In 1970, Willie Nelson’s house caught on fire. He ran into the blaze to save just two things

Willie Nelson’s family home in Ridgetop, Tennessee, caught fire on 23 December 1970, while he was at a Nashville Christmas party. His wife Connie Koepke and their children and nephew escaped safely; Nelson rushed to the scene after being told about the blaze. The story matters partly because it became a much-repeated anecdote whose details shifted over time.

Nelson later said he ran back into the burning house and rescued two guitar cases, while some earlier versions of his tale joked that he went in for his cannabis. The cause remains uncertain: Nelson often pointed to a basement wood-burning stove, while Koepke blamed faulty wiring. Biographer Graeme Thomson established the date in 2010, amid conflicting accounts that placed the fire in other years.