On New Year’s Eve 2000, Billy Joe Shaver lost his only son, Eddy Shaver. That same night, Billy Joe Shaver had a concert scheduled near Austin, Texas. Somehow, with Willie Nelson’s help, the grieving father made it onto the stage.
Years later, Billy Joe Shaver spoke openly about that night. The story revealed just how much Willie Nelson had done for an old friend, including one act of generosity that Billy Joe Shaver never forgot.
A Father and Son Who Made Music Together
Eddy Shaver was more than Billy Joe Shaver’s son. Eddy Shaver was a gifted guitarist and a longtime musical partner. Throughout the 1990s, the two performed and recorded together under the name Shaver.
Their 1993 album, Tramp on Your Street, included “Live Forever,” a song they wrote together. Eddy Shaver developed the melody, and Billy Joe Shaver worked on the words before the two finished the composition together.
Billy Joe Shaver had already helped shape outlaw country through songs recorded by Waylon Jennings, particularly on the 1973 album Honky Tonk Heroes. But performing alongside Eddy Shaver gave Billy Joe Shaver another kind of musical partnership.
Then came a devastating period for the family. Billy Joe Shaver lost his wife, Brenda, and his mother in 1999. On December 31, 2000, Eddy Shaver died at just 38 years old.
Willie Nelson Wouldn’t Let Billy Joe Face That Night Alone
Billy Joe Shaver was scheduled to perform at Poodie’s, a club near Willie Nelson’s ranch outside Austin.
In a 2005 interview with Terry Gross on NPR’s Fresh Air, Billy Joe Shaver remembered how Willie Nelson encouraged the grieving songwriter to keep the engagement.
The regular band wasn’t available, so Willie Nelson gathered musicians and took the stage.
Willie Nelson performed for most of the evening. Billy Joe Shaver joined in occasionally, singing a few songs while Willie Nelson and the other musicians carried the show.
It was an extraordinarily difficult performance, but Billy Joe Shaver was surrounded by people who knew and cared about the family.
Afterward, Willie Nelson took Billy Joe Shaver home. The longtime friends spent the night talking. Their friendship stretched back to the 1950s, well before either had achieved widespread recognition.
The Funeral Expense Willie Nelson Refused to Be Repaid
What Willie Nelson did afterward was just as meaningful.
Billy Joe Shaver told Terry Gross that money was especially tight following Eddy Shaver’s death. Willie Nelson provided financial assistance and paid for Eddy Shaver’s burial.
Later, when Billy Joe Shaver received money from Sony, the songwriter tried to repay Willie Nelson.
Willie Nelson refused to accept the money.
For Billy Joe Shaver, the kindness was something that remained with him for years. Willie Nelson had helped with the immediate practical burden while also encouraging an old friend to continue doing what the two musicians knew best.
Why Willie Nelson Believed the Stage Could Help
In a separate 2006 interview with Terry Gross, Willie Nelson explained the thinking behind that difficult New Year’s Eve performance.
Willie Nelson had experienced the loss of a son, Billy Nelson, in 1991. After that death, Willie Nelson continued performing and found that being onstage helped provide some relief from grief.
Willie Nelson believed Billy Joe Shaver might benefit from being among friends and fans rather than facing the entire evening alone.
The music that night wasn’t carefully arranged as a memorial performance. Willie Nelson recalled singing familiar songs while Billy Joe Shaver occasionally joined in.
There was no suggestion that one concert could erase the loss. It simply gave Billy Joe Shaver a place to be, with people willing to help.
The Songs That Remained
Billy Joe Shaver continued recording and performing after Eddy Shaver’s death. In 2005, the album Billy and the Kid included recordings featuring Eddy Shaver, allowing listeners to hear more of the musical partnership between father and son.
Billy Joe Shaver died on October 28, 2020, at the age of 81.
For longtime country fans, “Live Forever” remains one of the most personal reminders of the music Billy Joe Shaver and Eddy Shaver created together.
And for anyone who remembers their friendship, that New Year’s Eve performance says a great deal about Willie Nelson, too. Willie Nelson played when Billy Joe Shaver could barely manage a few songs, helped pay for Eddy Shaver’s burial, and never asked to be paid back.
Years later, Billy Joe Shaver was still telling people what Willie Nelson had done.