Courtesy Facebook/Natalie Ford
This past Wednesday, Willie Nelson and Family lost not only the Family’s drummer, but one of Willie’s closest friends–Paul English.
Paul began playing with Willie back in 1955, in the clubs along the Jacksboro Highway in Fort Worth. He didn’t begin playing full-time for Willie until 1966, after having played for Delbert McClinton. Plus, he was a total character. He was a preacher’s kid, who ended up managing the um, “Peroxide Gang”, which was a group of ladies of the evening entertainment kind. He also strong-armed for Willie, when a bar or club-owner would ‘forget’ to pay at the end of the gig. Paul had a glass eye, carried multiple firearms on his person, and wore a cape, during performances. But Willie Nelson loved the man, and apparently the feeling was mutual.
I met Paul English and his brother Billy too, when Willie played the Perot several years back. I didn’t get the feeling that Paul was a reprobate. Maybe he was in reprobate recovery.
Paul English was 87…passed of pneumonia.
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