Millegan: Willie Nelson's harmonica player talks music

The only thing certain about what you're going to hear at a Willie Nelson show is that it will open with "Whiskey River."

Other than that, anything can happen, said Mickey Raphael, the country legend's harmonica player for 37 years. There's never a set list, and Nelson plays whatever moves him at the moment.

Still, there's a good chance that his Sept. 12 show with LeAnn Rimes at Ironstone Amphitheatre at Ironstone Vineyards in Murphys will feature some cuts off his latest album, "Country Music." The CD, released in April, features country and gospel standards and was produced by T Bone Burnett.

Raphael, 58, was only 21 when he was introduced to Nelson by University of Texas football coach Darrell Royal. Raphael was invited to attend a jam session in a Dallas hotel room and soon found himself a member of Nelson's band.

He didn't even know who the country star was at the time and wasn't that interested in country music. He quickly became a fan.

"I love his guitar playing," Raphael said. "He's one of the most prolific songwriters on the planet."

In a recent interview with Larry King, Nelson, 77, estimated that he has written 2,000 to 3,000 songs and recorded hundreds of albums. Among his best-known hits are "Crazy," recorded by Patsy Cline, "Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain," "On the Road Again" and "Always on My Mind."

He told King that he hears melodies in his head all the time and could be writing them down every day if he so chose. Nelson told King he wasn't sure how he came up with "Crazy."

"The melody was there, the word 'crazy' was there," he said. "I think I ripped off (1930s-40s country singer) Floyd Tillman a bit somewhere along the way."

Nelson started in country music as a songwriter in the 1960s, making the biggest splash on his own with the 1975 concept album "Red-Headed Stranger," about a preacher on the run from the law after killing his wife and her lover.

With his long hair and outspoken views in favor of marijuana, Nelson didn't exactly fit into the traditional country mold. But he didn't have much trouble attracting people who wanted to hear what he served up.

He is also a great boss and is loyal to his musicians, Raphael said. Nelson calls his band the "family"; in addition to Raphael, members are Nelson's sister Bobbie Nelson, a piano player, and Paul English, the drummer.

"He's uncommon, unpredictable," said Raphael in explaining Nelson's enduring appeal. "You don't know what to expect. He's got a great fan base. His fans are among the most loyal people in the planet. He's really good."

Opening act Rimes, 28, was raised in Texas, like Nelson, and won her first singing contest at age 5. At age 8, she appeared on the TV talent show "Star Search," and by 13, she had a national hit with "Blue." Her hits include "Can't Fight the Moonlight," "Nothin' Bout Love Makes Sense," "Probably Wouldn't Be This Way," "I Need You" and "Big Deal."