I Don't Know A Thing

Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, will release "I Don't Know A Thing About Love", the new studio album from Willie Nelson, on Friday, March 3rd, 2023.

For his new album, Willie Nelson and band recorded fresh interpretations of 10 classic compositions penned by the legendary American songwriter Harlan Howard, an early musical contemporary of Willie's who famously defined a great country song as 'three chords and the truth'.

In a career spanning 6 decades, Howard wrote many popular songs and enduring standards for a variety of artists. In 1961 alone, he had 15 compositions on the country charts, which earned him 10 BMI awards. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 1973 and, in 1997, was inducted into both the Country Music Hall Of Fame and the Songwriters Hall Of Fame. Harlan Howard died in Nashville in 2002, at age 74, and was buried in Nashville City Cemetery.

With the release of "I Don't Know A Thing About Love", Willie Nelson brings his own perspective to the abiding musical legacy of Harlan Howard with sublime studio performances of 10 Howard songs, including the album's 1st single, "Busted". Written in 1962, "Busted" is the saga of a dirt poor farmer bemoaning his overdue bills, crop failures, and other financial woes while maintaining a sense of hope for the future. The up beat and catchy melody of "Busted" ironically underscored some potentially bleak content making the song a hit in 1963, 1st for Johnny Cash with the Carter Family on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart, #13, and then, memorably, a top 10 smash for Ray Charles on the Billboard Hot 100, #4. Ray Charles and Willie Nelson recorded a live version of "Busted" on Ray's 2005 duets album, "Genius & Friends". John Conlee hit #6 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart with his cover of "Busted" in 1982.

2023 promises to be a banner year for Willie Nelson, who turns 90 years old on April 29th. "Wille Nelson & Family", a new 5 part film documentary series directed by Thom Zimny and Oren Moverman, premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2023, in late January.

In addition, Willie Nelson is currently nominated for 4 Grammy Awards from 3 separate projects. Best Country Solo Performance for "Live Forever" from "Live Forever : A Tribute To Billy Joe Shaver; Best Country Song for "I'll Love You Till The Day I Die", songwriting award, from "A Beautiful Time", Best Country Album for "A Beautiful Time", and Best Roots Gospel Album for "The Willie Nelson Family".

Featuring cover art by Micah Nelson, who happens to be Willie's son, "I Don't Know A Thing About Love" was produced by longtime musical collaborator Buddy Cannon and debuts 10 studio performances. The band on the album includes Willie Nelson, Larry Paxton, Lonnie Wilson, Bobby Terry, James Mitchell, Mike Johnson, Mickey Raphael, Jim Brown, Wyatt Beard and Melonie Cannon.