Willie Nelson’s Seven Spanish Angels is a renowned duet performed with American musician Ray Charles. The song was penned by songwriters Troy Seals and Eddie Setser and was first released in November 1984 on Charles‘ album, Friendship. The following year, Willie Nelson featured the track on his own compilation album, Half Nelson.
The concept for the song originated with Setser, who suggested the title. Seals then crafted the narrative as a tribute to the Tejano-flavored classic hits of Marty Robbins, such as El Paso. The lyrics tell the tragic and heartbreaking story of an outlaw and his lover who are on the run from armed men sent to take them back to Texas. Facing a final gunfight, the couple embraces, believing they will be saved. However, the outlaw is shot and killed, and his lover, unable to live without him, is killed shortly after.
Initially, Seals and Setser were unsure who would record the song following the death of Marty Robbins. Just two days after its completion, the song was pitched to country legend Willie Nelson, who immediately reserved it. However, before Nelson could record it, producer Billy Sherrill heard the demo and wanted the song for Ray Charles. As the song was already reserved, Sherrill ingeniously proposed it be recorded as a duet.
The resulting track features the phenomenal voices of the two artists in an alternating verse structure. Ray Charles takes the lead on the first and second choruses, with Nelson joining in for the outro. The song was warmly received by fans, earning Charles a chart-topping hit and becoming his most successful single ever on the country chart.
The song’s legacy continues, and in 2015, Alison Krauss and Jamey Johnson performed the famous duet at the Gershwin Prize Awards Ceremony to honor Willie Nelson. The award celebrated Nelson’s incredible six-decade career, and he was visibly emotional while watching their performance, which is considered one of the most moving renditions of the song.