Music

Someone bought Willie Nelson's ancient braids for nearly $40,000

by Mark Teo

Over the years, outlaw country legend Waylon Jennings has accumulated plenty of bizarre things—and many of them were revealed in an auction earlier this week. His estate, for instance, was auctioning off a vintage motorcycle once owned by Buddy Holly. His widow, Jessi Colter, was also selling off a robe once owned by Muhammad Ali. And, for the true country-music fan, the estate was accepting bids on the contract Jennings signed with Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, and Willie Nelson when they formed the twangy supergroup Highwaymen. But the weirdest thing he owned? Nelson’s braids from 1983, which the estate had listed for a cool $37,000.

Yes, $37,000.

We have two immediate questions, here: First, why in the hell did Jennings own Nelson’s then-red locks? And secondly, who would spend $37,000—a solid annual wage for an administrative assistant—for a set of stank, 31-year-old braids?

To answer the first question: Cash supposedly gifted Jennings the hair in 1983, to celebrate the latter’s sobriety. To answer the second: Yes, an unnamed buyer bought the braids at full-ticket price.

But this only leads us to even more questions. How does the Red Headed Stranger feel about having his old locks sold? How much does a quarter-pound of outlaw hair weigh? And what’s in store for the braids—will they be turned into a wig? Is someone going to smoke the braids? What’s the THC content of the braids? Questions. So, so many questions. [H/T Spin]