Kenny Chesney, Taj Mahal And More Talk Willie Nelson On New Season Of One By Willie Podcast

Official Announcement | Published: Mar 04, 2026 1:37 PM EST

(MPG) Culture journalist John Spong and Pulitzer-winning public media organization PRX today announce a new season of One by Willie, the podcast where each episode, Spong talks to one notable Willie Nelson fan about one Willie song they love, bringing listeners up close to the deep cultural and musical contributions of the country musical legend.

The podcast--honored in the 2025 Signal Awards as one of today's best music podcasts--kicks off season 7 on March 11 with country star Kenny Chesney, who opens with his love of Willie's 1976 version of "That Lucky Old Sun," then shares how Willie's independent streak inspired the career change that grew him into a stadium headliner and Billboard magazine's "Top Country Artist of the 21st Century."

New episodes of One by Willie will also feature Booker Prize-winning writer George Saunders, providing a line-by-line, masterclass analysis on "Pancho & Lefty;" acclaimed Americana artist Tami Neilson describing the seeking, spiritual openness of Willie's original gospel song "I Thought About You, Lord;" 10-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Jamey Johnson discussing "It Always Will Be" and the true, counterintuitive definition of Outlaw Country; plus The National's Matt Berninger, blues great Taj Mahal, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Dave Stewart of Eurythmics, comedian Ali Siddiq, Country Music Hall of Famer Bill Anderson, and more.

"We started this project," says host John Spong, "because we thought listening to Willie records with cool, smart people would be fun. And it definitely has been. But it's turned into a much deeper look at him, with three main takeaways: As an artist, Willie Nelson found success by being true to himself. As a person, he never wavered from being true to the people around him. And as for the songs themselves, every single one of them comes with a great story."

PRX distributes the series and the organization's team of audio creatives, PRX Productions, co-produces the new episodes with Spong. Previous seasons were produced by Texas Monthly, the magazine of contemporary life in the Lone Star State and co-presenter of the show.

The conversations have ranged far and wide on previous seasons, with episodes featuring researcher Brene Brown on how Willie's cover of "Amazing Grace" has informed everything she teaches, actor Ethan Hawke on how the 1996 album Spirit prepped him to become a dad, plus Miranda Lambert, Nick Offerman, John Mellencamp, Whoopi Goldberg, Margo Price, Sheryl Crow, Billy Strings, Booker T. Jones, Lawrence Wright, Bonnie Raitt, Daniel Lanois, Vince Gill and beyond. As a whole, One by Willie presents an inspiring, patchwork portrait of one of the most important artists in music history and a genuine American folk hero.

One by Willie is available free across all major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Overcast. Audiences can also visit onebywillie.com to listen and read transcripts.