About the song
In his 2012 memoir, Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die: Musings from the Road, legendary country singer Willie Nelson shared a deeply personal revelation that surprised even his longtime fans. After decades of living a full and famously unconventional life, Nelson discovered he had a daughter he never knew about—a woman named Renée Butts, born from a relationship with an old friend, Mary Haney.
Nelson recounts the emotional moment in his book: “I had a dear old friend, Mary Haney, with whom I had lost touch but recently reconnected after many decades,” he wrote. “It turns out Mary and I had a child together named Renée. It also turns out Renée has a daughter, Noelle, who has a daughter named Jordyn—whom I’m happy to call my great-granddaughter.”
This unexpected connection brought a new dimension to Nelson’s life. Despite his age and fame, he expressed profound humility and gratitude for having the chance to reconnect with a family he never knew existed. “It took me a while to find my new family,” he admitted. But find them he did, and he embraced them wholeheartedly.
Tragically, Renée Butts passed away in August 2017, only a few years after Nelson first learned of her. Yet the time they shared was meaningful and filled with the quiet beauty of a late-found bond. In a life marked by music, movement, and reflection, this personal story added a tender, human chapter.
Nelson’s discovery serves as a reminder that it’s never too late to find love, family, or connection, even when the road is long and winding. His experience encourages others to keep their hearts open to unexpected joys and long-lost ties—proof that life continues to surprise, even in its later chapters.
