Always on My Mind - Willie Nelson - MP3 instrumental karaoke

Willie Nelson has made a name for himself not only as a trailblazing songwriter in the country music genre, but also as a performer of other people’s songs. A great example of this is his cover of “Always on My Mind,” which served as the title track to his 1982 album Always on My Mind. The genesis of the album came from a collaboration between him and Merle Haggard called Pancho & Lefty. At the time, Willie Nelson suggested that Merle Haggard record the song “Always on My Mind,” a ballad written by Wayne Carson, Johnny Christopher, and Mark James. Merle Haggard declined, and so Willie Nelson took it upon himself to record his own version with producer Chip Moman. This turned out to be a great career move, as his version ended up becoming a massive hit, topping Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart and staying on the chart for 21 weeks. It also reached Number 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Willie Nelson’s version of “Always on My Mind” won Grammy Awards for Song of the Year, Best Country Song, and Best Male Country Vocal Performance.