Fans who purchased tickets for the initial dates of the “Outlaw Music Festival Tour” are in for a disappointment: Willie Nelson won’t be taking the stage. Just hours before the tour’s launch in Alpharetta, Georgia, on Friday, June 21, an announcement surfaced on social media explaining that the 91-year-old music icon wouldn’t be able to perform.
“Regrettably, Willie Nelson is under the weather and, following medical advice, must rest for the next four days,” the statement conveyed. “We anticipate his swift recovery and his return to the Outlaw Music Festival tour next week.”
In Willie’s absence, his son, Lukas Nelson, and the Family Band, took the stage, as noted in the social media post. Despite this setback, Bob Dylan, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, and Celisse were all set to proceed with their performances as planned.
While the specific date of Willie’s comeback remains undisclosed, no further details have been provided.
Willie Nelson remained absent from Saturday’s tour stop in Charlotte, North Carolina, and isn’t slated to appear at Sunday’s show in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Outlaw tour is next scheduled for Wednesday at the Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater in Virginia Beach, Virginia, but it’s uncertain if Nelson will rejoin for that performance.
Upcoming Outlaw shows include visits to Syracuse and Wantagh, New York, and Holmdel, New Jersey.
At 91 years old, Nelson, an inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2023, has recently been honored with an educational endowment at the University of Texas’ LBJ School of Public Affairs. Additionally, he released a new book about his songwriting titled “Energy Follows Thought: The Stories Behind My Songs” in October.
Throughout his illustrious seven-decade career, the Texas actor, activist, and songwriter has penned classics like “Crazy,” “Funny How Times Slips Away,” and “On the Road Again,” and co-founded Farm Aid.
