Billy Joe Shaver accused of shooting a man

updated 9:59 p.m. ET April 2, 2007

AUSTIN, Texas - Country singer Billy Joe Shaver shot and wounded a man in self-defense outside a bar, his attorney said Monday.

A drunk, aggressive stranger with a knife followed Shaver into the parking lot of Papa Joe’s Texas Saloon in Lorena on Saturday night, said Shaver’s attorney, Joseph A. Turner of Austin. Turner would not say whether anything had occurred inside the bar.

Police in Lorena — about 80 miles north of Austin — have not issued an arrest warrant, but Shaver will turn himself in if they do, Turner said.

“We’re working with the police to get this resolved,” Turner said.

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The victim was shot in the cheek but was talking and alert afterward, according to police.

Shaver, who lives in Waco, wrote “Georgia on a Fast Train” and “I’m Just an Old Chunk of Coal (But I’m Gonna Be a Diamond Someday).” He has recorded more than 20 albums.

Although he has never received wide acclaim, he is recognized as one of the best songwriters among his contemporaries. His heartfelt lyrics helped launched country’s outlaw movement, which defined the careers of singers like his old friend, Willie Nelson, and the late Waylon Jennings, and returned country to its roots.

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