From Lawnmower Man to Country Hitmaker: Jeff Fahey Co-Writes Willie Nelson's New Single

The headline might seem like a stretch, but it's true: Willie Nelson has a new single co-written by Jeff Fahey, the actor best known for his role in the 1992 film, Lawnmower Man. While Jobe Smith didn't inspire this particular tune, the juxtaposition of a music legend with a CGI icon is too good to pass up.

Jeff Fahey is a prolific character actor with a career spanning four decades, including roles in Lost, Wyatt Earp, and several Robert Rodriguez films. He's now adding songwriter to his resume.

Fahey mentioned in a recent podcast interview that he and his songwriting partners contributed four songs to the soundtrack of The Gray House, a new limited series from Amazon Prime.

While Fahey's songwriting credits are limited, his collaboration with Erin Enderlin and Jim "Moose" Brown on Nelson's "Heart Of America" marks a significant achievement. Enderlin shared on Instagram that the trio penned several songs for the series, inspired by its powerful storyline, working alongside Leslie Grief, known for producing series like Texas Rising and Hatfields & McCoys.

Nelson's recording is one of four songs the trio wrote for the soundtrack. Others are performed by The War and Treaty, Larkin Poe, and Drake Milligan with Shania Twain.

The Gray House, set during the Civil War, will premiere on Amazon Prime Video next month. Directed by Roland Joffé, known for The Killing Fields and The Mission, the series features a cast including Mary-Louise Parker, Ben Vereen, and Keith David. Although Fahey isn't in the cast, the series is produced by Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman, both of whom Fahey has worked with previously. Costner and Fahey had their first big film roles in the 1985 Western Silverado, and Fahey's most recent film role was in Costner's Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1.

Costner shared his thoughts on Nelson's involvement:

> What a lucky day for us that Willie would take on performing a song for The Gray House. I’m not sure what Willie’s process is, but it’s clear that Willie was ready and willing to go deep when thinking about that terrible moment in American history where our country was divided and at war with itself, a moment in time that I believe we still have not fully recovered from. Willie’s talent, while always on display, found a new depth at least for me. God Bless our country and bless this man!

Freeman and co-executive producer Lori McCreary added:

> Some songs don’t belong to one project… they belong to a people. "The Heart of America" that Willie sings for The Gray House, feels like a new kind of anthem, one meant for every American.

Willie Nelson's "Heart Of America" is available now, with a video:

The Gray House (Original Soundtrack From The Amazon Series) arrives via MCA alongside the series premiere on Prime Video 2/26. The soundtrack features tracks from artists including Killer Mike, Scott Stapp, and Lainey Wilson:

1. The War And Treaty - “Blood In the River” (Erin Enderlin, Jim “Moose” Brown, Jeff Fahey)
2. Adrienne Warren - “Unholy Water” (Jon Bon Jovi, Butch Walker, Desmond Child)
3. Yolanda Adams - “Love Will Rescue Me” (Anthony Evans, Nick Pothoven)
4. The War And Treaty - “If This Day” (Diane Warren)
5. Scott Stapp - “Red, White, & Blue” (Scott Stapp, Marti Frederiksen, Desmond Child)
6. Lainey Wilson - “Dead End Red Dirt Road” (Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Paul Thomas Sikes)
7. Larkin Poe - “The Devil’s Boat” (Erin Enderlin, Jim “Moose” Brown, Jeff Fahey, Michael Trotter Jr., Tanya Trotter)
8. Killer Mike Featuring Lena Byrd Miles - “Smiling Eyes (Smiling Faces)” (Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield, Vidal Garcia, Cosmo Hickox, Robert Mandell, Max Perry, Michael Render)
9. Shainia Twain and Drake Milligan - “I’ll Be Here With You” (Erin Enderlin, Jim “Moose” Brown, Jeff Fahey, Drake Milligan)
10. Willie Nelson - “Heart Of America” (Erin Enderlin, Jim “Moose” Brown, Jeff Fahey)

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