Willie Nelson provided a significant health update in canceling his appearance at three upcoming tour stops.
The 91-year-old will not be at Outlaw Music Festival Tour stops scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday (June 28-30) in New York and New Jersey.
- Nelson first revealed health issues would keep him from joining the tour last week.
- Each of his cancelation messages has come with a promise that he’d recover soon.
- Once again, Bob Dylan, Alison Krauss and Robert Plant will headline the tour as Nelson recuperates.
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The sliver lining is that doctors have cleared him to return to the road. “He will resume performing on the Outlaw Tour next week,” a new message on social media reads.
The tour has scheduled stops next Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday (July 2, 4, 6, 7) before a two week break. It’s not certain which of those four dates he’ll return for.
Lukas Nelson and Family will play in Wilson’s spot and include several of his classic songs.
What’s Wrong With Willie Nelson?
The exact reason for Nelson’s stage hiatus is not clear, but he suffers from emphysema and even quit smoking marijuana in 2019. Breathing issues have kept him from the stage on several occasions throughout the last decade, but he’s also had periods of sustained live music.
Tour dates are scheduled through September with intense periods of activity followed by several weeks of rest.
Billy Dukes is a Senior Editor and Executive Producer of Video Content at Taste of Country. He specializes in country music interviews, trend analysis and the Secret History of Country Music. Additionally, Billy covers Yellowstone, 1923 and related television shows through the Dutton Rules podcast. To date, he’s written more than 13,000 articles for Taste of Country and produced over 3,000 videos for the Taste of Country YouTube channel.
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Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
30 Pictures of a Young Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson began his music career in the late 1960s. Back then he wasn’t the typical country artist from Nashville — he was considered an outlaw.
Take a look back to his early years, and see photos of a young Willie Nelson that you may have ever seen before.
Gallery Credit: Evan Paul