Country Music and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Willie Nelson returned to Camden, New Jersey for his annual “Independence Day Picnic” event on the Fourth of July.
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Willie Nelson, Missy Elliott inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees include Willie Nelson, Missy Elliott, Sheryl Crow, George Michael and Rage Against the Machine.
Willie Nelson is back on tour.
Yes, after weeks of health concerns, Country Music and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Willie Nelson returned to the stage on July 4th for the annual “Independence Day Picnic” event at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden, New Jersey.
The event featured performances by artists such as Mavis Staples, Maren Morris and Bob Dylan.
What are Willie Nelson’s health concerns?
Two weeks ago, 91-year-old Nelson was reported via his social media accounts to be “not feeling well.”
On doctor’s orders, he was advised to rest.
Attendees at Nelson’s Outlaw Road Show were treated to “an exclusive set featuring Willie’s classics and more” performed by Nelson’s son Lucas, his family band, and special guests. Other scheduled acts, including Bob Dylan, Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, and Cerise, also performed as advertised.
Nelson announced an “unprecedented” lineup in February for 24 North American shows through October, including himself, Bob Dylan, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, John Mellencamp, Billy Strings, Britney Spencer, Celis and Southern Avenue.
“This year’s Outlaw Music Festival Tour will be our biggest and best yet with a lineup of legendary artists, and I’m so excited to be back on the road with my family and friends playing the music I love for the fans I love,” Nelson said.
Nelson’s festival has grown into one of North America’s most important annual touring franchises over the past decade, featuring such musicians as Chris Stapleton, Neil Young, Luke Combs, Van Morrison, ZZ Top, Eric Church, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Tyler Childers, Sturgill Simpson, The Avett Brothers and many more.
Many of them congratulated Nelson on his recovery through their Instagram comments.
“Yes! I’m so happy. We have to protect Willie at all costs,” said Margo Price.
In 2023, a CBS special celebrating Nelson’s 90th birthday will air at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, featuring not only Nelson himself, but also Beck, Gary Clark Jr., Sheryl Crow, Snoop Dogg, Norah Jones, Miranda Lambert, Dave Matthews, Nelson’s sons Lucas and Micah, Keith Richards, George Strait and Chris Stapleton.
Five years ago, in August 2019, Nelson nearly pulled out of his “On the Road Again” tour due to “respiratory issues.” The tour resumed a month later after doctors addressed the issues.
Willie Nelson’s album “The Border”
Nelson’s 152nd album, The Border, was released on May 31, 2024 via Sony’s Legacy Recordings.
The album’s lead single is a cover of Rodney Crowell’s 2019 song “The Border,” written as a story depicting the life and times of a Border Patrol agent in Texas, and features a Hall of Fame-level roster of legendary musicians and songwriters, including longtime collaborator Buddy Cannon (with whom Nelson co-wrote “Once Upon a Yesterday,” “What If I’m Out of My Mind,” “Kiss Me When You’re Through,” “How Much Does It Cost,” and “Hank’s Guitar” (which Cannon wrote with Bobby Tomberlin, not Nelson), as well as Larry Caudle and Erin Enderlin (“I Wrote This Song for You”), Crowell and Will Jennings (“Many a Long and Lonesome Highway”), Shawn Camp and Monty Holmes (“Made in Texas”), and Mike Reid (“Nobody Knows Me Like You”).
For more information on Willie Nelson, visit willienelson.com.