How Sam Jones Ended Up Cooking for Willie Nelson

Sam Jones returns for Part Two with Nick Pencis of Stanley’s Famous Pit Bar-B-Q, Wayne Mueller of Louie Mueller Barbecue and Justin Fourton of Pecan Lodge.This time, the conversation heads deep into the wild places barbecue took them. Sam and Wayne look back on cooking in Maui, spending time at Shep Gordon’s house, feeding Willie Nelson and somehow finding themselves surrounded by chefs, musicians and stories that still feel impossible years later.Sam also talks about stepping out from his grandfather’s shadow, building his own name within the Skylight Inn legacy and why opportunities outside the restaurant mattered, even when the people back home could not always see the value.There is also the story of Sam being handed a microphone in front of thousands of people, singing a cappella to a packed Chicago crowd and proving why nobody should ever tempt him with a hot mic.Part Two is funny, nostalgic and full of the kind of stories that could only happen when barbecue becomes a passport to a completely unexpected life. Subscribe to the Smokeless Podcast for more conversations with the people shaping barbecue.Follow Smokeless on Instagram: @smokeless_podcast