Shotgun Willie is a 1973 album by
Willie Nelson. The recording marks a change of style for Nelson, who later stated that the album "cleared his throat". When Nelson refused to sign an early extension of his contract with
RCA in 1972, the label decided not to release any further recordings. Nelson hired Neil Reshen as his manager, and while Reshen negotiated with RCA, Nelson moved to
Austin, Texas, where the ongoing
hippie music scene at the
Armadillo World Headquarters renewed his musical style. In
Nashville, Nelson met producer
Jerry Wexler, vice president of
Atlantic Records, who was interested in his music. Reshen solved the problems with RCA and signed Nelson with Atlantic Records as their first
country music artist.