got to shake your butt a little. You need to dance when you're up there.' And it would just piss me off, you know.

“I write the songs and I sing 'em. I'm not Britney Spears. I'm not trying to be.”

- San Antonio- Express news

Nelson in a happy, busy place

Web Posted: 06/12/2008 01:52 PM CDT

By Hector Saldaña
Express-News Staff Writer

It's just another manic Wednesday for Austin singer Paula Nelson as she preps for her regular midweek gig at hometown music landmark Saxon Pub.

“I've been running around trying to figure out what I'm going to wear and trying to write a song in the middle of running around trying to put curlers in my hair,” said Nelson breathlessly. “Just a normal day here at my house.”

Nelson opens for Charlie Robison at the County Line, 10101 I-10 W., at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Willie Nelson's daughter even manages to mix in martial arts and stunt-car driving between gigs and promoting her excellent new album, her third effort, “Lucky 13.”

Charlie Robison, Paula Nelson
•Where: County Line, 10101 I-10 W.
•When: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday
•Admission: Free
One of its highlights is “Baby You're Mean,” that recalls Delbert McClinton at his sassy, swaggering best.

“I've gotten a lot of response on that one,” she said. “It seems to fit a lot of people's feelings about someone or many someones.”

Nelson, 38, has been on the scene for about a dozen years. At the beginning, her last name presented a challenge.

“I was so timid,” she said. “I was afraid of people thinking of me as Dad or listening really hard to see if I sounded like him or just comparing me in any way. It would just terrify me because I really didn't have the confidence yet. I really went though that in the beginning.”

She has developed her own fun, rollicking style. Nelson credits her band for her sound. “It's the way that you feel if you've got your buddies with you. It makes it fun rather than work. That's what made the record the most special. This record is so much fun.”

Nelson is close to her parents, especially her legendary dad, who she said is always there for her and supportive.

“At the beginning of my career, he said jokingly, but with a little hint of seriousness, ‘Watch everything I've done and do the exact opposite,'” she said. “Everybody laughed and said, ‘That's funny.' But there's probably some truth to that.”

Mostly there is pride in her voice as she talks about the not-so Red Headed Stranger. “We have a bond like no other,” she added.

Her father and her younger brother, Luke Nelson, guest on the latest album. They sing harmony on “Day to Day Love.”

Nelson learned how to play piano from her aunt — pianist Bobbie Nelson — but she leaves that task to her band. The majority of her songs (she's a bluesy rocker and traditional country stylist) are about “love that's gone good or gone bad.”

“That's kind of a given, but I'm trying to break out of that,” said Nelson. “I'm not in a place right now where I have to write about being happy or sad in a relationship.”

Make that a fun place.

She and her dad have black belts in tae kwon do. An ex-boyfriend got her into stunt driving (good enough for NBC's “Friday Night Lights”). She's driven NASCAR, too.

“Why not? They're fun things to do, and I definitely like driving fast,' she said.

Living in Austin, Nelson can act her age. There was a time when some tried to doll her up.

“In the beginning, yeah. That was when I was in the naïve, insecure stages,” she said. “There were a few club owners that said, ‘Hey, you've got to shake your butt a little. You need to dance when you're up there.' And it would just piss me off, you know.

“I write the songs and I sing 'em. I'm not Britney Spears. I'm not trying to be.”

- San Antonio- Express news

"Willie's daughter, Paula, is a golden-haired spitfire with a voice bearing the edge of a life lived hard. Armed with a debut record ("Lucky 13"), Nelson and her band won't have to coast on any of the old man's material when playing..." - Chicago Sun Times

"Willie's daughter, Paula, is a golden-haired spitfire with a voice bearing the edge of a life lived hard. Armed with a debut record ("Lucky 13"), Nelson and her band won't have to coast on any of the old man's material when playing..." - Chicago Sun Times

"Paula Nelson has done an admirable job of not riding her famous father Willie's coattails (or ponytails?) and making her own go of it. Part of her success has come from echoing other Texas legends- including Lou Ann Barton, Marcia Ball and Janis Joplin - more than her honky-tonking dad, resulting in a rollicking boogie-woogie and soulful blues-rock mix in her new CD, LUCKY 13." - Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Paula Nelson has done an admirable job of not riding her famous father Willie's coattails (or ponytails?) and making her own go of it. Part of her success has come from echoing other Texas legends- including Lou Ann Barton, Marcia Ball and Janis Joplin - more than her honky-tonking dad, resulting in a rollicking boogie-woogie and soulful blues-rock mix in her new CD, LUCKY 13." - Minneapolis Star Tribune

"If you listen to The Paula Nelson Band's LUCKY 13 you'll hear an artist on the rise, singing from her heart and rocking with her soul. The Sky's the limit for Paula."

-Jody Denberg- 107.1- KGSR Content Manager - Jody Denberg- 107.1- KGSR Content Manager

"If you listen to The Paula Nelson Band's LUCKY 13 you'll hear an artist on the rise, singing from her heart and rocking with her soul. The Sky's the limit for Paula."

-Jody Denberg- 107.1- KGSR Content Manager - Jody Denberg- 107.1- KGSR Content Manager

LUCKY 13, the latest release from the Paula Nelson Band represents music at its finest. Whether you're with that someone special hanging in the moonlight of the Texas Hill Country, or on the Honky-Tonk floors of Houston, this album has something for everyone. ..."

- Big Kev- 90.3 KXLV- Schnecksville, PA - Big Kev- 90.3 KXLV- Schnecksville, PA

LUCKY 13, the latest release from the Paula Nelson Band represents music at its finest. Whether you're with that someone special hanging in the moonlight of the Texas Hill Country, or on the Honky-Tonk floors of Houston, this album has something for everyone. ..."

- Big Kev- 90.3 KXLV- Schnecksville, PA - Big Kev- 90.3 KXLV- Schnecksville, PA

"Texas Country needs more girl singers that can stand toe to toe with the big boys like Fowler, Cross, Randy Rogers and others. Paula Nelson is one of those girls that brings her own style to the party. Fun, Energetic and Different. God Bless Paula and her Music!"

- JB Cloud- 99.7 KBCY- Abilene - JB Cloud- 99.7 KBCY- Abilene

"Texas Country needs more girl singers that can stand toe to toe with the big boys like Fowler, Cross, Randy Rogers and others. Paula Nelson is one of those girls that brings her own style to the party. Fun, Energetic and Different. God Bless Paula and her Music!"

- JB Cloud- 99.7 KBCY- Abilene - JB Cloud- 99.7 KBCY- Abilene

Paula Nelson Band - Lucky 13
by Keith Howerton

She may have a famous name and famous father but Paula Nelson’s music and voice stands tall on its own. If anyone had any doubt, her new project Lucky 13 will soothe the most hardened of music critics. Let’s face it, sometimes talent is in the genes, and Paula has obviously gotten a good amount of whom and what her father is musically. However, she is not Willie light or really even Willie-ish. She has her own style and is different. In some of the guitar parts of Lucky 13 it is obvious that Willie’s fingers are on the frets but other than that this record is pure Paula.

Paula ranges from Blues to Beatles on Lucky 13 and the result is a fun musical ride with a little yodel mixed with jazz, blues, country, and kick butt rock and roll. Paula penned ten of the thirteen tracks and two of the covers are duets with vocal and musical star George Devore. The two collaborate on John Prine’s “Angel from Montgomery” and the June Carter and John Cash made famous Billy Wheeler and Jerry Leiber written “Jackson.” In both duets Devore and Paula’s voice match up perfectly. Those two tracks alone are worth the price of the CD and more. Devore can also be heard in many of the arrangements with his silky acoustic guitar work.

The absolute greatest joy of Lucky 13 is Paula’s keyboard work. She is a player of rare talent. The Keys are an instrument not used enough in Texas music but Paula’s uses them with masterful elegance. Keyboards are almost the backbone of Lucky 13. They are what make the record so different and unique. Use of the various keys allow Paula to move effortlessly through the genres while the listener is graced with audible nuggets and treats that keep them listening for more.

In addition to the duets with Devore the most notable tracks on the CD are “Fire Below,” “Baby You're Mean,” “Find Your Way,” “Standing Tall,” and “Day to Day Love.” In all Paula Nelson delivers her own individual treat of a record in Lucky 13. At times it is more like Delbert (McClinton) than Willie but nevertheless it is a kick butt fun record and stands all on its own with or without a famous name. A must have.
- Texas Music Times

Paula Nelson Band - Lucky 13
by Keith Howerton

She may have a famous name and famous father but Paula Nelson’s music and voice stands tall on its own. If anyone had any doubt, her new project Lucky 13 will soothe the most hardened of music critics. Let’s face it, sometimes talent is in the genes, and Paula has obviously gotten a good amount of whom and what her father is musically. However, she is not Willie light or really even Willie-ish. She has her own style and is different. In some of the guitar parts of Lucky 13 it is obvious that Willie’s fingers are on the frets but other than that this record is pure Paula.

Paula ranges from Blues to Beatles on Lucky 13 and the result is a fun musical ride with a little yodel mixed with jazz, blues, country, and kick butt rock and roll. Paula penned ten of the thirteen tracks and two of the covers are duets with vocal and musical star George Devore. The two collaborate on John Prine’s “Angel from Montgomery” and the June Carter and John Cash made famous Billy Wheeler and Jerry Leiber written “Jackson.” In both duets Devore and Paula’s voice match up perfectly. Those two tracks alone are worth the price of the CD and more. Devore can also be heard in many of the arrangements with his silky acoustic guitar work.

The absolute greatest joy of Lucky 13 is Paula’s keyboard work. She is a player of rare talent. The Keys are an instrument not used enough in Texas music but Paula’s uses them with masterful elegance. Keyboards are almost the backbone of Lucky 13. They are what make the record so different and unique. Use of the various keys allow Paula to move effortlessly through the genres while the listener is graced with audible nuggets and treats that keep them listening for more.

In addition to the duets with Devore the most notable tracks on the CD are “Fire Below,” “Baby You're Mean,” “Find Your Way,” “Standing Tall,” and “Day to Day Love.” In all Paula Nelson delivers her own individual treat of a record in Lucky 13. At times it is more like Delbert (McClinton) than Willie but nevertheless it is a kick butt fun record and stands all on its own with or without a famous name. A must have.
- Texas Music Times

New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung

March 19

http://herald-zeitung.com/story.lasso?ewcd=e7a88bb845c347ea&-
session=HeraldZeitung:40DA3C4E07ca401269gWi3101537


Being the daughter of an icon such as Willie Nelson can be both a blessing and a curse. Paula
Nelson must live in that shadow everyday, but it’s something she has learned to accept and easily
takes in stride. She’ll be at Gruene Hall this Saturday for a free show starting at 1p.m. Her new
CD, “Lucky 13,” is out now and is easily her strongest effort to date.
“It was about a year in the making,” said Nelson, calling from her home near Austin. “I had
taken a hiatus for a few years and moved to Colorado. When I came back to Austin, I hooked up
with the band I played with before I left. Then all these songs just started pouring out. I didn’t
write any songs in Denver, but once I got back to Texas, they just practically wrote themselves.
By taking some time off, it made me realize that music is what I was meant to do. Once I got the
band back together, the Saxon Pub offered us a regular Wednesday night gig. That was a big step
for us because it gives you a chance to hone your craft, almost like a paid rehearsal.”
Paula had a few tough years while living in Colorado which makes these new songs almost
therapeutic. Willie and her brother Luke join her on “Day to Day Love,” and Willie also
contributes guitar on “Surrender.” She delivers solid remakes of “Angel from Montgomery” plus
the Johnny and June Cash classic “Jackson.” It took awhile for me to discover her CD, but once I
did, it seems to reside in my CD player on a daily basis. - New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung

New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung

March 19

http://herald-zeitung.com/story.lasso?ewcd=e7a88bb845c347ea&-
session=HeraldZeitung:40DA3C4E07ca401269gWi3101537


Being the daughter of an icon such as Willie Nelson can be both a blessing and a curse. Paula
Nelson must live in that shadow everyday, but it’s something she has learned to accept and easily
takes in stride. She’ll be at Gruene Hall this Saturday for a free show starting at 1p.m. Her new
CD, “Lucky 13,” is out now and is easily her strongest effort to date.
“It was about a year in the making,” said Nelson, calling from her home near Austin. “I had
taken a hiatus for a few years and moved to Colorado. When I came back to Austin, I hooked up
with the band I played with before I left. Then all these songs just started pouring out. I didn’t
write any songs in Denver, but once I got back to Texas, they just practically wrote themselves.
By taking some time off, it made me realize that music is what I was meant to do. Once I got the
band back together, the Saxon Pub offered us a regular Wednesday night gig. That was a big step
for us because it gives you a chance to hone your craft, almost like a paid rehearsal.”
Paula had a few tough years while living in Colorado which makes these new songs almost
therapeutic. Willie and her brother Luke join her on “Day to Day Love,” and Willie also
contributes guitar on “Surrender.” She delivers solid remakes of “Angel from Montgomery” plus
the Johnny and June Cash classic “Jackson.” It took awhile for me to discover her CD, but once I
did, it seems to reside in my CD player on a daily basis. - New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung