A highlight of every concert I’ve seen by Willie Nelson has been hearing him sing “Me and Paul,” written about his experiences with longtime drummer Paul English. English officially joined “the family,” which Nelson called his band, in 1966, though they had met a decade earlier. So I was sad to see that English died on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020 after suffering from pneumonia. He was 87.
Paul English brushes the snare drum during a performance of “Me and Paul” with Willie Nelson on Oct. 5, 2012 in Jonesboro, Arkansas during the annual Johnny Cash Heritage Festival. Photos: Michael Hibblen/ KUAR News.
Only once did I cover a Willie Nelson concert as a reporter. That was on Oct. 5, 2012 during the annual Johnny Cash Heritage Festival, which raises money to restore and maintain Cash’s boyhood home in Dyess, Arkansas. Cash and Nelson had long been friends, performed together in the supergroup the Highwaymen, and released a live album together in 1998, the incredible VH1 Storytellers, in which they alternated stories and songs. So it seemed a natural having Nelson play to help support the project for his late friend’s home, which had its roots in a New Deal program during the Great Depression.
Willie Nelson at the Oct. 5, 2012 concert in Jonesboro, Ark.
I was in the pit at the front of the stage shooting photos at the 2012 show and was happy, as I heard Nelson introduce “Me and Paul,” to see a spotlight shine on the drummer, with me taking the photo above of English in signature hat, black outfit and cape. I interviewed Willie Nelson once in 2005, with audio and photos of that, as well as photos from the 2012 concert at this link.
English had a colorful history, not only playing rhythm for Nelson, but also serving as a protector of the singer. The Oxford American (which is based in Arkansas) detailed that history in a 2015 article titled “Watching Willie’s Back,” which delved into the many roles English held over the years. That included being road manager of the show and, in the early days, being the strong-armed collector of payments from club owners for the band. Armed with a pistol in his boot, he was prepared to protect anyone that threatened Nelson or the band. RIP Paul English.
Director of Public Affairs at Arkansas PBS, 36-year broadcasting veteran, photographer, interested in radio, TV and railroad history, author and host of the book and podcast series Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas.
