On This Day in 1980, the Soundtrack to Willie Nelson’s First Starring Film Hit No. 1 and Gave Him One of His Biggest Hits

On this day (November 12) in 1980, the soundtrack from the film Honeysuckle Rose was on a six-week run at No. 1 on the country albums chart. The film gave Willie Nelson his first starring role. Additionally, he wrote most of the songs and produced the LP. The 2LP set also included guest appearances from Emmylou Harris, Hank Cochran, Johnny Gimble, and other country greats. Both of the album’s singles–“On the Road Again” and “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground”–became No. 1 hits for Nelson.

Honeysuckle Rose was adapted from the 1936 Swedish film Intermezzo, in which a concert violinist falls in love with his daughter’s piano instructor. In the adaptation, Nelson portrays Buck Bonham, an aging country star. His character falls in love with Lily (Amy Irving), the daughter of his guitarist. The plot centers around their affair and his marriage to Viv (Dyan Cannon), the mother of his child.

The film did well at the box office, despite mixed reviews from critics. “On the Road Again” earned Nelson an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song. It later won Best Country Song at the Grammy Awards. At the same time, Amy Irving “won” the Razzie for Worst Supporting Actress.

Willie Nelson Wrote “On the Road Again” on a Barf Bag

More than 40 years later, “On the Road Again” is still one of Willie Nelson’s most popular songs. To anyone who is familiar with his history of near-constant touring, it sounds like an autobiographical ode to life as a musician. However, he wrote the song for Honeysuckle Rose when it had the alternate title On the Road Again.

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Nelson was on a flight with director Jerry Schatzberg and executive producer Sydney Pollack when he wrote the song. “They were looking for songs for the movie, and they asked me if I had any ideas,” he recalled. When Pollack suggested that the new song be about touring, Nelson said the idea “just started to click.” He grabbed an air sickness bag and wrote the chorus. The rest of the song came to him over the next week.

Featured Image by David Redfern/Redferns