Will Hoover has a way with words and an ability to roll with the punches.

Both have served him well over the years. While most folks here know his work as a journalist for The Honolulu Advertiser, few are aware that Hoover, 64, is a noted country songwriter whose 1970s song "Freedom to Stay" was just covered by country superstar Mark Chesnutt on his latest album, "Outlaw."

The title is a tribute to Hoover’s contemporaries, musicians such as Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Tompall Glaser and Billy Joe Shaver, who fought for — and got — creative control and artistic freedom from the sterile Nashville hit-making machine by growing their hair long, raising some hell and writing and singing from the heart.

Hoover himself was a bit of a hell-raiser.

In fact, his life story reads like the lyrics of a good country song.

The self-proclaimed "black sheep" of his family, Hoover first sang as a child at county fairs and on the radio, went to Nashville and immersed himself in the "outlaw" music scene for about 10 years, then up and left it all behind to become, as he puts it, an itinerant "bartender, professional gambler, then a hermit living in the woods of Tennessee."

His observant writing skills put him in good stead when he moved back to his home state of Iowa, where he became a popular reporter and columnist for the Des Moines Register. But, true to form, Hoover later resigned from that job and drifted back into a solitary life, this time in the Caribbean during what he calls "the lost years" of 1984 to ’85.

Hoover went back to Des Moines when he ran out of money, but found out he wasn’t wanted at the newspaper. He ended up in Hawaii after getting a call about a job at the Advertiser.

After joining the local paper in 1986, Hoover was reminded of his outlaw roots 11 years later when a woman in Nashville called to report that his unreleased recording masters from 1972 had been found in a Dumpster after the closing of Glaser Studios, also known as "Outlaw Headquarters" and "Hillbilly Central" — a favorite hangout of Hoover’s.

The woman retrieved the tapes, thankfully, and with the financial support of his good friend and nationally known singer, author and humorist Kinky Friedman, Hoover’s "The Lost Outlaw Album" was finally released, featuring the Hoover-Friedman collaboration "I’m the Loneliest Man I Ever Met" and the song he can hang his hat on, "Freedom to Stay." In addition to the new Chesnutt version, the song has been covered by Waylon Jennings and Tina Turner (see sidebar).

"That song’s been real good to me," said Hoover, referring to a steady stream of royalties.

When the two Oahu dailies merged back in early June, Hoover once again found himself unemployed and decided to work on his music. This time around, he joined up with accomplished guitarist Kevin Hirasa, who worked in the Advertiser’s production department.

On a late Monday afternoon in the enveloping darkness of Hank’s Cafe Honolulu, where several regulars were comfortably bellied up to the bar, Hoover and Hirasa talked about their current lot in life as a folk/country duo featuring the music of the now reinvented Willis David Hoover.

"We’re still evolving even though we’ve done everything in music between us," Hoover said in the cozy Southern drawl that made it easy for the former reporter to get his subjects to pour their hearts out to him.

When he and Hirasa worked Saturdays at the paper, they found they had a common love for well-crafted guitars. Hoover gave Hirasa a copy of a 1995 book he had authored titled "Picks" which traces the history and design of the guitar plectrum, a small thin piece of metal, plastic, bone or similar material that is used for plucking.

During the time he was "a working writer," Hoover said, "I had no time to perform." Even now, with more time on his hands than he should have, he is in no hurry to relaunch a full-blown musical career.

It was only because of a Friday night gig opening earlier this month at Hank’s that Hoover and Hirasa agreed to play for the public.

"We lost our jobs, we’ve been playing together for a month, so why don’t we do this?" Hirasa said.

"And it was (Friday) the 13th, which was only apt," added Hoover. "It’s been close to 30 years that I played in front of an audience, so we called it the ‘What Could Possibly Go Right?’ gig."

Well, it did go right, thanks in part to the support play of Hirasa, who was in demand as a guitarist before he phased out of the local scene in 1995 to concentrate on his work at the Advertiser. "For 20 years I played with Loyal Garner, Melveen Leed, Don Ho, played in bars, at luaus, a lot of conventions. I later co-produced an album with Yvonne Elliman called ‘Simple Needs,’ and we did a couple nights with the symphony and two gigs at Diamond Head festivals," he recalled.

The guitarist also does double duty with the oldies band Powerhouse.

"It’s been a cakewalk the first three times we’ve played together in public," Hoover said. "The reason it’s fun and easy is because Kevin is a consummate pro. It makes no difference how much I screw up because he makes it all sound good. I’ve worked with great musicians in Nashville like Jerry Reed, Charlie Daniels and Chet Atkins, and Kevin’s right in there."

While nothing has been confirmed for future gigs, Hoover said he’d like to "do Hank’s one or two more times" and then possibly accept an invite from Hawaii Public Radio to be part of its concert series at the Atherton Performing Arts Studio.

Tim Vandeveer, host of HPR’s "Full Nelson," interviewed Hoover for his country music show. He said he is hoping the duo will play the intimate venue.

The two met again Tuesday at a rally for gubernatorial candidate Neil Abercrombie, where they got a chance to greet part-time Maui resident Willie Nelson, who was the evening’s headliner talent.

"Will pitched Willie a song," Vandeveer said, "so it was a neat experience to see those two catch up."

Vandeveer described Hoover as "a very humble guy, a great storyteller" whose performances are "a conversation with the audience."

"He’s an unassuming guy, and if you listen to his words, they will absolutely floor you," he said. "He lets the music take him where it wants to go.

"I’m not surprised he’s not rushing things, because it’s a young man’s game doing the PR push. He’s already played that game in Nashville. But now it’s a great opportunity for him to get his music heard and have a lot of fun in the meantime."

Back at Hank’s, Hoover said he and Hirasa have written a song titled "12 Bar Blues," which is more about drinking establishments than the song’s construct.

"I hope that we can write more together," Hirasa said.

"Yeah, now that I’m hot again," Hoover added with a laugh.