The untold story of Willie Nelson and his sister, Bobbie, who, over the course of their lives together, supported each other through personal tragedies and triumphs and forged an unbreakable bond through their shared love of music   “Tender and intimate.”— The New Yorker “Poignant, beautiful, heartfelt.”— New York Journal of Books ONE OF THE BEST MUSIC BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Rolling Stone, Kirkus Reviews Abandoned by their parents as toddlers, Willie and Bobbie Nelson found their love of music almost immediately through their grandparents, who raised them in a small Texas town. Their close relationship was the longest-lasting bond in both their lives. In alternating chapters, this heartfelt dual memoir weaves together both their stories as they experienced them side by side and apart. The Nelsons share powerful, emotional moments from growing up, playing music in public for the first time, and facing trials in adulthood, as Willie pursued songwriting and Bobbie faced a series of challenging relationships and a musical career that took off only when attitudes about women began to change in Texas. This is Bobbie’s only memoir, and in it she candidly shares her life story in full. Her deeply affecting chapters delve into her personal relationships and life as a mother and as a musician with technical skills that even Willie admits surpass his own. In his poignant stories, Willie shares the depth of his bond with his sister, and how that bond carried him through his most troubled moments. Willie and Bobbie supported each other through unthinkable personal heartbreak, and they always shared in each other’s victories. Through dizzying highs and traumatic lows, spanning almost nine decades of life, Willie and Bobbie always had each other’s back. Their story is an inspiring, lyrical statement of how family always finds the way. “Written in gritty, unapologetic Texas jargon, in short chapters alternating between Willie and Bobbie, Me and Sister Bobbie, a poignant, beautiful, heartfelt co-memoir, delights and astounds.” — New York Journal of Books “Tender and intimate.” — The New Yorker “Nelson and Family Band fans will relish even the details they already knew, and readers just seeking a mostly uplifting family story will be pleased as well.” — Rolling Stone “Spanning close to nine decades, Willie and Bobbie’s story is one of the endurance of family and power of music as a beacon of healing—a pitch-perfect read.” — Country Living Willie Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993. Bobbie Nelson is a pianist, singer, and member of the band Willie Nelson and Family. She died in 2022. David Ritz has collaborated on books with everyone from Ray Charles to Aretha Franklin. Brother Nearly nine decades. A long lifetime. Hard to believe that it was sixty years ago I wrote a song called “Funny How Time Slips Away.” Wrote it when I was only twenty-seven, and I really didn’t know what I was talking about. Except I did. As a kid, I was only imagining a romance that had gone sour. As it turned out, my imagination was pretty good. Little did I know that one day I’d wake up and realize I have enough memories to fill a shelf of books. I’ve written a few books before, but there’s one that passed me by. Probably passed me by ’cause the heroine is too humble to demand attention. The heroine is my sister, Bobbie. Bobbie’s got the best story in our whole family. But to tell it right, I needed Bobbie by my side. I needed Bobbie to tell it herself. It’s our good fortune that Bobbie has agreed. Without my sister, I’d never be where I am today. I’ve always needed her. I was born restless. Born curious. Born ready to run. And I did. Started running at an early age. Kept running, stumbling, getting back up and running some more. Would have run into complete ruin if it hadn’t been for my first and best friend, Bobbie. If I was the sky, Bobbie was the earth. She grounded me. Two years older, she also protected me. She was there at the very beginning and remains with me, on and offstage, to this very day. There’s no stronger or longer or steadier relationship in my life. Our stories are intertwined as only sibling stories can be. Many a time she’s mended my broken heart. Many a time I’ve tried to mend hers. In the Nelson family, high drama comes with the territory. Crazy twists and turns began in our childhood and never stopped. Good breaks and bad breaks, triumphs and tragedies. My bond with Bobbie is a testimony to the healing power of family. Ironically, perhaps, our bond was born out of the collapse of our original family. It could have been devastating, except I was a toddler when it happened. I have no memory of the actual event. But for Bobbie, it was different. Sister Willie and I had always lived with Dad’s parents, Alfred and Nancy Nelson. I was not told why. I liked