Country California

Though he describes himself as “Willie Nelson’s biggest fan ever,” friends of Santa Cruz native Robert ‘Reeferhead’ Jenkins report that the forty-something vagrant knows little about the music icon save for his reputation as a smoker of marijuana.

“Singers have come and gone over the past 30 years, but Willie has been cool ever since he first hit Nashville. You know, Nashville didn’t dig him and he had to go back to Dallas to really get things started. Dallas like the TV show, man,” explained Jenkins. “But now he’s an American icon… or, like, a world icon. You could show his picture to some kid in Ugandastan and he would recognize Willie,” he pontificated over a fatty spliff.

“One time I almost saw him in concert, but it turns out my brother’s a little b*tch and wouldn’t loan me the money,” exhaled Jenkins. “I went anyway and hung out in the parking lot. People smoking pot everywhere. It was pretty rad.” He added: “Hey, did you hear about that one time Willie smoked weed with Reagan on the roof of the White House? Legendary! I knew a guy who saw it happen, for real, but he got shot a couple years ago in this deal over by the levee. Really good guy. Always had the prime stuff.”

For Jenkins, who dropped out of college to pursue his own dream of becoming a world-famous guitarist, Willie’s songs are “like the soundtrack to my life.” He names “Hit the Road Again,” “Dirty Harry Morning,” “First Thing I Needed Last Thing Tonight,” and “To All the Ones I Loved Back Then,” Nelson’s groundbreaking duet with Enrique Iglesias, as particular favorites, but says he really loves everything Willie has ever done.

Jenkins also asked us to relate that, if Willie should read this article, he would not be opposed to smoking a bowl with the icon the next time he passes through the Santa Cruz/Monterey area.