I've given Woody Guthrie every chance.. big overrated, imo. But, okay, tastes, fair enough.
But not Nelson. He sucks big time.
I live just a few miles from where Willie lives most of the time and I have followed his career. And, I agree with you to some extent. But, Willie was more of a songwriter than a singer and wrote 337 songs. He had 33 number 1 singles song. 25 of those were sung by Willie and 8 were sung by others.
Around Central Texas, Willie is a big deal because he appears locally a lot, is an unapologetic dope smoker and he has a magnetism that makes the crowd just want to reach for a six pack of beer when he walks out on the stage.
But, your point is well taken. Particularly in recent years. Lol, Willie “talks”to his music more than he “sings”.
Around here though, people, generally speaking, love Willie Nelson. Just say “Willie Nelson” to just about anybody and you will get an instant smile.