is easily one of my favorite artists of all time. Of course, we all know his music is great, but there’s just somethin’ else about him that’s so damn cool… I mean, he didn’t become one of the leaders of the outlaw country movement for no reason. Back on October 17th, 1974, he was apart of the very first episode of
Austin City Limits
. The PBS station KLRN in San Antonio and Austin, Texas, produced the pilot episode of the incredible, long-standing variety show and music program. And on this date in 2014, he was rightfully inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame, which I’m sure had to have been a really cool, full-circle moment for the red headed stranger. Though the audience of this very first, early show was much smaller than the one they have now when they film it at The Moody Theater in Austin (where Willie
), and it’s pretty cool to see Willie and his band on the first episode so long ago in this vintage video of the pilot episode. You may recognize some of the other people on stage, too, which include his late drummer, Paul English, his sister, Bobbie, on the piano, longtime harmonica player Mickey Raphael and even