Willie Nelson’s legend stretches beyond a half-century of country hits to include his annual Farm Aid benefit and the album he produced to pay off his back taxes.
Now Nelson, whose “Beer for My Horses” duet with Toby Keith garnered the Academy of Country Music’s 2004 Video of the Year award, has unveiled another facet of his life: BioWillie.
The 71-year-old music icon founded Willie Nelson’s Biodiesel in December with “the idea of doing something useful for the country, the American family farmer, the economy and the environment,” according to a statement on the company website, http://www.wnbiodiesel.com/.
Nelson’s partners in the venture are Monk White, Texas biodiesel supplier Peter Bell and Carl Cornelius, operator of Carl’s Corner Truck Stop on I-35E south of Dallas. The fuel is sold at Carl’s and in Addison, Krum and Fort Worth. The company is negotiating to sell it at truck stops nationwide.
Made mainly from soybeans, the fuel has been used successfully by fleet owners including the City of Dallas and IESI, a 780-vehicle solid waste management company.
In mid-January, BioWillie cost $1.79 a gallon, less than the national diesel average. Nelson uses it in his trucks and tour buses.
