Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson, like Dolly Parton, is among the advanced artists who seem to be loved no matter what they do. He started out playing more or less straight country in Nashville, which he didn't care for. His career since then has been pretty odd: He's done jazz, performed a duet with Julio Iglesias, starred in a movie based on one of his albums, done a cameo in a movie about getting high, made a record to pay off his taxes (and described it as such), and made a "reggae" record. Oh, and in August he'll be playing with Bob Dylan on a 22-date tour of minor league baseball stadiums. Most people can't get away with this kind of behavior, but somehow he can. Everybody loves Willie Nelson, no matter what. This is some form of advancement, but I haven't figured out what the name should be.