Pauline Reese has known Willie Nelson for some time, as she explains “I first met Willie when I was just 15 years old. Throughout my career, I’ve had the incredible privilege of performing at six Willie Nelson Picnics and three Farm Aid festivals, sharing stages with legendary artists including John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, The Allman Brothers Band, The Doobie Brothers, Merle Haggard, and many others. Those experiences helped shape the artist I am today.” Today’s song Trail Of Tears is, remarkably, only her second duet with Nelson – the first was Pick Up the Pieces way back in 2004.
After a complicated personal life – including two divorces and two children as well as some personal tragedies – Pauline Reese finds herself as an independent solo artist and a single mother, a situation she describes with some pride “While many artists have labels and large teams behind them, I’ve built my career one show at a time. I toured with my daughters, often bringing them on the road so I wouldn’t have to choose between being a mom and pursuing my dream. Today I’m a single mother of two teenage girls, and music is still how I support my family.”
