"Remembering the history of the Simmental breed and its people."
“Big Willie”
Before he became a country music icon, Willie Nelson famously tried to sell his song, “Hello Walls,” to Faron Young for $500 when he was hard up for cash. Young knew the song was a hit, and instead insisted that he just loan Willie the money. Not long after releasing the song, Faron sent Willie his first royalty check, which was just the beginning of the money both would see from the song. What many people don’t know is that a Simmental bull was a part of the deal. When Faron loaned Willie the money to pay his bills, Willie said he would raise a calf, and eventually give Faron a finished beef. It wasn’t long after that Nelson hit it big. The $500 loan was no longer top of mind for either singer.
The two still joked about the calf that never was. Faron would ask Willie how much it weighed, and he would say it was “20,000 pounds.” Willie decided to take the joke as far as he could, presenting Faron a registered, purebred Simmental bull, which he reportedly purchased for tens of thousands of dollars. Willie is said to have delivered the bull to Faron’s office in the middle of Nashville. Faron was shocked, and had nowhere to put a bull. He called his friend Jimmy C. Newman,
and asked if he could live out at his ranch near Nashville. Jimmy agreed, and used the bull on his cows for several years after. When Faron got divorced in 1986, the bull, nicknamed “Big Willie” was listed as an asset for $10,000, and he had to purchase his ex-wife’s share. .
Faron Young and “Big Willie,” the registered Simmental bull.
